PAR Rating on MH Lamps & Coral Health

Antman · #1 02/12/2006, 01:41 PM

Hello all, I now keep soft corals & have a MH lamp with poor PAR rating BUT I love the look of this lamp
By getting a lamp with higher PAR rating will my corals be more healthy -grow more . I keep soft corals , Leathers ,zoos,mushrooms,xenia,GSP,and other polyps .Everything is healthy & mantaning its size but nothing is realy spreading.
Any thoughts

Antman · #2 02/13/2006, 06:36 AM

No Thughts ?

billsreef · #3 02/13/2006, 10:46 AM

I get faster growth in corals under lamps with high par ratings as opposed to "bluer" looking bulbs with lower par ratings but a more pleasing look to some. One of the best coral growing MH's is the Iwasiki which has a very high par rating and a color temp of 6500k. However, that color temp looks very yellow to people that like the blue look of 20k's

acroporid23 · #4 02/17/2006, 02:36 PM

i go right in the middle I have a 15k 400 watt XM its perfect

Ti · #5 02/19/2006, 03:16 AM

Try a 14K

Serioussnaps · #6 03/18/2006, 07:19 PM

I think your fine with just these corals man. Go for aesthetics. If you are getting growth, then ur fine. If it was SPS, we would have a topic, but with these corals and MH any PAR you will see growth likely.