Best use for NOS AI Sol Blues ?

[KC2020]

I just found 4 AI Sol Blue and 2 controllers that I bought back in the day, tried out and then put on the shelf.

So how do Sol Blue's compare to today's LEDs for coral growth ? Best use for them ?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Bumping your post!

 

[CBonito]

That was the last light I had before taking my last tank down many years ago now.
I would say it's a great light for LPS/softy tanks. But it is really far behind where LEDs are today at least in my eyes. You may like it though. It's all a personal preference thing.

I had the little white controller for it too I remember. It had a single knob with a clicker in it to get around the menus. It was a reliable light. I even dropped it in the tank once like a big dummy and after cleaning it up, it still worked fine. LOL If I were to ever use those again, I would use a few of them and hang them higher so the light mixes/disperses better.

 

[KC2020]

Thanks for the reply !

Yes they do work well with LPS and softies but I did grow SPS with them as well. I just switched to Kessils because I like the shimmer.

Behind today's LEDs ? I'm not so sure.

I've been watching some the BRS interviews on YouTube. In the first guest interview Ryan talks with Josh Earel of World Wide Corals. One of the topics is lighting and they discuss how LED designs have gotten it so wrong. Josh makes reference to the Sol Blue as a light that was one of the first LEDs that does grow corals.

I have 2 of the controllers you're referring to. They tended to die with age and has been one the reasons people abandoned the Sol and Sol Blue. Fortunately I have 2 of the controllers and I just found a source for the adapter cable the lets you run them with an Apex. So my plan is to use keep them and use them.

 

[CBonito]

Which kessils did you get? I want to try an a-500x one day, but I just switched my a360x lights out for an ATI Straton Pro which is like a MONSTER. Kessils are awesome. I really like them. But the problem with them is that all of the undersides of SPS will die unless you use multiple Kessils to hit all the shaded spots. I was using two of them, and they WILL grow SPS corals really well but I would need 3 or 4 of them to accomplish what I wanted and I didnt want to buy 2 more of them. Some don't care and that's fine too. It depends on your tank. I'm keeping mine as backups though because with the arm mounts, extensions and all the accessories it was like 1200-1300 for them. I think a Kessil a360x would be an awesome Anemone Tank Light too.

And for the record, the kessil arm mounts with extensions themselves are worth their weight in gold.
I have mine bolted to my aluminum stand and was able to pull out my kessils and bolt the ATI Straton Right up to it.

If you find your kessils arent hitting all the areas you want, they make kits to add LED bars to them too which is really cool. I almost went that route, but I wanted to do everything with one light.

 

[KC2020]

Oh a single Kessil is a nice light but I think it's rarely adequate. I have always used them in combination with T5s and more recently with Reefbrite Actinic strips. I had 3 of the original A360WE, 1 every 24" across the tank and 3 of the A160 that I used to fill in the shadows. But that system came down with a recent move.

I just ordered the updated A360X and I'll use that with a couple of the Sol Blue for a 20g cube I'm setting up. I'll have the Apex cable for the Sol Blue soon and so all the lights will ramp up and down, plus have a whiter period mid day for a couple of hours.

I've never seen the ATI Straton. I'll have to see if any of the L.A. shops have it the next time I head down there.

Now Dalua's Illumagic X4 is finally available in the U.S.. I've got friends overseas that are using them and love them. So that's a consideration too.

 

[CBonito]

Oh a single Kessil is a nice light but I think it's rarely adequate. I have always used them in combination with T5s and more recently with Reefbrite Actinic strips. I had 3 of the original A360WE, 1 every 24" across the tank and 3 of the A160 that I used to fill in the shadows. But that system came down with a recent move.

I just ordered the updated A360X and I'll use that with a couple of the Sol Blue for a 20g cube I'm setting up. I'll have the Apex cable for the Sol Blue soon and so all the lights will ramp up and down, plus have a whiter period mid day for a couple of hours.

I've never seen the ATI Straton. I'll have to see if any of the L.A. shops have it the next time I head down there.

Now Dalua's Illumagic X4 is finally available in the U.S.. I've got friends overseas that are using them and love them. So that's a consideration too.

The a360x is a great light. You will really like it.

Here's the ATI straton. It's the brand new pro version. I just took that a couple hours ago as the lights were dimming.
It's a freaking beast. It's mounted to Kessil Arms. LOL

 

[KC2020]

That looks awesome !

I'll be interested to hear how you like the ATI after a few months. I think we can safely assume a lot of work went into the design of that light and it'll be great.

 

[CBonito]

That looks awesome !

I'll be interested to hear how you like the ATI after a few months. I think we can safely assume a lot of work went into the design of that light and it'll be great.

If you look them up on youtube, there are lots of videos. They're amazing lights.

 

[jda]

There are locals who you had to pry them from their cold, dead hands. They were among the first actually decent LEDs. You should be able to do most of what you want with them. The folks that I know that used them until they all died had a few T5s on with them - they only quit using them when they could not find them anymore. They might be better than some new lights.

New is not always better.

 

[KC2020]

I have heard a few similar stories and that's why I've decided to keep them and run them. I only stopped using them because I saw a tank with the Kessil shimmer and that was so dramatic after years of T5s and then the Sol Blues. It looked like the light I'd seen diving on reefs.

Of course with the trend now to use broader, more diffuse lights, i.e. the AI Blade, the wider distribution of the LEDs on these rather than 32 or more packed into a couple of groups fits that trend.

 

[oppizach]

@KC2020 you wouldn't be willing to sell one of those controllers would you now lol

 

[KC2020]

@KC2020 you wouldn't be willing to sell one of those controllers would you now lol

I ended up buying Radions and so I'm planning on selling the lights and the controllers but I will only sell them together.