Looking for suggestions... T5 bulb Combos

[chris88]

Here is one of the tests done on PAR with the following bulbs. I couldn't find the updated list but i will search again when i get hoime for work. I do remeber the UV 454 bulb being below 250 and you can compare that number to the bulbs below. Also look how low the actinic bulbs are.

Aquascience
Special 15K 320*
DUO 15K 334*
22000K Blue 302*

AquaZ
Sun Pro 285
Ocean Pro 323
Blue Pro 266

ATI
Sun Pro 357
Aquablue 336
Blue Plus 311
Actinic 137
(Old Style)
Pro Color 215 vs 300 for a UVL Aquasun in a later test

Current Sun Paq
Daylight 10K 272
Blue 252

D&D/Giesemann
Midday 325
Aquablue 324
Actinic Plus 264
Pure Actinic 157


General Electric
GE Daylight 340
GE3000 319*

Helios
Daylight 309
Super Blue 225

KZ
Coral Light 342
Fiji Purple 330

UVL
Aqua sun 345
Actinic White 293
Super Actinic 210
75/25 "Aquablue" 254 vs 300 for an Aquasun in a later test.

[fencer]

Thanks Chris...that is really good data.

Anybody:
1. Is PAR value additive?
2. Is PAR value more important that LUX
3. If so...what is the optimal amount of PAR required for color and growth of SPS( say in a tank where SPS sit 15in above the light source) ?

[lorenz0]

Originally Posted by Myka

In all honesty though, I personally don't think PAR is quite as important as many people think. Water quality, stability, and flow are the most key factors to good coloring on SPS corals imo. You can have really nice SPS under modest lighting provided the water is pristine, the parameters are stable, and the flow is optimum.

Probably the best statement in this whole thread

I have seen killer tanks running only 4 bulbs but they keep up with their water quality in excellent shape

eg.

[chris88]

Par is extremely important and corals will not photosynthesis to their full capacity without enough of it, especially sps corals. Lux is just a term for brightness to the human eye while par is “photosynthetic active radiation”. It only takes into consideration the wavelength that corals use for photosynthesis, basically 400nm - 700nm. The lowest par most sps will do well with is 150 and the highest is around 600. I am not saying it can't be done other ways but this is the sweet spot from all of the data I have read which is more then I would like to admit to.
Now I am not trying to start a debate because we all know we can run a reef in many different ways and light is only one important factor. Water quality, stable parameters, etc all make a big deal. But from a lighting perspective, PAR is very important and PAR drops of a cliff the deeper a tank goes. Let’s say the par was 700 at the surface of a 24 inch tank it would probably be 100 at the sand bed with a good t5 fixture and good bulbs. Through in a mediocre t5 fixture and average bulbs and do the math it won’t add up well.

[Myka]

If I had the time I would love to prove you wrong Chris. PAR is important, but it is not extremely important. I mean, you can't grow SPS under a spiral fluorescent very well, but you don't need to blast your SPS with as much PAR as many people like to, or think they need to.

[chris88]

Myka i do partially agree with you. Some people are too concerned with par but I was just stating what I have read from research articles and test done with Par and coral growth. It is a fact that most sps or corals in fact will grow faster with more light aka higher par numbers. But there is a limit to this, after a certain point they become saturated and photo inhibition will occur and it can be harmful to the coral. 600 par is not that high, and 100 is actually very low. Put a sps frag on your sand bed vs. 4 inch from the surface and see which one looks better and grows faster.

[Myka]

Chris, I have only two SPS corals that would handle being 4" from the surface under my lights (a tabling Acro and a Candlelight Acro). They are halides, but the fixture is Chinese and the bulbs are from Home Depot (came with fixture). It is a 36" fixture over a 48" tank too. It has two T5s (UVL Super Actinic and KZ fiji Purple right now). Needless to say, this setup isn't high output by any means. I have Stags and Milles on the sand in my 24" deep tank that have better color there than higher up. All my LPS corals are off to the side away from the halides. My water is crystal clear though, so that makes a huge difference.