# PAR readings for TMC Mini Led 400 and TMC GroBeam 600



## Jaap (29 May 2014)

Hi,

Any par readings available would help so as to chose the right setting on the controller. So maybe Par vs distance and the controller % setting would be a good thing to know.

Thanks


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## Jaap (31 May 2014)

Anyone?

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## Alastair (31 May 2014)

Hi Jaap,
I unfortunately don't have the 400s just the 1500s and have a par meter but not the same tile. 
If you give tank specifications plant species low tech or hi tech then it would me much easier to give recommendations on what percentage to set lights at initially 

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## Jaap (31 May 2014)

I would like a high tech tank, 45cm x 30cm x 30cm and mostly plants like stayrogen repens amd hemianthous cuba....



Alastair said:


> Hi Jaap,
> I unfortunately don't have the 400s just the 1500s and have a par meter but not the same tile.
> If you give tank specifications plant species low tech or hi tech then it would me much easier to give recommendations on what percentage to set lights at initially
> 
> Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk 2




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## Julian (31 May 2014)

What height is the light from the water? Are you using the black mounting bracket thingy?


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## Jaap (31 May 2014)

Don't have it yet....I am trying to decide which of the two but I will also get a controller so height could be anything I want it to be....it will be adjustable just like the intensity through a controller....

Remember the tank is 45cm long


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## Andy Thurston (31 May 2014)

Buy whichever looks best to you and the dimmer
S. repens and hc dont need boat loads of light but hc does need lots of co2
The dimmer for the tiles is also a timer that allows sunrise and sunset, hence the difference in price


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## Julian (31 May 2014)

Well, I think you're lights are going to need to be set anywhere between 15-30% depending on how far they are above the water. Do not be blinded by all the pictures you see of aqauscapes with really intense lighting, they are never maintained at these lighting levels, only to get a better picture.

Either one will do the job, but I'd say get the gro beam 600 as it's rectangular and will look nicer mounted above your rectangular tank.


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## Jaap (15 Oct 2014)

Purely for educational reasons, I would like to inform anyone else that stumbles upon this thread, that the GroBeam 600 was set at 30% and 50cm from the substrate at the beginning. This caused the plants not to grow and at some point melt. After inspecting all other possibilities I was left with no other choice but to increase the light intensity and i gradually did, reaching 100% intensity. Now I am lowering the light fixture by 5cm and I am at 45cm from the substrate. I will stop lowering it as soon as I see healthy plant growth.

Thanks 



Julian said:


> Well, I think you're lights are going to need to be set anywhere between 15-30% depending on how far they are above the water. Do not be blinded by all the pictures you see of aqauscapes with really intense lighting, they are never maintained at these lighting levels, only to get a better picture.
> 
> Either one will do the job, but I'd say get the gro beam 600 as it's rectangular and will look nicer mounted above your rectangular tank.


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## Joe Turner (1 Feb 2016)

Jaap said:


> Purely for educational reasons, I would like to inform anyone else that stumbles upon this thread, that the GroBeam 600 was set at 30% and 50cm from the substrate at the beginning. This caused the plants not to grow and at some point melt. After inspecting all other possibilities I was left with no other choice but to increase the light intensity and i gradually did, reaching 100% intensity. Now I am lowering the light fixture by 5cm and I am at 45cm from the substrate. I will stop lowering it as soon as I see healthy plant growth.
> 
> Thanks



This is exactly the question I was looking for, thanks for getting back to the thread with your results!

Out of interest, what were/are the tank's fertiliser regime and CO2 input?

Thanks again,

Joe


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## Jaap (1 Feb 2016)

I was dosing EI and had the CO2 on full blast! CO2 was through the roof since everyone told me its co2

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## Julian (1 Feb 2016)

Just want to second what's already been said about these lights. I've been struggling to grow plants for about a year, all of my problems pointed towards not enough CO2, but long story short its because of not enough light. Currently at 70% and things are looking better.

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## Jaap (2 Feb 2016)

Julian said:


> Just want to second what's already been said about these lights. I've been struggling to grow plants for about a year, all of my problems pointed towards not enough CO2, but long story short its because of not enough light. Currently at 70% and things are looking better.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk



Over what tank do you have it and at what distance from substrate?


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## Julian (2 Feb 2016)

Jaap said:


> Over what tank do you have it and at what distance from substrate?


2 Mini 400's over a TMC signature 60x45x30cm (80L). Not sure about exact distance from substrate but its roughly 50cm. One of the lights is at 70% (directly above the plants) the other is at 30% as there aren't many plants underneath it.

