I was running higher par but ran into diatom algea issues as well as encrusting corals were growing up more then out. I want them to grow out. It's a fine balance.
you can go high par and grow up with lps or little lower and grow out. Key is pay attention to how the corals grow and increase lighting 5-10% at a time monthly. Discover the optimal PAR levels for SPS, LPS, and soft corals to boost growth and color in your reef tank.
Learn how to measure and adjust lighting for healthy, thriving corals. Photosynthetically available radiation or photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) measures the amount or intensity of light that corals utilize in aquariums. The hammer coral is a large polyp stony (LPS) coral, which has been a staple for aquariums for decades, therefore they are a must.
In LPS or lower light demanding tanks the target is 50-150 PAR throughout the tank and often the lower the better. PAR is absolutely not horse power with most LPS corals and getting the PAR that low with LED's can actually be a challenge, especially if you rely on your own eyes. For Freshwater PAR levels please.
The list below shows the light ranges needed for coral growth. The minimum figures are used as a guideline where growth will be minimal and the health of the coral may come into question. At the maximum level no more growth will occur for an increase in light.
Remember PAR is a better measurement of quantity of light than quality. A seneye reef. PAR requirements for LPS and softies coral led par biocube lps sofite By LiamFalconer, December 12, 2017 in Coral Forum.
How Much PAR Do I Need for Coral? So what do PAR numbers mean, exactly? Generally, low values are considered to be 100 or less, while high values are generally over 200. So how do you determine what your corals need? As a general rule of thumb, corals require the following PAR levels: Soft Corals (zoanthids, palythoa, mushrooms and leathers): 50-150 PAR LPS Corals: 50. Different types of corals have different PAR requirements: SPS Corals require high PAR levels between 200-400 µmol/m²/s.
High-end lighting options like the Ecotech Radion and Kessil A360X provide the necessary intensity for these light-demanding corals. LPS Corals thrive with moderate PAR levels, generally between 100-200 µmol/m²/s. I have been researching lighting for a future reef tank, so i'm just learning about PAR output of various lighting systems.
I was wondering is there a list of PAR requirements for sps, lps, or softies anywhere? knowing what PAR your lights produce is useless if you don't know what PAR your corals require. What is the ideal par for ZOAS? As a general rule of thumb, corals require the following PAR levels: Soft Corals (zoanthids, palythoa, mushrooms and leathers): 50-150 PAR. LPS Corals: 50-150 PAR.
Hard Corals (stony corals, small polyp stony): 200.