# How much PAR do you need for thriving carpet?



## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

I'm sure its a moving target, but do you need somewhere around 100 PAR at the substrate to have a carpet the will go gangbusters in sand (high tech)?

In my prior high tech tank, I had a small section of Monte Carlo that was doing "OK"; until I lowered the light to combat algae in general. (It was eventually overtaken by an adjacent group of Jungle Val) I dont know the PAR in that tank.

It seems that one of the challenges of a carpet is that *other* taller plants will be getting much more par as they grow upwards; a tank with enough PAR for a carpet will cause typical stems to grow inches per day.


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

If you let it establish well first it doesn't need the 100+ par to maintain~ (specifically talking mc here) but if you want it to battle val and win uhhh good luck with that, that would require a very hands on approach...

depends on what you are trying to get to carpet too... a whole lot of it depends here... like I don't need that much par for parva but I'll die of old age before it carpets the whole tank it's in.


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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

You can get a really nice carpet in lower light. Not sure PAR values...

CO2 / plant species is of more importance to growing a carpet than light.

Here's a 10 gal with 2 CFL in a DIY hood with white paint as a reflector

HC as the carpet, growth was absolutely insane...


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## kaldurak (May 2, 2010)

Quagulator said:


> You can get a really nice carpet in lower light. Not sure PAR values...
> 
> CO2 / plant species is of more importance to growing a carpet than light.
> 
> ...


Your AR looks fantastic, too


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## Quagulator (May 4, 2015)

kaldurak said:


> Your AR looks fantastic, too


Its got that copper color too it though, I blame no PO4 dosing at all. 

I would much prefer it to be the classic red color over this. But, that was my first real "high tech" tank and I was a quite a novice when it came to dosing.


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