How do I figure out my light level?

[trennamw]

I am thinking of trying a low tech dirted tank with a 3 gallon Marineland led (also marketed as the Tetra 3 gallon crescent). I'm just not finding info on it's light level.

The light is also sold as then tetra universal LED I think. It's very similar to the LED fixture on my 29 gallon Marineland LED, and that has a PAR Of 900 but of course 3 gallon vs 29 ...

I can't find specs online. So what do I have?


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[Mebbid]

I am thinking of trying a low tech dirted tank with a 3 gallon Marineland led (also marketed as the Tetra 3 gallon crescent). I'm just not finding info on it's light level.

The light is also sold as then tetra universal LED I think. It's very similar to the LED fixture on my 29 gallon Marineland LED, and that has a PAR Of 900 but of course 3 gallon vs 29 ...

I can't find specs online. So what do I have?


Sent from my iPhone with three hands tied behind my back.

Sorry to break it to you, but that light definitely doesn't have a par of 900. That would put your light twice as powerful as a high powered reef light. Are you thinking lumens instead?

If it's Marineland it's generally safe to say it's a low light level. There are a few other ways most of which revolve around asking fellow aquarists. I don't have a mathematical way of working it out at all but you can get an idea of the intensity of a LED light fixture by counting the bulbs and finding information on the wattage of the bulbs. The higher end fixtures solely use 3 watt bulbs which are about the most powerful LEDs you can get easily. For example, my 10g tank is running 8 3 watt LEDs which puts it in the low range of high light. Lower quality viewing fixtures run almost solely 1w or less LEDs and even if there are a ton of them those LEDs have no penetration.

Here's a primer on par and the ratings for common fixtures. It won't have your fixture on it though.

Lighting an Aquarium with PAR instead of Watts

 

[Sk3lly]

Sorry to break it to you, but that light definitely doesn't have a par of 900. That would put your light twice as powerful as a high powered reef light. Are you thinking lumens instead?



If it's Marineland it's generally safe to say it's a low light level. There are a few other ways most of which revolve around asking fellow aquarists. I don't have a mathematical way of working it out at all but you can get an idea of the intensity of a LED light fixture by counting the bulbs and finding information on the wattage of the bulbs. The higher end fixtures solely use 3 watt bulbs which are about the most powerful LEDs you can get easily. For example, my 10g tank is running 8 3 watt LEDs which puts it in the low range of high light. Lower quality viewing fixtures run almost solely 1w or less LEDs and even if there are a ton of them those LEDs have no penetration.



Here's a primer on par and the ratings for common fixtures. It won't have your fixture on it though.



Lighting an Aquarium with PAR instead of Watts

Completely agree.

Your light simply isn't 900PAR


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[Brookster123]

Yah.. well my light is 8000 so just kidding, where are you getting this info? I can't see anything by tetra being at all useful in a planted tank??

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[trennamw]

Could very well have been lumens, I can't find the page for the specs on the 29 gallon led kit. The similar fixture on the 29 gallon is definitely low light. I have some really happy crypts in there.

I was mostly thinking the same fixture in a 3 gives a lot more lumens than in a 29 because it's so much closer to all the surfaces. So if the big tank is low light then ...

I'm going low tech so I understand that too much lighting is just going to grow algae. And algae is indeed why the 3 gallon is empty right now after being dark for a few weeks.


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[trennamw]

It has 16 little LEDs, and is about 10" above the aquarium floor.

The one I'm comparing it to seems to have the same LEDs. Found the online info. It has 42 .11w LEDs and in the 29 gallon has a LUX of 990 and lumens at 12" is 310. Elsewhere the bulbs are called 60mW but it still says 990 lux.

Unfortunately the tetra side of their company doesn't give specs on the lighting. But it'd follow I think that they use the same bulbs that are in the other products.

So if these are the same bulbs ...

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[Brookster123]

You're most likely referring to its k rating of 7000 which sounds about right.. the leds are most likely 1watt each.. they'd be ok for low light plants

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[trennamw]

Thanks for that. I guess what is confusing me is that if the big tank is low light at, say, 1.5 of these little bulbs per gallon ... Wouldn't the little tank be higher light when it's got 5 of the same bulbs per gallon. Crude math but surely they aren't both of the same light rating?


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