Aquarium Lighting Calculator

PAR and photoperiod for planted and reef aquariums.

Tank Depth (inches)

Tank Length (inches)

Plant / Coral Level

Water Type

Tab to move between fields

Recommended PAR (µmol/m²/s)

Approx. Watts Needed (LED)78.5

Photoperiod (hours/day)8

Suggested Light Height (in.)6

Surface PAR Needed55

Daily Light Integral (mol/m²/day)0.66

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Tank Depth (inches), Tank Length (inches), and Plant / Coral Level.
Set Water Type.
Review the Recommended PAR (µmol/m²/s) result.
Use Approx. Watts Needed (LED) and Photoperiod (hours/day) to inform your decision.

What each input means

Tank Depth (inches): Water depth from surface to substrate in inches.
Tank Length (inches): Length of the aquarium for light coverage calculation.
Plant / Coral Level: 1 = Low light (anubias, java fern), 2 = Medium (swords, crypts), 3 = High (carpeting plants, SPS coral).
Water Type: 1 = Freshwater, 2 = Saltwater/Reef.

Recommended PAR (µmol/m²/s): Photosynthetically Active Radiation at substrate level for your setup.
Approx. Watts Needed (LED): Estimated LED wattage to achieve target PAR for your tank.
Photoperiod (hours/day): Recommended daily lighting duration.
Suggested Light Height (in.): Recommended mounting height above water surface.
Surface PAR Needed: PAR at the water surface needed to achieve target at substrate depth.
Daily Light Integral (mol/m²/day): Total photosynthetic light energy delivered per day.

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Tank Depth (inches) = 18, Tank Length (inches) = 36, Plant / Coral Level = 1, Water Type = 1 = 4 input(s) provided
Calculate Recommended PAR
Recommended PAR
23 = 23
Calculate Approx. Watts Needed
Approx. Watts Needed = surfacePar * tankLength * 0.04
78.5 = 78.5
Calculate Photoperiod
8 = 8