What is PAR?
- Thread starter 9supratt4
- Start date
reefraff
Active Member
Originally Posted by 9supratt4
http:///forum/post/3159877
You always hear about needing a good PAR reading for a reef tank...What exactly is PAR? What does it stand for? Why is it needed?
An average round of golf
I kill me
PAR is the range of light critters can use for Photosynthesis. It is measured in units representing the number of light photons in the spectrum from 400nm to 700nm striking an object in a given time.
Photosynthetically
Available or Active
Radiation
Coral critters use it to grow the algae they consume for energy.
http:///forum/post/3159877
You always hear about needing a good PAR reading for a reef tank...What exactly is PAR? What does it stand for? Why is it needed?
An average round of golf
I kill me
PAR is the range of light critters can use for Photosynthesis. It is measured in units representing the number of light photons in the spectrum from 400nm to 700nm striking an object in a given time.
Photosynthetically
Available or Active
Radiation
Coral critters use it to grow the algae they consume for energy.
salami trigger
Member
A parabolic aluminized reflector lamp
also CRI is color rendition index
also CRI is color rendition index
scsinet
Active Member
Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/3159892
PAR is the range of light critters can use for Photosynthesis. It is measured in units representing the number of light photons in the spectrum from 400nm to 700nm striking an object in a given time.
Photosynthetically
Available or Active
Radiation
Coral critters use it to grow the algae they consume for energy.
+1
It's a measure that's far more useful than wattage or raw intensity, such as Lumens or Foot-Candles.
In a basic example, if you had two different lamps that produce the same number of lumens, you might think that these two lamps are equal. They pretty much are, IF you are lighting up an office or kitchen. PAR takes this a step further and measures/rates just the portion of the light that is useful to the animals, allowing us to have a far better idea of exactly how much "good stuff" we are getting out of our lamps, rather than just how many watts are being sucked out of the wall outlet.
http:///forum/post/3159892
PAR is the range of light critters can use for Photosynthesis. It is measured in units representing the number of light photons in the spectrum from 400nm to 700nm striking an object in a given time.
Photosynthetically
Available or Active
Radiation
Coral critters use it to grow the algae they consume for energy.
+1
It's a measure that's far more useful than wattage or raw intensity, such as Lumens or Foot-Candles.
In a basic example, if you had two different lamps that produce the same number of lumens, you might think that these two lamps are equal. They pretty much are, IF you are lighting up an office or kitchen. PAR takes this a step further and measures/rates just the portion of the light that is useful to the animals, allowing us to have a far better idea of exactly how much "good stuff" we are getting out of our lamps, rather than just how many watts are being sucked out of the wall outlet.
fishhunter
Member
Originally Posted by reefraff
http:///forum/post/3159892
An average round of golf
I kill me
PAR is the range of light critters can use for Photosynthesis. It is measured in units representing the number of light photons in the spectrum from 400nm to 700nm striking an object in a given time.
Photosynthetically
Available or Active
Radiation
Coral critters use it to grow the algae they consume for energy.
You also want to take in to account the PUR or Photosynthetically usable radiation and that is a fraction of the PAR. There are lights out there that will put out a huge amount of PAR but little PUR and your corals will die.
http:///forum/post/3159892
An average round of golf
I kill me
PAR is the range of light critters can use for Photosynthesis. It is measured in units representing the number of light photons in the spectrum from 400nm to 700nm striking an object in a given time.
Photosynthetically
Available or Active
Radiation
Coral critters use it to grow the algae they consume for energy.
You also want to take in to account the PUR or Photosynthetically usable radiation and that is a fraction of the PAR. There are lights out there that will put out a huge amount of PAR but little PUR and your corals will die.