Upgraded from Kessil A160, 12 hour schedule. 10am-10pm, 4 hour peak 2pm-6pm with 75% max and 50% whites, rest of time is just 30% or less for both. Having trouble with choosing the best spectrum for my tank. 50 gallon cube, 20” deep , light 8” off surface. Mostly LPS, some birdsnest up top, might plan on adding an acro or two in the future just to test. Reading mixed opinions about red and green spectrum growing algae, also about having a high UV and burning corals. Also whats the point of having a violet spectrum?
AI Hydra 26 Spectrum Help
- Thread starter NYCxBRVCE
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Porpoise Hork
Well-Known Member
You can run the default spectrum settings that Ai has put in. It is probably the closest you can get to natural sunlight for the tank. As for power settings start at 30% and ramp it up 10% per week to week and a half from there till you are at 50%. Anything higher on 20" and you risk bleaching as the Hydras are extremely powerful. Once there leave it at 50% for a few a few months and see what response you get from them
Other options are mirroring the CoralLAb AB+ settings on the Hydra as it is a close second to the default settings.
Other options are mirroring the CoralLAb AB+ settings on the Hydra as it is a close second to the default settings.
Run it the way that you like the looks. If it is not burning coral, then you are all set. Keep the intensity low and go slow - there are some bad peaks in some of these that can burn coral even if you have a lower PAR reading... this is a quality thing, not quantity.
Look at a spectrum chart for every T5 and Mh out there and you will see a ton of red and green. The bottom line is that algae is going to grow if you have nutrients and spectrum nor old bulbs will do much, if anything, different that other light sources.
Look at a spectrum chart for every T5 and Mh out there and you will see a ton of red and green. The bottom line is that algae is going to grow if you have nutrients and spectrum nor old bulbs will do much, if anything, different that other light sources.
Extending this topic a bit. I'm having a heck of a time figuring out what "cool white" spectrum actually does in terms of being beneficial or not? For instance - I much prefer a whiter look than blues (despite understanding that the blues make the colors pop). I tried David Saxby's settings but on the ramp down my apartment has a bit of a strip club feel lol. But what do coral prefer in a general sense? Does it matter when talking about whites vs blues?
I have a mixed reef, Reefer 250 with AI hydra 26s (2).
I have a mixed reef, Reefer 250 with AI hydra 26s (2).
