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On the marine aquaristics market, reefers are often guided by the wattage when trying to choose the right light for their saltwater aquarium. But are they doing the right thing when looking for a light based on a Watt parameter?
What is Watt?
In the simplest terms, the Watt value indicates the amount of power consumption, i.e. the amount of energy consumed during the use of a particular device, and thus the costs we will incur to keep our aquarium in proper conditions.
What light parameter is suitable for corals?
As we know, the growth of our corals, as well as their color is influenced by the quality of light. The quality of the light that reaches the corals can be expressed in the PAR/PUR unit.
How do corals use light?
Corals live in symbiosis with zooxanthellae algae. Zooxanthellae use light for photosynthesis. The result of photosynthesis is a type of food that the coral receives from the symbiotic algae. The better the quality of light, the more efficient this process is.
Corals should receive the right amount of light that we can measure using the PAR/PUR parameter. Too little PAR/PUR means more symbiotic algae in coral tissues that take part in the photosynthesis. Algae are brown in color, so their growth in coral tissues will change the coloration of the coral and may give us a signal that the quality of light is not sufficient.
Choosing the right wattage for an aquarium
On various forums for reefers, or on the websites of manufacturers of marine aquarium equipment, you may find different recommendations for choosing the power of aquarium lighting. There’s a general rule that per 100 liters of water in a marine aquarium the minimum of our power is 100 Watts . You can also come across recommendations that advise using 0.6 Watts per liter of water. As I already mentioned, I recommend choosing the PAR/PUR light coverage parameter.
If we decide to go by Watt per liter of saltwater aquarium, it’s also worth paying attention to the correlation of WAT to PAR/PUR of a given light. This will allow us to not only save on electricity bills but also to choose the most efficient light on the market.
About the author
Marek Protasewicz
Reefkeeping has been my passion for over 10 years now. I love learning. The hobby has taught me many valuable lessons, patience being the best example. Combining work and passion is my path. I run Crazy Coral, a marine aquarium shop, for a number of years. Building this business from the scratch I learnt from my own mistakes at a heavy cost.
Later I managed a project aimed at development of methods for quick growth of Corals in non-natural conditions. The project was carried out by Get Sales, Poland. Presently, I am responsible for distribution strategy at Reef Factory, of which I am a co-founder. The company produces smart devices for marine aquaristics. The last projects I have been involved in are Social Reef and ReefPedia.
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