AI Prime HD

[Mariette]

Coraline will consume the big 3, anything with a skeleton will use the big 3, it’s just a easy test, no harder than testing for nitrate. If one is off, you just pour a a few milliliters of liquid in the tank, your all patched up, super easy, happy tank.

It appears to be 3 separate tests. No?

 

[Hemmdog]

It appears to be 3 separate tests. No?

Yea but you mainly test alk. If alk is fine calcium and magnesium don’t drift to much. I test alk twice a week, cal and mag once every other week.

 

[Elliott Comans]

I have 4 primes for roughly same size tank. Totally happy with light output for my lps

Still dose though, micro lords and other lps do have growing skeletons

This pic is coral at bottom of tank, still growing and glowing-don't let someone else change your budget

 

[Mariette]

Yea but you mainly test alk. If alk is fine calcium and magnesium don’t drift to much. I test alk twice a week, cal and mag once every other week.

I can do that

 

[Mariette]

I have 4 primes for roughly same size tank. Totally happy with light output for my lps

Still dose though, micro lords and other lps do have growing skeletons

This pic is coral at bottom of tank, still growing and glowing-don't let someone else change your budget

4 primes? It would be less expensive to get 2 26’s. no?
Loving that pic by the way

 

[Hemmdog]

4 primes? It would be less expensive to get 2 26’s. no?
Loving that pic by the way

4 primes will be great for softies and some low light lps.

2 26’s will be great for all lps and softies, easy sps, but you may get dark spots in the middle and on the edges.

2 26’s and 1 prime would give you great coverage with no dark spots and allow you to grow pretty much anything. This is a full led option. Your tank is long so you might need 3 primes and 2 26’s. A prime for both edges and one for the middle if you want pure led, grow anything you want setup.

2 26’s or 4 primes & a t5 hybrid fixture will give you great coverage and even high light demanding corals can be placed mid to high in your tank, no shadowing, green light to buy any cool coral you desire.

I’d start with 4 primes or 2 26’s and go from there.

 

[mattzang]

4 primes? It would be less expensive to get 2 26’s. no?
Loving that pic by the way

that's the tradeoff. same number of pucks, but the 4 primes you can space them out more. you should watch the brs video on lighting an sps tank with them, they had like 8 primes on a 48" tank lol

 

[Elliott Comans]

4 primes? It would be less expensive to get 2 26’s. no?
Loving that pic by the way

I like the spread better than what 2 26s did. No hot spots

 

[f8thless]

I think you can get by with Primes but the Hydra 26s might be a better bet.

Another option which I had decent success with are the China Black Boxes.

 

[Tyler Bullock]

Hmmm.....I would have to disagree with the ones telling you to get more lights. I would recommend you rent out a PAR meter and measure it yourself. There are a few big name companies that will rent out PAR meters for you. Once you do that you will see how much par you are getting with 3. I will say, you won't have very good spread with 3 in a 5 foot tank. But you can still place corals under the lights. If you do plan on getting more lights. I would just invest in more AI Primes and spread them out. Its all about even spread. There are many people to grow sps using Primes.

 

[LittleMaui]

Delete

 

[Mariette]

Delete

The 450 is almost the exact same dime rooms as my tank. Gorgeous tank by the way

 

[Robert McCreary]

Delete

wonder why he deleted

 

[Mariette]

wonder why he deleted

I dunno. Made a valid point and had a beautiful picture of a tank.

 

[Robert McCreary]

I dunno. Made a valid point and had a beautiful picture of a tank.

I didn't see the picture …

but anyways 26s like he said are great have you made up your mind yet?

 

[Mariette]

I didn't see the picture …

but anyways 26s like he said are great have you made up your mind yet?

No we might just go fowlr for now and go w cheap LEDs. Maybe the MicMol - Smart LED Aquarium Light, Aqua Air AA-1200 Marine 96W, 48-60in for $320 on Amazon. Didn’t realize lights would be so expensive.

 

[schooncw]

Please forgive my intrusion on this thread to ask a question but it seems like we have some knowledgeable reefers here.....I keep no SPS and do not plan to; only softies, LPS, etc. My tank is 24" high and 4' long and from my research, 2 x HD Hydra 26 should be adequate. Am I correct?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Mariette]

Please forgive my intrusion on this thread to ask a question but it seems like we have some knowledgeable reefers here.....I keep no SPS and do not plan to; only softies, LPS, etc. My tank is 24" high and 4' long and from my research, 2 x HD Hydra 26 should be adequate. Am I correct?
Thanks in advance.

There is no such thing as intrusion on a semi public forum

I had the ppl at Coral Box tell me 2 26s would be ok for my purposes. But I got overwhelmed by others telling me that’s not the case. Your comment has actually led me to consider maybe go that route and add one later if needed when the budget allows. Thx

 

[schooncw]

Thank you for your response. One LFS suggested I go 2 x 52 but from my research, I believe 2 x 26 should be more than adequate.

 

[Mariette]

Thank you for your response. One LFS suggested I go 2 x 52 but from my research, I believe 2 x 26 should be more than adequate.

You’re welcome.

I wrote to reefsupplies.ca re the AI primes which is a step down from the 26’s. They said “3 on a 5 foot will suffice for low light coral such as soft, nems, zoa’s and mushrooms. You can also have higher light coral if you place them close to the fixture.”

So if 3 primes would work ok on a 5 foot, I assume 2 26’s would be good and 2 52’s would be overkill. But I’m on here asking for advise from ppl who know better because I don’t know what I’m talking about