Outdoor system, indirect sunlight...

[RyanH]

Anthony,

I just got your Reef Invertebrates book and it's great. Also have our BCP and it's my all time favorite. Keep up the great work.

I have a question about keeping a tank outside. I live in southern california, and recently got a used tank that I don't have room for inside. I have set it up on the back patio and it recieves indirect sunlight all day, but only gets direct sunlight in the afternoon for an hour or two. The top of the tank is open, but most of the light it receives directly comes through the front/side panels.

The research I have done has not yielded any information on the amount of light (PAR?) that is received from indirect sunlight. Is there any research or information out there regarding the intensity of indirect sunlight?

I am planning on growing some acropora frags in the tank, and I'm wondering what kind of supplemental lighting I might need to get maximum growth? I don't even know if I can rely on this indirect light to any degree.

Any input you might have would be appreciated. Thanks.

Ryan

[Anthony Calfo]

Cheers, Ryan

Thanks for your kind words about my books. It truly is a labor of love and I am striving to bring more to press in good time. Bob and I are trying to produce one per year together on the NMA series. "Reef Fishes" will be out summer 2004 we hope :)

As to the research on indirect sunlight, I am not aware of any aquarium-specific data or readings to send you to. No worries though, indirect light is defininitely helpful. And a PAR meter is really not that expensive ($100-250) and a very worthwhile investment for any advanced aquarist like yourself. Apogee makes a very nice and affordable line of PAR meters.

For supplemental lighting, hands down 6500 K Iwasakis are the best IMO. They may not have the prettiest aesthetic color... but they seem to support the fastest growth [use Ushio or Aqualine 10Ks for good growth and great color]

Best regards,

Anthony

[RyanH]

Thanks for the response. I will look into the PAR meter once I get this tank up and running. It's always alot more expensive than you think at first...

I think i'm going to run a 250W DE pendant with a 10K bulb. I have an extra, so that is going to be the most economical at this point. Any suggestions on how long to keep the MH lighting on it? I was thinking about turning the lights on at about 11 am, and off around 4pm. Not sure if that will be enough though. Hopefully i can get someone who has a meter to run a PAR test. But probably the best way to tell is going to be trial and error.

Thank you again for your time.

Ryan

[Anthony Calfo]

its tough to say how long for MH for this system without getting a lux/PAR reading on the available natural light. Regardless... I suspect you will fall within the 6-10 hour range. Be conservative at first :)

[Sir Knight]

Hey Anthony,
Where can I get a PAR meter for $100.00 to 250.00?
You can email me your response. You guessed it, mine is now swimming with fishes. :(

Thanks in advance
Joe W.
Smoky Mountain Corals

[Anthony Calfo]

there are a few good places/brands that are affordable to aquarists... Apogee has been in vogue with reefers for some time now. Very user friendly and informative website (conversions for measurements, FAQ's,etc). Looking at their quantum meters I see a few nice ones between $180 and 230.

http://www.apogee-inst.com/products.htm

for $319, model DRM-FQ looks pretty handsome to me :D

Make sure to search then archives on this site too... I thought I saw other threads on brands of PAR and Lux meters in the past.

Best regards,

Anthony

[Sir Knight]

Thank you Sir
Joe W

[Anthony Calfo]

very welcome my friend...
and don't worry about getting a meter to measure PAR too much... Lux will be fine and there is little difference to us in it.

Ciao :)