Dary421
Aquarium Advice Addict
Some observations since acquiring the LEDs and a PAR meter. As I have mentioned before, the Chinese LEDs were a big improvement over a 20 year old MH/Actinic system.
I am a bit surprised at how little light some of these corals need to grow and prosper. And how much some of them soak up.
Common Acros are doing well from 280-500 PAR, many of the Acros are growing well at 300 PAR.
Fancier Acros (you know who you are...) seem to need 400-+500 PAR and very careful handling as bleaching is just a nudge away from the light values they prosper at. This may well be one of the reasons, besides low tolerance for phosphates, that these corals sometimes don't do well. High flow is also needed if high PAR values are used.
Capricornus seems to like about 200-300 PAR
GSP can grow at 50 PAR, but do better at 120-180 PAR
Zoas are about the same, but really do well at even higher PAR levels like 400.
Frogspawn and hammers seem to like 200-300 PAR
Mushrooms grow from an amazing 10 PAR and stop growing at about 300-400 PAR
Soft corals would grow from 50 PAR to 500 PAR, it just varies its length.
Green leather coral liked 100-200 PAR
Large green torch coral liked 200 PAR fine.
Trumpets and most millipora liked 350-500 PAR
Clams seem to like all you can give them. At least 400 PAR and in my frag system they get boosts of 1200 PAR for a few minutes out of every hour.
These are just general observations, they don't take into account flow and water quality, which I have done my best to optimize.
Will be making similar tests as I move from Chinese LED panels to broader spectrum LED panels soon.
Very interesting observations,....I do not possess a par meter but this'll give you an general idea about coral placements In your tank. ,... Very interesting re. Mushrooms also,.where on the par meter do your own personal mushroom forest reside?