Question concerning AI Hydra 64

[crazyreefergirl]

Always used Radions to power my reef tank. I am very new to AI. Looking to power 2 AI Hydra 64 over my 80g rimless frag tank. Going to have Torches, Bounces, Zoanthids and an anemone in the tank. What setting should I be running?

 

[KC's CNC Creations]

it's all about what you like, not what someone else recommends to you.......... go to AIs website, download several of their 'signature' line of settings and find a color spectrum YOU like, then adjust it to fit your desired time of day schedule and use two fingers to increase/decrease the intensity to your desired PAR levels.

 

[jassermd]

Watch this video... everything you need to know about the AI 64. I have 2 and I can say they do great!

 

[crazyreefergirl]

it's all about what you like, not what someone else recommends to you.......... go to AIs website, download several of their 'signature' line of settings and find a color spectrum YOU like, then adjust it to fit your desired time of day schedule and use two fingers to increase/decrease the intensity to your desired PAR levels.

Not so much the coloration of the light but the intensity of light for the types of corals I mentioned for optimum growth.

 

[KC's CNC Creations]

Not so much the coloration of the light but the intensity of light for the types of corals I mentioned for optimum growth.

the coloration (spectrum) of your lights, at least to me, is very important, if not the most important when it comes to MY tank, it's what you, the owner of the tank, see, and it's why a lot of people don't like Radion 'blue' series and prefer the 'pro' series for a more white spectrum. if the tank isn't visually appealing to you, what's the point of having it??


as far as intensity goes, you can't visually see that with your eye and that's where the PAR measurements are helpful and a setting of 50-150 is sufficient for the corals you listed, as for anemone........the PAR requirements are drastically different between differing species. bubble tips can be kept at those 50-150 settings, carpets can not.

the above video will get you ballpark, but keep in mind, those PAR reading are taken in a bare tank, with no rock/corals/etc which all absorb and/or reflect light much differently around the tank so there is no one setting fits all sadly.

 

[crazyreefergirl]

the coloration (spectrum) of your lights, at least to me, is very important, if not the most important when it comes to MY tank, it's what you, the owner of the tank, see, and it's why a lot of people don't like Radion 'blue' series and prefer the 'pro' series for a more white spectrum. if the tank isn't visually appealing to you, what's the point of having it??


as far as intensity goes, you can't visually see that with your eye and that's where the PAR measurements are helpful and a setting of 50-150 is sufficient for the corals you listed, as for anemone........the PAR requirements are drastically different between differing species. bubble tips can be kept at those 50-150 settings, carpets can not.

the above video will get you ballpark, but keep in mind, those PAR reading are taken in a bare tank, with no rock/corals/etc which all absorb and/or reflect light much differently around the tank so there is no one setting fits all sadly.

Good points. Thanks for the info. I am more concern for the well being of my animal. I can tweek the coloration to my liking once I know my animals are happy.
50-150 Par is surprising low for corals to be happy especially bubble tips. Good to know. Of course I don't usually measure my PAR. I measured the PAR in my tank once about 20 years or so ago. At the time I was running 1 - 1000W MH Radium 20K ahhhh, 2 -400w MH and a bunch of t5s HO. The PAR at the surface of the water was around 1800 (I could be wrong, been so long ago) and toward the bottom was a measly 200. From this reasoning, I am surprised that bubble tips can thrive around 50-150 PAR. Learned something new everyday. Thanks