So, here's the other thing about it - do you/we/I really need one?
For myself, I'll admit it is purely a novelty item, and has no long term or real use.
I think it is something people read about when they first get in the hobby, and it is another high tech "gotta have it".
The reality (to me) is a little bit of experience, and you know right away. You can see it from how much certain plants color up and how far down they color up, from other plants losing bottom leaves or not, from foregrounds and how they behave, and a myriad of other things.
In the end... I believe your tank tells you what light levels you have, you have only to learn to see what it is telling you. I'm not nearly in the elders of experience, and I pretty much have it down... I think most are at least as capable as me at doing it.
Anyone have a PAR meter?
Its one of those things you can do without, but I'm not sure I would call it a novelty item. Reef people use PAR meters quite extensively. If prices go down I see no reason why not to have one. Also with all the various LED fixtures that are coming out, measuring light is going to get harder before it gets easier. Knowledge of your actual light levels, I think is good information. The PAR meter at least can give a feel if you are in the ballpark in terms of light levels, perhaps help minimize the algae problems that occur at startup, probably because there's more light than the plant mass needs and not enough CO2.
I've have only been doing this a few years, but I find balancing light and CO2 quite a challenge.
I've have only been doing this a few years, but I find balancing light and CO2 quite a challenge.
Fred
Agreed. Three thoughts:fjf888 wrote: Also with all the various LED fixtures that are coming out, measuring light is going to get harder before it gets easier. Knowledge of your actual light levels, I think is good information.
1. Among those came to the April meeting and saw the light output of the LED fixture I'm working on, many kept asking "how much light is that compared to [insert fixture]." All I can say now is "I don't know." For those who mess around with DIY fixtures, this info is pretty critical, and I heard a *lot* of interest in DIY LED at the meeting.
2. I also think we'd all benefit from being able to compare the light in different tanks that club members own. For instance, we could take a club par meter from house to house during a "tank tour" meeting, and get a good sense of what is going on in different tanks.
3. It's not enough that you can say "my plants are growing fine," and then be confident that your light is good. The trouble comes when your plants are NOT growing fine. At that point, it can be hard to figure out what you are missing.
What I'm saying is experience is the best teacher.
I know for instance that TEK fixtures blow away the previous iteration of T5HO from Catalina. I know the current fixtures from Catalina are a lot closer to TEK's. I know the BS about only MH lighting reaching 24" deep is just that, BS.
I didn't need a PAR meter to know those things.
It *is* enough to know how the plants grow in 99% of cases, quite frankly - once you know the plants you know what they do in lower or higher light, know what they do if shaded or not, then it is really honestly all you need - and is always in your house, with you, wherever you go in life... unlike a dependance on a club PAR meter.
Yes, you can get a one time baseline - LED or other fixtures. And remove all doubt, if you have doubt.(Those same baselines, for anything other than LED, can most often be found by a little google work BTW.)
After that one time.... it is a paper weight. A cool paperwieght that was fun to play with... and one I'd like to play with myself just for the novelty of putting numbers to what I already know for my T5's... but a paperwieght nonetheless.
Honestly, I think it'd be a kick to have the club buy one and be able to play with it for a week in my house. Also honestly, I'd rather to have the club buy it, as it only has value for about a week in my eyes - after that, I'd be wanting to return it and about never have use for it again.
It's not gonna help you dial in CO2. It's not gonna help you dial in ferts, or grow plants better or worse.... it is going to tell you what you can (other than LED's) look up and know right now.
LED's are absolutely an anomoly. No baselines, completely different optics, shoddy metrics to compare to what we're used to looking at as they label and show completely diffeetn standards than other bulb technologies.
But the baseline truth holds true - either it grows them, or it doesn't.... and you'll know with or without a PAR reading if light is the factor (given you know plants a little).
(I'm one of the folks who is interested in the LED - I didn't want to know comparisons to TEK... I wanted to know how the reflectors work, and bulb Lumen output.
That gets one awfully close to a comparison.)
I know for instance that TEK fixtures blow away the previous iteration of T5HO from Catalina. I know the current fixtures from Catalina are a lot closer to TEK's. I know the BS about only MH lighting reaching 24" deep is just that, BS.
I didn't need a PAR meter to know those things.
It *is* enough to know how the plants grow in 99% of cases, quite frankly - once you know the plants you know what they do in lower or higher light, know what they do if shaded or not, then it is really honestly all you need - and is always in your house, with you, wherever you go in life... unlike a dependance on a club PAR meter.
Yes, you can get a one time baseline - LED or other fixtures. And remove all doubt, if you have doubt.(Those same baselines, for anything other than LED, can most often be found by a little google work BTW.)
After that one time.... it is a paper weight. A cool paperwieght that was fun to play with... and one I'd like to play with myself just for the novelty of putting numbers to what I already know for my T5's... but a paperwieght nonetheless.
Honestly, I think it'd be a kick to have the club buy one and be able to play with it for a week in my house. Also honestly, I'd rather to have the club buy it, as it only has value for about a week in my eyes - after that, I'd be wanting to return it and about never have use for it again.
It's not gonna help you dial in CO2. It's not gonna help you dial in ferts, or grow plants better or worse.... it is going to tell you what you can (other than LED's) look up and know right now.
LED's are absolutely an anomoly. No baselines, completely different optics, shoddy metrics to compare to what we're used to looking at as they label and show completely diffeetn standards than other bulb technologies.
But the baseline truth holds true - either it grows them, or it doesn't.... and you'll know with or without a PAR reading if light is the factor (given you know plants a little).
(I'm one of the folks who is interested in the LED - I didn't want to know comparisons to TEK... I wanted to know how the reflectors work, and bulb Lumen output.
That gets one awfully close to a comparison.)Dave
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DonkeyFish
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