# Lighting calculator



## EA James (18 May 2020)

Morning all

I'd like to know if there is a easy way to work out how much light i'm putting into my tank, like a calculator of some sort?
I've had a bit of a search on here and the web but can't seem to find what i'm looking for, preferably something not too technical! something beginner friendly.
I have a Fluval Aquasky on my EA1200 and i'm thinking about getting a co2 set up but i'd like to know what is officially classed as high light

Cheers, James


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## hypnogogia (18 May 2020)

https://rotalabutterfly.com/light-calculator.php


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## Zeus. (18 May 2020)

If the suppliers gave the PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation )output it would be easy, but they don't and use watts to compare which is very poor comparison, or Lumens which is better than watts but until they supply PAR as standard its a bit of hit and miss IMO

Watts and Lumens output isnt related directly to the output of light the plants use but PAR is


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## EA James (18 May 2020)

hypnogogia said:


> https://rotalabutterfly.com/light-calculator.php


Tried this but don't know what my bulb type is, i know its LED but it lists a good few options that i have no idea what they are! Hence the 'beginner friendly' bit!



Zeus. said:


> Lumens which is better than watts but until they supply PAR as standard its a bit of hit and miss IMO


So not worth the worry then? I guess like nearly everything planted tank related its trial and error then? Let the plants tell me kinda thing?


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## hypnogogia (18 May 2020)

EA James said:


> Tried this but don't know what my bulb type is, i know its LED but it lists a good few options that i have no idea what they are! Hence the 'beginner friendly' bit!



Does the information on the spec pages  of your light not give you that information?  Which version of the aqua sky do you have?


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## tiger15 (18 May 2020)

Get a light meter that measures LUX (lumen per square meter) and look up conversion factors to PAR based on lamp type.  In my research of one source, LED white light has a dividing factor of 69,  fluorescent  75,  sunlight 54, etc.  Not an exact PAR measurement but will give you ball part figures useful  for comparison of different light settings and localities.  You can take measurement  only in air though when you lower the tank water level with the understanding that actual PAR will be higher under water due to glass reflection.

 Lux meter is much cheaper than PAR meter and you have many brands to choose such as this, and I found it the most useful instrument I have to grow plants.

https://www.amazon.com/Dr-meter-LX1...1&keywords=lumen+meter&qid=1589799078&sr=8-12


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## Wookii (21 May 2020)

EA James said:


> Morning all
> 
> I'd like to know if there is a easy way to work out how much light i'm putting into my tank, like a calculator of some sort?
> I've had a bit of a search on here and the web but can't seem to find what i'm looking for, preferably something not too technical! something beginner friendly.
> ...



The Fluval Aquasky would be considered low light, and in a 600mm deep tank like the EA1200, it’d probabaly be insufficient to grow plants well.

It certainly wouldn’t be strong enough to get to the substrate, so carpeting plants would be out. It’s also very narrow, so stem plant at the rear would struggle.

I have the the Plant 3.0 which is around twice the output of the Aquasky on a tank only 600 x 300 x 300, and even that struggles at the substrate level, and also struggles to cast sufficient light to the rear of the tank.

On a tank as wide and deep as the EA1200 you really need to be looking at a higher output class of light than the Fluvals. Consider lights from Twinstar, ADA, Chihiros etc


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## EA James (21 May 2020)

@Wookii Really? At 100% the light seems so bright! I'm quite worried now as I've just rescaped the tank and its looking great, and yesterday i bought a co2 kit from co2art so if the lighting isn't good enough this could all go horribly wrong! I've just had a brief search and it looks like i could be looking at about £500 for one that you've mentioned, i can't justify that right now.

All the plants near the bottom are low light plants and i haven't got anything too demanding as i planned on it being a low tech initially

My plants did struggle before but i just thought that was down to my lack of research and understanding (I'm still new and learning!) I've done a lot of reading and think I've got a better understanding now, or at least i thought i did!!!


