Lighting & Pumps
Reef Lighting Deep Dive: PAR, PUR, and Spectrum Explained
The science of reef lighting from PAR measurement to spectrum tuning for maximum coral growth and color.
Reef lighting is more than wattage. PAR (photosynthetically active radiation), PUR (the usable subset for zooxanthellae), and spectrum each play distinct roles in coral health and color.
PAR targets by coral type
- Softies: 50–150
- LPS: 100–200
- Mixed: 150–250
- SPS: 300–500
Visualize coverage with the Lighting Coverage Visualizer.