[tinydanger]

Hey guys, thanks for reading! Just curious if any experts out there could maybe give me an idea of how much light I'm actually getting into my tank! My reds do pretty well from about midway up so that's all I really have to go off of unless someone has PAR data for Sunblaster T5HOs and the Ecoxotic E-Series.

Okay, so my tank is 24x18x18" and I have 3 Sunblaster T5HOs on it (2 stock bulbs/1 purple fiji) and I also have a single 24" Ecoxotic E-series on it as well in in the middle back. It's 21-23" from light to top of soil right now. Does anyone have a vague idea? I was thinking I could get more or buy some more soil to raise the height. I'd like more of an incline anyway. The setup up goes from front: T5HO purple/T5HO stock white/E-Series/T5HO stock white.

Thank you guys so much, you're the best.


Asking because I have some algae.

 

[jeffkrol]

A lot.. over 100

Best guess.

It was hard to estimate the t5ho's since 1) Reflectors matter and 2) 3X is unusual.
Led is 'fairly" straightforward..

so here goes the basis:

Aquatic Life t5 (first assumption HO) 24" 4 tubes.
Average reflectors.


Reef bulbs or fw doesn't matter PAR is visual light between 400-700nm
Next risky assumption PAR meter is not too far off though dating the above the blue records poorly.

160 x3/4 = 120 @ guesstimate at 10.5"
Assuming better reflectors (individual) I'll increase PAR by 25%
150

Inv sq rule would say PAR is 1/4 of 150 @ 10.5x 2 distance.
So 75 PAR

Add in LED which should be around 30-ish
105 @ 21"

You can understand there are a ton of places for error though..so best to call this a GUESS.
not even sure if I can call it a best guess starting w/ the par increase for the reflectors.
Aquatic lifes are better than assumed above.

OK my google-fu is working better.. Found this .
Uses a Li-Cor so little error in measurements.
One thing Aquaticlife is still reflector inferior to ATI as you will see in this thread:

T5 reflectors -- 4 bulb ATI vs Aquatic Life hybrid PAR

This is pure visual representation of data taken from BRS. I haven't seen this comparison. The numbers made me wonder... If we took the higher grade ATI reflectors and put them in the AquaticLife fixture would PAR be identical? I can't test this, but the difference is notable between the two...

www.reef2reef.com

So back to 75 for 3 bulbs but at 18"
LED will add aprox 35 PAR at 18"

110 total @ 18"
Subtract for 20"-ish or whatever depth from light face to substrate.
Still ballparking 100 PAR-ish
I'd have save me a LOT of time if I found the above first.

 

[tinydanger]

It was hard to estimate the t5ho's since 1) Reflectors matter and 2) 3X is unusual.
Led is 'fairly" straightforward..

so here goes the basis:
View attachment 1029222
Aquatic Life t5 (first assumption HO) 24" 4 tubes.
Average reflectors.


Reef bulbs or fw doesn't matter PAR is visual light between 400-700nm
Next risky assumption PAR meter is not too far off though dating the above the blue records poorly.

160 x3/4 = 120 @ guesstimate at 10.5"
Assuming better reflectors (individual) I'll increase PAR by 25%
150

Inv sq rule would say PAR is 1/4 of 150 @ 10.5x 2 distance.
So 75 PAR

Add in LED which should be around 30-ish
105 @ 21"

You can understand there are a ton of places for error though..so best to call this a GUESS.
not even sure if I can call it a best guess starting w/ the par increase for the reflectors.
Aquatic lifes are better than assumed above.

OK my google-fu is working better.. Found this .
Uses a Li-Cor so little error in measurements.
One thing Aquaticlife is still reflector inferior to ATI as you will see in this thread:

T5 reflectors -- 4 bulb ATI vs Aquatic Life hybrid PAR

This is pure visual representation of data taken from BRS. I haven't seen this comparison. The numbers made me wonder... If we took the higher grade ATI reflectors and put them in the AquaticLife fixture would PAR be identical? I can't test this, but the difference is notable between the two...

www.reef2reef.com

View attachment 1029229

So back to 75 for 3 bulbs but at 18"
LED will add aprox 35 PAR at 18"

110 total @ 18"
Subtract for 20"-ish or whatever depth from light face to substrate.
Still ballparking 100 PAR-ish
I'd have save me a LOT of time if I found the above first.

Wow, I really appreciate all the work you put in to helping me! That's the range I'm shooting for so wonderful. I'd read on some threads that over 2 T5HOs would be overkill and then on others not so much. I was debating whether to remove one, add one or keep it the same and without a PAR meter felt like I was shooting darts in the dark a bit. I am definitely going off plant response more than anything but reds don't really start coming out until 1/2-2/3 up the tank so I was worried about substrate PAR. Thank you so much.