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## Wookii (21 May 2020)

EA James said:


> @Wookii Really? At 100% the light seems so bright! I'm quite worried now as I've just rescaped the tank and its looking great, and yesterday i bought a co2 kit from co2art so if the lighting isn't good enough this could all go horribly wrong! I've just had a brief search and it looks like i could be looking at about £500 for one that you've mentioned, i can't justify that right now.
> 
> All the plants near the bottom are low light plants and i haven't got anything too demanding as i planned on it being a low tech initially
> 
> My plants did struggle before but i just thought that was down to my lack of research and understanding (I'm still new and learning!) I've done a lot of reading and think I've got a better understanding now, or at least i thought i did!!!



As we don’t have PAR data for all lights, you can just look at the specific light ratings we have available to get a very loose and general idea of light output

Fluval Aquasky (14534):  35W/2400 lumen
Fluval Plant 2.0 (14523): 59W/4250 lumen
Twinstar 1200SA: 108W/6400 lumen
Chihiros WRGB II1200: 130W/7700 lumen
2 x ADA Solar RGB: 260W/7000 lumen
2 x Chihiros Vivid II: 260W/11,000 lumen

As I say, this only gives a very loose idea, and should not be taken as gospel - PAR matters more, though PAR measurements are also not created equal as I’ve discovered.

The overriding point though is just to demonstrate the output of the Aquasky versus other lights that might more commonly be used on an EA1200 planted tanks.

As for cost, yep, they can be pricey, particularly the ADA variants. Chihiros offers the biggest ‘bang-for-buck’, but often has more questionable quality, and no local support (as I’ve personally discovered only recently). That list is also by no means exhaustive.

Outside of that, there are various DIY options to save cost, though of course what you save in cash, you pay in time and hassle.


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## EA James (22 May 2020)

@Wookii sorry about the delayed reply.

Thankyou for taking the time to explain this, so me just thinking the lights 'look' bright enough is no good! 

I still have the original lighting that came with the tank, could i use these with my aqausky?





DIY option wouldn't be any good as i would have no idea where to start! 
Thanks again


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## Wookii (22 May 2020)

EA James said:


> @Wookii sorry about the delayed reply.
> 
> Thankyou for taking the time to explain this, so me just thinking the lights 'look' bright enough is no good!
> 
> ...



I don't know anything about those lights to be honest, maybe @Siege can comment, but if you have them already, using those either side of the Aquasky would certainly be a lot better than using the Aquasky on its own, it would give greater spread across the tank width, and  more overall light output.


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## EA James (22 May 2020)

Wookii said:


> I don't know anything about those lights to be honest, maybe @Siege can comment, but if you have them already, using those either side of the Aquasky would certainly be a lot better than using the Aquasky on its own, it would give greater spread across the tank width, and  more overall light output.


That's what i thought, the aquasky is centrally mounted where as the mounts for the EA tubes are positioned further out



This seems like a crazy amount of lighting to me but i know scientifically it isn't, it doesn't make sense in my little brain haha


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## Wookii (22 May 2020)

EA James said:


> That's what i thought, the aquasky is centrally mounted where as the mounts for the EA tubes are positioned further out
> View attachment 148967
> This seems like a crazy amount of lighting to me but i know scientifically it isn't, it doesn't make sense in my little brain haha



Our eyes are an unreliable measure of brightness as they do not see light in a linear way. You could compare your Aquasky to a light with twice the output, but it won't appear twice as bright. Ultimately your plants will tell you if you have enough light or not, in the way they grow.


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## Siege (22 May 2020)

Ahhh, I see.

I think everyone assumed it was the Aquascaper tank when you said EA 1200. When it is actually the Freshwater model with a lid!

it is much deeper than the Aquascaper so lighting will always be an issue.  You will also be limited with choice of lighting due to the lid. So yes keep your Fluval and add the standard lights that came with the tank.

You will always struggle with carpeting plants, so choose these carefully.  Perhaps look at crypt Parva, Tenelum Green to start with.

id suggest getting your co2 on and see how you go (Go inline diffuser if you can).

 It is easier to grow plants in high co2 and low lighting than the other way round! 👍


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## EA James (22 May 2020)

Wookii said:


> Our eyes are an unreliable measure of brightness


Apparently so! Thanks for your help, i appreciate it 👍

@Siege yes sorry i should have said that, I've just been looking at lights but they all seem to be for open top tanks so i was starting to panic!