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## forever (2 Feb 2016)

I have a bigger tank, mine are sat directly on the lid glass, tbh not that impressed I am gradually increasing the intensity at 70% now


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## Joe Turner (2 Feb 2016)

I made the switch over lastnight from Mini400 to GroBeam 600 in the hope to induce some pearling. That's on an AquaNano40 (60l) with C02 and ferts, will update with results!

Thanks guys!


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## Aeropars (2 Feb 2016)

I've just done the same thing and have 4 of the Grobeam 600's over a 100CM tank. I'm currently running all 4 at 40% having upped them from around 15%. Only when increasing the lighting have i seen growth start to happen.

If you read my journal, you'll see the problems I have been having!


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## Wisey (2 Feb 2016)

Aeropars said:


> I've just done the same thing and have 4 of the Grobeam 600's over a 100CM tank. I'm currently running all 4 at 40% having upped them from around 15%. Only when increasing the lighting have i seen growth start to happen.
> 
> If you read my journal, you'll see the problems I have been having!



Just had a read through your journal, very interesting as I have recently reached a similar conclusion. I'm using a single AquaRay 1500 Tile on a TMC 60x45x45, suspended 30cm above the water surface and everyone said they are so bright you need to have it really low intensity, but I basically had dormant plants apart from the odd low light plant for months last year after initial setup, plus lots of plants just died. I eventually increased to 60% for 7 hours a day, but with the tile being maybe 70 cm from the substrate and also a plexiglass cover to stop jumpers which gets covered in condensation and therefore diffuses the light further, I was still not convinced I had enough light. My Ech. Reni would put out a new leaf every few weeks and looked healthy, but was a dwarf, never getting more than about 8-10 cm in height. Mick.dk commented and said not enough light and that was at 60% for 7 hours.

It was around this time that I decided to put in some new plants, change things around a little, but then screwed up and damaged my CO2 solenoid. I bought a replacement from CO2 Art, but then had months of issues with equipment over Christmas and Near Year and only got CO2 up and running again last week when they replaced my atomiser as that was leaking. I ran the tank on low light for a couple of months throughout this, 4 hours a day at 30% in the hope I could keep as much alive as possible. I lost some plants, kept some alive in a fairly dormant state. I'm now running at 6 hours at 60%, lime green DC throughout the photoperiod, everything stable, but no noticeable growth yet, but it has only been just under a week. I'm planning a total rescape at the end of February, so intend to push the light levels and see if I can find the sweetspot where I get growth without algae, so if I do get algae, I can sort it in the rescape and start fresh with a better idea of the light levels required.

Just to add, I do use a ramp up and down, but only 15 minutes either end so it's less of a shock for the fish, but I am getting full power for most of my photoperiod.


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## micheljq (5 Feb 2016)

PAR at 400mm in air is 61 uEinsteins/sec/m2, according to TMC's web site for Grobeam 600.

http://aquaraylighting.co.uk/grobeam/


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## Joe Turner (5 Feb 2016)

micheljq said:


> PAR at 400mm in air is 61 uEinsteins/sec/m2, according to TMC's web site for Grobeam 600.
> 
> http://aquaraylighting.co.uk/grobeam/


I read this on the site too, was great to compare different models. How do you think this relates to height from substrate? Will this 400mm rating be from the surface of the water?


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## alto (6 Feb 2016)

micheljq said:


> PAR at 400mm *in air* is 61 uEinsteins/sec/m2,


This is almost meaningless since not many tanks are running as permanent "dry starts" ... perhaps this is some sort of misprint ...
PAR through water will be very different


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## aaron.c (8 Feb 2016)

Interesting. I am really struggling to get much growth out of my plants. Rio125 with 2 x grobeam 600 - 60cm from substrate and 20cm from water surface 


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## micheljq (9 Feb 2016)

2 Grobeams 600 for 125L should do the job.  Aaron, do you adds ferts, do you add co2?

Michel.


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## aaron.c (9 Feb 2016)

Yep, blast tank with CO2 and EI dosing.

Without going too far off topic I have decided that I don't like the open top look and associated evaporation.

The LEDS spill a lot of light all over the lounge.  So I have ordered an iQuautics 4 x T5 replacement light unit .

Will give that a blast.  Had much more success before with T5


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## aaron.c (9 Feb 2016)

So new lights on and within an hour plants are pearling, even glosso on substrate 


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