AI Prime 16HD - Conflicting advice?

[PezJunkie]

Setting up a 40 breeder with a pair of Prime 16HDs for lighting. (LPS/Softies primarily.)
BRS has 2 wildly different recommendations for this setup when you compare the 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide vs the BRS Investigates video for the AI Prime 16HD.

Does anybody have experience with a similar setup that can recommend one or the other?
(Obviously the *real* answer is "rent a PAR meter.")

	5 min guide	BRStv Investigates
UV	50	166
Violet	50	166
Royal	50	125
Blue	50	125
Green	15	10
Red	15	10
Moon	0	0
CoolWhite	50	65

 

[Chlorinated]

Setting up a 40 breeder with a pair of Prime 16HDs for lighting. (LPS/Softies primarily.)
BRS has 2 wildly different recommendations for this setup when you compare the 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide vs the BRS Investigates video for the AI Prime 16HD.

Does anybody have experience with a similar setup that can recommend one or the other?
(Obviously the *real* answer is "rent a PAR meter.")

	5 min guide	BRStv Investigates
UV	50	166
Violet	50	166
Royal	50	125
Blue	50	125
Green	15	10
Red	15	10
Moon	0	0
CoolWhite	50	65

This is where I started.. 14" off water over a Nuvo 20 so 13" deep and I had 100-200 par top to bottom.

Color was nice but my softies and LPS were closing a lot. Dropped the whites to 30 and now much happer.

 

[Chlorinated]

Setting up a 40 breeder with a pair of Prime 16HDs for lighting. (LPS/Softies primarily.)
BRS has 2 wildly different recommendations for this setup when you compare the 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide vs the BRS Investigates video for the AI Prime 16HD.

Does anybody have experience with a similar setup that can recommend one or the other?
(Obviously the *real* answer is "rent a PAR meter.")

	5 min guide	BRStv Investigates
UV	50	166
Violet	50	166
Royal	50	125
Blue	50	125
Green	15	10
Red	15	10
Moon	0	0
CoolWhite	50	65

Happy to send you my schedule if you want to PM

 

[Bulk Reef Supply Verified Sponsor]

Setting up a 40 breeder with a pair of Prime 16HDs for lighting. (LPS/Softies primarily.)
BRS has 2 wildly different recommendations for this setup when you compare the 5 Minute Saltwater Aquarium Guide vs the BRS Investigates video for the AI Prime 16HD.

Does anybody have experience with a similar setup that can recommend one or the other?
(Obviously the *real* answer is "rent a PAR meter.")

	5 min guide	BRStv Investigates
UV	50	166
Violet	50	166
Royal	50	125
Blue	50	125
Green	15	10
Red	15	10
Moon	0	0
CoolWhite	50	65

Ultimately, both of these settings were put out there with sofites and LPS in mind, like you mentioned. The general par range that we suggest is 75-150 par. The 5 minute guide settings will get you towards the low end of that range and the BRStv Investigates will get you towards the higher range. Long story short, if I were setting up an LPS/softie 40 breeder, I would err towards the BRStv Investigates settings.

My reason for this is that during the BRStv investigates test (which was done most recently), we learned a lot about spectrum as we were using a spectrometer. Because of that, we were really able to fine tune the spectrum, then dial it in with a par meter. Since it's generally agreed on that corals will utilize more of the blue spectrum vs red, green, or yellow (which visually looks like white), we decreased those three a bit and reached a combination that is most focused on coral growth. As a result, the BRStv Investigates settings will look a bit more visually blue vs the 5 minute guide settings.

If that's not your cup of tea, then you can always make some adjustments by reducing the blues in equal ratio. As a side note - I wouldn't suggest increasing the whites as this may put you out of that 75-150 par range. Not the end of the world in most cases, but the further you get away from the "recipe" the more likely you are to get different end results.

 

[Little c big D]

FWIW I use the Brs Investigates numbers on a 200xl. I have the AI mounts maxed at height and the highest point on my rock is 4 inches below the surface and it's like scorched earth there. Otherwise I like the color and look. Some Zoas growing mid tank and a small Hammer doing well in the bottom

 

[Spare time]

Keep in mind that violet and UV maxed out for long melts the lens. AI doesn't seem to care to fix this issue.

 

[Bulk Reef Supply Verified Sponsor]

FWIW I use the Brs Investigates numbers on a 200xl. I have the AI mounts maxed at height and the highest point on my rock is 4 inches below the surface and it's like scorched earth there. Otherwise I like the color and look. Some Zoas growing mid tank and a small Hammer doing well in the bottom

This is a good point too. If you look at the par charts from the investigates video (I'll attach a screenshot), you'll notice that the par 6" below the water line is higher than we'd recommend for LPS/softies, but pretty much perfect at 12" and 18" below. If you've got a tall aquascape or have LPS/softies 6" or less from the water surface, you're probably going to want to turn it down a bit. As much as we'd like to be able to provide an exact recipe for every situation, there are going to be some tweaks worth making in certain setups.

 

[THN4AU]

I have an AI 16HD on the way. At which levels do the lenses begin to melt from UV and/or other colors? Setting up my own 40B right now.

 

[Spare time]

I have an AI 16HD on the way. At which levels do the lenses begin to melt from UV and/or other colors? Setting up my own 40B right now.

I have just noticed this issue happens when UV and Violet are ran at their max for long intensities (such as 8 hours)

 

[Spare time]

@PezJunkie

Having set up several of these on tanks, I find the brs investigates close to what I have seen work well. Again, the only thing I would say is not run uv and violet at max would the full 8 hour period. You can easily and cheaply replace the lense though