Siege said:


> It is easier to grow plants in high co2 and low lighting than the other way round! 👍


That's VERY good to know!



Siege said:


> (Go inline diffuser if you can).


I've gone for the in tank as i thought that'd be easier for me, i think it looks kinda cool too



Siege said:


> You will always struggle with carpeting plants


I've just posted a thread about my rescape in the aquascaping section, if you could take a look i'd be grateful

Thank you for your help


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## Wookii (22 May 2020)

Have to admit, I assumed it was an Aquascaper tank until I saw the picture. 

One other 'cheaper' option given that you probably can't use most of the lights I previously listed in a covered tank (they need air circulation to their heat sinks, and may not all be IP65 rated), is older style T5 tubes. They should be very easy to retrofit. Though they can't be ramped up and down for lights on and off, if you have your Aquasky doing that, then have the T5's on a timer to come on once the Aquasky is fully ramped up.


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## EA James (22 May 2020)

Wookii said:


> older style T5 tubes



Am i right in thinking these are literally just the tubes? My EA  lights are wired straight onto a plug so i just plug in and away i go. 
I've only had the above lights before so i don't know what i'm looking for!

Also the EA lights are 20 watts each so that's 40, add the 35 from the Aquasky still only gives me 75 watts.

Sorry but the questions might seem stupid!


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## Wookii (22 May 2020)

EA James said:


> Am i right in thinking these are literally just the tubes? My EA  lights are wired straight onto a plug so i just plug in and away i go.
> I've only had the above lights before so i don't know what i'm looking for!
> 
> Also the EA lights are 20 watts each so that's 40, add the 35 from the Aquasky still only gives me 75 watts.
> ...



Sorry, by T5 tubes, I mean fluorescent tubes, like this (just one example, there are lot of different types available):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JBL-1200mm-54-sunlight-fluorescent-aquarium/dp/B000H6SSJW?th=1

Then you'd just need some sort of retrofit kit, like this:

https://www.swelluk.com/arcadia-t5-starter-unit/

The tubes might clip into the tube holders already in your tank hood. I believe you can get more tubes holder for that tank also, the EA website says it can take up to 4 tubes.

Before you go adding all this extra light though, make sure you actually need it - your full tank shot looks fairly low plant mass. Do you intend to add  a lot more plants? If not, you may find your current lights combined are enough for Anubias etc


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## hypnogogia (22 May 2020)

I think the lights that come with the EA Freshwater are designed to retrofit into T5 or T8 holders, so should only need to buy the correct tubes, or better still an alternative retrofit LED with better output. E.g.  https://shop.giesemann.de/epages/Gi...hops/Giesemann-Aquaristik/Products/20.120.400 these lights can be dotted with a T5 Adapter and will work under hood.


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## jaypeecee (22 May 2020)

EA James said:


> I have a Fluval Aquasky on my EA1200 and i'm thinking about getting a co2 set up but i'd like to know what is officially classed as high light



Hi @EA James 

You know the saying - how long's a piece of string? That just about sums it up. There is no such classification (of 'high light') to the best of my knowledge and aquarium lighting is probably the area of our hobby that I find most interesting.

If the output of a lighting fixture is known in lumens, I reckon it should be possible to estimate PAR (PPF*) if the spectrum of that fixture is known. But, without the spectrum, it would be guesswork. I have it on my 'wish list' to purchase one of the Apogee PAR sensors in the not-too-distant future. I already have a low-cost spectrometer.

*PPF = Photosynthetic Photon Flux (micromoles/sec)

JPC


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## Ray (23 May 2020)

I have to say, coming back to the hobby after a 10 year hiatus, lighting is the area that got WORSE. Before we knew roughly how many watts of T5 or T8 per litre were needed to grow different types of plants with or without CO2.

Now we have beautiful efficient lightweight LED lamps but can’t say what they are putting out without a PAR meter that most people can’t afford to own.

What should we do? Lobby the manufacturers to all publish independently tested PAR values according to a certain standard? Should all the LFSs stores rent out PAR meters like the reef shops do?

