I need a par meter!

[bshenanagins]

Please if anyone owns a PAR meter would you be willing to help a fellow planted tank member? I need to figure out how much light I'm getting and no one around me has one that I know of. I can pay shipping there and back if anyone can help. Don't have the money to buy one

 

[jwh0818]

Sometimes you can figure par out by the light. Sometimes it comes with the box you got the light from

 

[bshenanagins]

Sometimes you can figure par out by the light. Sometimes it comes with the box you got the light from

True but what the box says and what you get aren't always the same

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

You can always buy a DIY PAR meter from Hoppy on TPT. They're about 50$.

What state do you live in? Some local planted clubs have PAR meters they sometimes share with one another. This is the case with SCAPE (southern california aquatic plant enthusiasts).

Last method, research... look online for posted PAR numbers from either other hobbyists or manufacturers pertaining to the specific lighting you have... add up PAR numbers from there to get a rough estimate. It's what I do and it's sufficient enough..

 

[bshenanagins]

The annoying this is I have 130 watts of the SunPaq CFL over the tank. It 40 gallons so that's just a little over 3 WPG. The fixture is 14 inches from the substrate. Is my lamp too close?

 

[aqua_chem]

Do you have algae issues?


There's really not much of a reason for most hobbyists to own a par meter simply because the information it gives you isn't useful. Let's say you get one and you find that it gives you a measurement of 70 mmol. What does that mean? Is that too much? Too little? These questions don't have answers because this isn't a quantitative question. 'Too much' isn't <70 mmols, its more than your setup can handle; it's the point at which your algae/growth is unacceptable. It's a similar story with 'too little'.

Do you get what I'm trying to say? I'm not saying that there's not a place for fancy doohickies in the hobby, but simply that if you listen to your tank, it will tell you everything you need to know about light levels, fertilization levels, etc.

 

[bshenanagins]

Do you have algae issues?

There's really not much of a reason for most hobbyists to own a par meter simply because the information it gives you isn't useful. Let's say you get one and you find that it gives you a measurement of 70 mmol. What does that mean? Is that too much? Too little? These questions don't have answers because this isn't a quantitative question. 'Too much' isn't <70 mmols, its more than your setup can handle; it's the point at which your algae/growth is unacceptable. It's a similar story with 'too little'.

Do you get what I'm trying to say? I'm not saying that there's not a place for fancy doohickies in the hobby, but simply that if you listen to your tank, it will tell you everything you need to know about light levels, fertilization levels, etc.

I get what you mean. My struggle is BBA and it's annoying as hell. Plus my plants are not doing too well, especially my reds. Phosphates an nitrates are in good order and I'm properly dosing micros. Co2 is plentiful so I can't figure out what the issue is

 

[bshenanagins]

Also, my light rests on a glass plank I had made by my friends glass shop. Could that also be a problem? Not letting some of the spectrum through?

 

[aqua_chem]

How are you measuring CO2? Can you link to your light? I'm not familiar with it.

BBA is commonly a CO2/Excel vs Light imbalance issue. I think raising your light is a good first step, especially if you're confident in your CO2. Are you spot treating what's already there? Do you happen to have some Excel you can start using?

 

[bshenanagins]

How are you measuring CO2? Can you link to your light? I'm not familiar with it.

BBA is commonly a CO2/Excel vs Light imbalance issue. I think raising your light is a good first step, especially if you're confident in your CO2. Are you spot treating what's already there? Do you happen to have some Excel you can start using?

I have the GLA drop checker with the white piece in the middle for more accurate color reading. It's a light green so over 30 ppm. I was spot treating with H2O2 but haven't had time recently to keep it up.

 

[bshenanagins]

Also I'm not actually sure what kind of light it is. It looks similiar to an aquatic life model. It holds two CFL's, the long twin tube ones that have 4 pins.

 

[Billbug68]

How long you running those lights, b?

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Those bulbs are actually called PC (power compact) bulbs. Certainly more intensity than CFL's -- especially if you have reflectors in that fixture.

 

[bshenanagins]

Those bulbs are actually called PC (power compact) bulbs. Certainly more intensity than CFL's -- especially if you have reflectors in that fixture.

Your right that's what I meant. And yeah the reflectors are pretty decent, aluminum I guess? My lights are on 6 hours a day

 

[bshenanagins]

I'm going to raise my lights quite a few inches as im only 14 inches above the substrate. I'm going to make it 20 inches above and go HAM dosing H2O2 on individual spots.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

6 hours is a pretty good photoperiod duration when it's suspected you may have too much light, resulting in algae. Raising the light should help too. The amount of co2 sounds about right.. I question how heavily planted you are and with what species to help compete with the algae.

Mind posting pics of the setup? Just curious...

 

[bshenanagins]

6 hours is a pretty good photoperiod duration when it's suspected you may have too much light, resulting in algae. Raising the light should help too. The amount of co2 sounds about right.. I question how heavily planted you are and with what species to help compete with the algae.

Mind posting pics of the setup? Just curious...

I can take more if you need later but here's a full tank shot

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Your tank looks nice.........but........

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this may have confirmed an inkling I had. I believe you don't have enough fast growing stem plants for the high amount of light. In other words, if you have a high tech setup with an abundance of light, CO2, and ferts, you need a majority of fast growing plants to utilize all the excess nutrients to out-complete the algae.

It appears you have a majority low light tolerant plants. They grow too slow and are susceptible to BBA and other forms of algae when the lighting is too much. You can still keep low light plants in a high tech build, but they should be in shaded areas and only a minority.

 

[bshenanagins]

Your tank looks nice.........but........

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this may have confirmed an inkling I had. I believe you don't have enough fast growing stem plants for the high amount of light. In other words, if you have a high tech setup with an abundance of light, CO2, and ferts, you need a majority of fast growing plants to utilize all the excess nutrients to out-complete the algae.

It appears you have a majority low light tolerant plants. They grow too slow and are susceptible to BBA and other forms of algae when the lighting is too much. You can still keep low light plants in a high tech build, but they should be in shaded areas and only a minority.

I think your correct. Any advice as to any fast growers? I have Hygrophila angustifolia which was growing well but I trimmed it down and now it's not looking so hot. Other than my sword, those were my fastest growers. So what would be some good options to soak up the light and nutrients?

 

[jwh0818]

Your tank looks nice.........but........

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this may have confirmed an inkling I had. I believe you don't have enough fast growing stem plants for the high amount of light. In other words, if you have a high tech setup with an abundance of light, CO2, and ferts, you need a majority of fast growing plants to utilize all the excess nutrients to out-complete the algae.

It appears you have a majority low light tolerant plants. They grow too slow and are susceptible to BBA and other forms of algae when the lighting is too much. You can still keep low light plants in a high tech build, but they should be in shaded areas and only a minority.

Yeah your absolutely correct. In order to keep algae away you cant have excess nutrients. You COULD cut lights off an hour less I think you said 8 hours, do co2 only part of the time or do less ferts. This will give your type of plants the necessary nutrients and eliminating the excess for the bba to take ahold of