Just an update on the PAR meter. Looks like we got it earlier than expected and it will be ready for rent Monday. If you think you want to be the first to rent the meter please send me a pm and i will let you know if you qualify and i will tell you how much the rental fee and deposit will be. If more than one person qualifies and has rental/security deposit with them at the meeting then we can use raffle tickets to decide the rental order. Please pm me only if you plan to rent the meter monday. All other questions about the meter and policy will be answered on monday at the meeting. We will also have copies of the rental contract and policy for anyone interested.
I just wanted to clarify a point at the meeting regarding PAR and the units displayed by our new meter. Apparently the term PAR is quite the misnomer(no surprise) and is the reason why there was some confusion. Ill quickly quote some details regarding the units used and link to the full article if anyone is interested.
PAR meters (also called quantum meters) are the preferred instruments for measuring light intensity when photosynthesis is involved. Ideally, quantum meters measure (and report as equal) the amount of energy in light wavelengths between 400nm and 700 nm, and report it in units of micromol per square meter per second (µmol•m²•sec). Full intensity sunlight is generally ~2,000 µmol•m²•sec. 'Micromol' is the preferred unit for reporting purposes, as opposed to 'microEinstein', a unit that is commonly used in older literature. However, any measure of PAR or PPFD (either µmol•m²•sec or µE•m²•sec) are still somewhat of 'outlaw' units, not recognized as SI units, and something of buzzwords to those obsessed with botany or phycology.
I would like to say, that this PAR meter is a great tool to assess our tank parameters. I would think the best time to make comparative readings would be when we replace bulbs. That way we can get a PAR reading on the old, worn out lamps and and then compare them to the new replacement lamps.
Pretty Cool!
For our mutual benefit, We could set up a Sticky thread or some kind of data base where we can record our data for future reference. You know, logging light wattage, tank depth and such.
Available for rent again for those that are interested. I have it at my house and live near the intersection of harmony road and kirkwood highway a little more than 5 minutes from DPA.
Might be a good idea to test your tank before you put the new bulbs on. See how low your light is now and then using some shade or by mounting the light up higher slowly acclimate the corals to the new light. Will be nice to know how much par your getting for your money spent, but would be even nicer to know you’re not cooking your corals under it.
yup i know what you mean but as it stands now im just working with crappy pcs on. the new light is for the new tank so everything is going to betting moved around anyway. with that said, i got the nanocustoms par38 bulbs which will be on their own chords hanging from the ceiling so i will start them up high and acclimate over time. or use screens/overlays or both. either way itll prob be a couple weeks till they are in their final positions then i can test.
Always hard to judge with the eye how high above and how much cover you need. If you test all along you could have your new lights match your old in par very closely to begin with and increase from there. I’d test now and all along acclimation.
be sure to post your results! really interested in seeing some numbers for these bulbs!![/quote]
ohh dont you worry, i cant wait to get these and post numbers. from the initial numbers ive seen from Chris and evil(tho in air) the output was incredible. so put it in water and they will be about 20% higher due to refraction and whatnot. could it possibly be halides without the heat and running costs…i think so, but i will know for sure once i test them out with the meter.
on another note, has anyone who used the par meter posted their numbers? i wanna see what some people are getting so i have some comparison when the time comes.
Al never said I could spell >LOL<