75 watts on a 329l sounds low if you want to carpet or go big on stems. I reckon crypts, ferns and mosses will go with it, especially if you add CO2. But I’m only guessing 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## EA James (23 May 2020)

Thanks again @Wookii 
Yes I'll be adding quite a few more plants, in stages. Nothing difficult or demanding though as initially i was setting up as low tech. 
Best solution i suppose would be to add the EA tubes back in and keep an eye on what happens, then think about the T5 tubes if things don't work out?


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## EA James (23 May 2020)

@hypnogogia thanks for the link, that's another option for me. Cheers



jaypeecee said:


> aquarium lighting is probably the area of our hobby that I find most interesting.



It's the one i find most confusing 🤣

@Ray check out my thread on the aquascaping section and you'll see what i'm going for, nothing demanding really although i would like a nice red stem or two but on the light basis maybe not. I'm hoping Ludwigia Palustris might be alright for me

Thanks all 👍


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## jaypeecee (23 May 2020)

Ray said:


> Should all the LFSs stores rent out PAR meters like the reef shops do?



Hi @Ray 

I wasn't aware that reef LFSs did that? Does that include MA? Is this online reef stores only?

I'd really be interested in knowing more.

Thanks for mentioning this.

JPC


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## Ray (24 May 2020)

jaypeecee said:


> Hi @Ray
> I wasn't aware that reef LFSs did that? Does that include MA? Is this online reef stores only?
> 
> I'd really be interested in knowing more.



While I was checking the price of PAR meters recently I noticed in the US Bulk Reef Supply loan them: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/7-da...spectrum-underwater-led-par-meter-apogee.html and perhaps foolishly assumed that means this was normal.
However googling just now I'm finding lots of people saying "how do I rent a PAR meter?" and nobody offering answers so it may be I am guilty of spreading misinformation!  It may be worth calling around however...


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## jaypeecee (24 May 2020)

Ray said:


> While I was checking the price of PAR meters recently I noticed in the US Bulk Reef Supply loan them: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/7-da...spectrum-underwater-led-par-meter-apogee.html and perhaps foolishly assumed that means this was normal.However googling just now I'm finding lots of people saying "how do I rent a PAR meter?" and nobody offering answers so it may be I am guilty of spreading misinformation!  It may be worth calling around however...



Hi @Ray 

Yes, you have confirmed what I suspected. My focus over the last few weeks has been on Cyanobacteria eradication. But, I hope to return to the small (!) matter of lighting very soon. I see you are in Switzerland. Do many Swiss hobbyists use PAR meters? With the Swiss reputation for precision engineering, they'd probably do an excellent job of making PAR sensors.

JPC


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## Melv85 (21 Jun 2020)

Hi guys. 

Sorry to jump in.
Was looking for a similar thing as @EA James was looking for.
And Just seen @Wookii 
Has a fluval plant 3.0 over his 12 inch deep tank, 
I’ve recently bought this light for a similar setup, and after years out, I haven’t got a clue really.
Can I pick your brain please mate 🙏🏼


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## Wookii (22 Jun 2020)

Melv85 said:


> Hi guys.
> 
> Sorry to jump in.
> Was looking for a similar thing as @EA James was looking for.
> ...



Fire away mate, I'm no expert on the lights, but I'll answer what I can.


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## oreo57 (22 Jun 2020)

A procedure that can work fairly well if all you have is lumens:
First convert to LUX:
https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/light/lumen-to-lux-calculator.html
Then LUX to PPFD:
https://www.waveformlighting.com/horticulture/convert-lux-to-ppfd-online-calculator






30" lists 4000 Lumens.
Footprint of light panel is roughly 28" x 4".
Beam angle is 120 degrees.

Use 12"..
Area @ 12" is 21 + 28 + 21 X 21 +4 + 21" = 22.3 sq ft in free air..
Translates to 1930 LUX.
25.47 "PAR" (PPFD)

14361 LUX . At the surface of a 30x 12" (3sq ft) tank
192.54 "PAR"....
Height would be 2.3" off that "surface" (3 sq feet) ignoring the spill at the 38" l/right.
So you now have a surface "par" and a free air at 12" "par" measurement.

