The MW 700 is a new portable lux meter from Milwaukee Instruments which was spotted lying around on a table in Orlando this weekend. ReefBuilders writer Scott Fellman was shmoozing at the Global Pet Expo and he managed to snap this spy photo while no one was looking. The MW 700 doesn’t seem significantly different from the current “Economy” SM700. Both the MW700 and SM700 have submersible probes and are being labeled as “Smart Luxmeters” with 3 separate lighting intensity. However, there is some talk of new and upgraded chips in the entire line of Milwaukee aquarium testers. Although you may think that PAR is the only relevant light measurement when it comes to plants and corals, as long as you know the spectrum of your light source and recognize the limitations of testing Lux, having a reading of Lux (lumens/m^2) will still be a useful measure of how many photons are passing through the aquarium water. Milwaukee’s MW700 will be available soon for $110-$125 after shipping.
