AI Hydra 26 coverage question..

ocncheffy · Sep 17, 2017

Looking to upgrade my lighting from an ocean revive to something with more control. How would an AI Hydra 26 with the arm bracket work on my 60g cube? The dimensions are the following:

24x24x24

It's a mixed reef with mostly sps near the mid-top half of the tank, and all lps are from the middle down. Would you think I'd require the Hydra 52? Or would the 26 suffice?

Thanks

RyanCSGO · Sep 17, 2017

Would cover it perfectly tbh.
Below is a 24x24x20

mcarroll · Sep 17, 2017

"More control" on lights has bit many a reefer, so be careful if you proceed! No endless tweaking!

ocncheffy · Sep 17, 2017

I guess my only concern is that the ocean revive may be cheaply made since it's a china box.. Would you suggest I get rid of it if I had someone willing to buy it? Or just run with it and hope for the best. I've had it for 2 years so far and already replaced a fan... The growth is amazing and color is great too however. I've had an AI prime in the past on a small tank and I loved being able to set a schedule.

RyanCSGO · Sep 17, 2017

It comes down to what you want from the light. If the revive is giving great results then I don't see a reason to switch. I only chose the hydras because I was starting a new build and I liked the control they offered.
I service a 300g tank that's running 3 black boxes and has great growth and color. It's just a matter of preference and what your willing to spend.

mcarroll · Sep 18, 2017

ocncheffy said:
I guess my only concern is that the ocean revive may be cheaply made since it's a china box.. [...]Or just run with it and hope for the best. I've had it for 2 years so far and already replaced a fan...

You have to tell me how you feel about the value of a fixture that cost whatever you spent on those that has needed a replacement part.

I will tell you that any gear with any brand on it can fail though. Unless you're aiming for a solid-state design that's systematically less failure-prone....like most strip LED's and some others. (Anything fan-less.)

You should trust your eyeballs and your own experience though....if the lights are working, they're working.

Decide if the fan failure (and the prospect of another one happening) is irritating enough to switch to a fan-less design....if not, then I'd stick with em!