A New LED Fixture

A New LED Fixture


A few weeks ago we discussed PAR and why its important to understand what it is, and how to measure it.

Understanding PAR

Put simply PAR ( Photosynthetically Active Radiation) is the amount of usable light measured in photons  that falls on a square meter in a second between 400nm and 700nm.

This information is very useful as certain corals, clams and even plants require different amounts of PAR to thrive. Mushrooms and other soft corals for example do well getting PAR around 50-100, whereas certain shallow water SPS species need PAR values of 500. Have you ever wondered why it appears that some corals seem to not grow? They might not be placed in the aquarium properly and may not be getting enough light. 

For these reasons it is important to understand how much PAR is in your aquarium and each animals requirements. Too much or not enough light and your photosynthetic corals and plants will not be happy.

There are a few different PAR meters on the market and they are relatively inexpensive. They are a great investment and easy to use. A meter can help you to acclimate new corals and know where the best placement is for each animal.

We have been working hard on releasing a new LED fixture. When it launches in a week or two we would like to have PAR values handy and accessible for all of our customers!

For these tests we will be using an Apogee quantum flux meter. This meter takes the PAR values and converts it to Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF) and is then measured  in μmol m-2 s-1. This gives us the ability to see PAR in simple numbers. We are using a grid and taking measurements every three square inches. We are then taking readings at 12 inches, 18 inches and 24 inches. This should give everyone a good understanding of what they should be able to expect from our fixtures!

Since Luis is being so thorough in taking these readings we should have them available in the next week or two.