Now the tricky part.. *How much does water/glass reflection/refraction @ 12" "train" the light into the tank?*

From  the above one could assume 4x increase in PAR due to the physics..
*101.88 "PAR" at 12"
Listed  = 111*




48" Finnex planted plus 12" 107 PAR.
35.6W or  3204 Lumens (approx 90L/watt, current standard)
Possibly low.. but Finnex AFAICT doesn't list lumens.

Footprint 45x 2
So place 3" off the water line so we are estimating at 9" in the tank (3 out)
sq ft at 3" = 5.2 + 2 + 5.2 X 5.2 + 45 + 5.2 = 4.77 sq ft
7338 LUX
98.38 "PAR"


20.8 + 45 + 20.8 X 20.8 + 2 + 20.8 = 

*Comes to 22.5 "PAR" at 12"..
22.5 x 4 = 90
"Actual" = 107*

Coincidence???

Anyone want to verify?
Just calculate the LUX based on surface area and lumens at a known PAR height.
Run it through the 2 above listed calculators and multiply by 4..


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## Melv85 (28 Jun 2020)

Wookii said:


> Fire away mate, I'm no expert on the lights, but I'll answer what I can.



Hi @Wookii ,
Sorry for late reply, gone back to work, and it’s all abit manic lol. 
 Thanks for getting back to me. 
I’m running the plant 3.0 over my tank, mines a deeper (front to back) at 18 inches. But same hight and width (24x12) 

Anyway, just wondering what sort of plants your growing? And what sort of intensity for how long you run? 

Thanks


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## Wookii (28 Jun 2020)

Melv85 said:


> Hi @Wookii ,
> Sorry for late reply, gone back to work, and it’s all abit manic lol.
> Thanks for getting back to me.
> I’m running the plant 3.0 over my tank, mines a deeper (front to back) at 18 inches. But same hight and width (24x12)
> ...



Well, I’m not using it anymore, as I’ve switched to a Chihiros WRGB II, but I was running the Fluval Plant 3.0 at 100% for 6.5 hours a day (started at 60% when the tank was first set up) which included a 10 minute ramp up and down. Low light plants, and anything directly under the light grow fine, but I found that with the narrow spread of the light (front to back) my stems as the back of the tank struggled. It may have been less of an issue if my tank was more open with less hardscape, but even so I think a wider light gives better coverage.


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## Melv85 (3 Jul 2020)

Good evening @Wookii 
Thanks for getting back to me. 

That’s interesting, 
I was thinking the same thing, it defo doesn’t seam anywhere near as intense as my old t5’s, but others are saying I need to keep the intensity lower, and like you say with the spread the front and back look really quite dark, and my tanks 18 inches front to back, so have to have the light higher to get the spread, so loosing more of the intensity 🤔 hmmmmmm.

Did you have any carpeting plants in there?


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## Wookii (3 Jul 2020)

Melv85 said:


> Good evening @Wookii
> Thanks for getting back to me.
> 
> That’s interesting,
> ...



I started off with Montecarlo, but it barely grew. I maybe didn’t give it long enough, but I don’t think the Fluval would have provided enough light for it - and certainly my hardscape layout didn’t lend itself to it. I switched to Marsilea Crenata and it was much better, being a slower growing lower light plant. I also preferred the way it looked and it’s been zero maintenance so far.


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## Melv85 (3 Jul 2020)

Wookii said:


> I started off with Montecarlo, but it barely grew. I maybe didn’t give it long enough, but I don’t think the Fluval would have provided enough light for it - and certainly my hardscape layout didn’t lend itself to it. I switched to Marsilea Crenata and it was much better, being a slower growing lower light plant. I also preferred the way it looked and it’s been zero maintenance so far.



That’s what I’ve got in the front of mine, it’s growing, but it’s growing up, no carpeting, and looks far from healthy. 
That’s a good idea,  maybe I’ll go down a similar route 
Abit of a shame tho, it’s not a cheap unit. 

Got any pics?


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## oreo57 (3 Jul 2020)

This guide may be of some help..
https://www.advancedplantedtank.com/blogs/beginners-planted-tank-101/carpeting-plants

Generally carpets are much easier w/ high CO2 injection AND the CO2 gets to the bottom.  Lower light is then somewhat  less important.


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