# What light range am I in?



## Stuart McLaughlin (3 Sep 2019)

Hi everyone,

First time poster but long time lurker/ admirer!

I have a question I hope someone can help me regarding what bracket/ tier of light range I fall under.
I have a Trigon 190 and have a Helialux Spectrum LED. Here is a link to the website with my light... https://www.juwel-aquarium.co.uk/Products/Lighting/LED/HeliaLux-LED/HeliaLux-Spectrum/

I have the HeliaLux Spectrum 700 32 Watt
693 mm
*Kelvin* Full spectrum
*Lumen* ≈ 140 lm/Watt (applies to the white LEDs)

I would just like to know for info. I have seen the graph regarding PAR several times on this forum but I'm not getting a grasp on where I would fall.
I am hoping that I fall under the low/ low to medium range as I definitely do not plan to go down the high tech, co2 etc. road and would like to keep it as simple as possible.
I am only growing swords, moss, Java Fern, Hornwort, Jungle Val and water wisteria ("easy plants") and I'm really happy with the look and how they are growing but I have only had them for 3 months.

I bought the tank and light altogether second hand so I didn't purchase the light separately myself.

Thanks for any help!


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## Edvet (4 Sep 2019)

Sadly without actual PAR data it's hard to say with LED seeing there is a huge output difference between LED brands.


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## dw1305 (4 Sep 2019)

Hi all, 
Welcome Stuart, 





Stuart McLaughlin said:


> I am only growing swords, moss, Java Fern, Hornwort, Jungle Val and water wisteria ("easy plants") and I'm really happy with the look and how they are growing


I think that is probably the important bit. If you are happy keep on doing what you are doing. 





Stuart McLaughlin said:


> but I have only had them for 3 months.


Three months is long enough to suggest you have a enough PAR, by now you would be seeing issues if you didn't. 

You can use more intense lighting with a low tech, you just need to up our plant mass. I've used bright lighting without CO2, or using EI, by having a large plant mass and floating plants. 

If I have a brighter light I just have a <"greater plant mass">. 

cheers Darrel


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## Stuart McLaughlin (4 Sep 2019)

Edvet said:


> Sadly without actual PAR data it's hard to say with LED seeing there is a huge output difference between LED brands.


Thanks Edvet. I think I will contact Juwel to see if they can supply more information. I'm just really curious!
Not sure how I would word it though, would it just be a case of contacting them and asking if they could advise what the PAR of their LED unit is?


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## Stuart McLaughlin (4 Sep 2019)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> Welcome Stuart, I think that is probably the important bit. If you are happy keep on doing what you are doing. Three months is long enough to suggest you have a enough PAR, by now you would be seeing issues if you didn't.
> 
> You can use more intense lighting with a low tech, you just need to up our plant mass. I've used bright lighting without CO2, or using EI, by having a large plant mass and floating plants.
> ...


Thanks Daniel.

That's good to know regarding not having to use Co2 because of high light and can be combatted with plant mass... this is exactly what I hope to achieve. The Sword, fern and moss are doing brilliantly and I will see how it goes with the vans, wisteria and hornwort. They are fairly new to the tank but may not end up keeping all 3 of these if they take off as hoped!


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## Stuart McLaughlin (5 Sep 2019)

Edvet said:


> Sadly without actual PAR data it's hard to say with LED seeing there is a huge output difference between LED brands.


hi again @Edvet Juwel got back to me this morning...

*"An independent review was done earlier this year in the PFK magazine and they give the PAR reading at 138 at a depth of 20cm"
*
The height of my Trigon 190 is 60cm. Would I be able to hassle you one last time to help me establish which bracket this falls under?

Thanks again for all the help!


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## Edvet (5 Sep 2019)

Lightloss is squared to distance so 3 times as far would mean 9 times less say around 15 par, if the top of the plants are 40 cm from the unit it would be 30-35 par to the top of the plants


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## Stuart McLaughlin (5 Sep 2019)

Edvet said:


> Lightloss is squared to distance so 3 times as far would mean 9 times less say around 15 par, if the top of the plants are 40 cm from the unit it would be 30-35 par to the top of the plants


Ah right OK, so does that put this LED in the low to medium light?


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## Edvet (5 Sep 2019)

More to low i guess.


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## Iain Sutherland (5 Sep 2019)

I'd bet the pfk article did the test without water though so quite possible that will drop further quite substantially.... try and find the article 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


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## Stuart McLaughlin (5 Sep 2019)

Iain Sutherland said:


> I'd bet the pfk article did the test without water though so quite possible that will drop further quite substantially.... try and find the article
> 
> Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk


That's all good to me! Was paranoid I had got a fish tank with too bright a light for me to keep up with, haha!
It just goes to show how little I know on this stuff as the light looks so bright to me... I just don't understand how it can be classed as low, but I'm not arguing with the facts just confused. I'll just keep doing with I'm doing with my low maintenance plants! 

Thanks again.


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