seth the wine guy
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Wow, after making one comment about AI units in someones else's thread, my PM's and email are getting a little more action than I would like. So, here is the thread promised and I hope you find it objective and informative.
After purchasing AI SOL Blues last Dec for my build I have done a lot of fiddling around with these units and would like to offer MY observations and experience. When researching lighting for my build I entertained all options. I decided on LED (And AI specifically) for a number of reasons. I went around town viewing a number of different tanks with different LED set ups. Of course, I also saw several MH and T5 setups as well. When all the research was done and after reading CalmSeasQuest's thread on RC I decided AI was the way to go.
LED had such an upside looking at it on paper. And so here are the pro's and con's of the AI's for me on paper
PRO'S
1. No heat emission
2. Complete control of White to Blue ratio with controller
3. Sunrise and sunset. (Love it!)
4. Apex controllability allowing i-phone controls and wicked programing options (A real draw for the gadget guy!)
5. Low energy consumption
6. Low bulb replacement cost based on life expectancy
7. And yes I hate to admit it, but the "It's the newest, coolest, hottest thing on the market factor"
CON'S
1. Price
2. Didn't look as pleasing to the eye as MH tanks.
When I emailed and called AI prior to deciding on the units, they basically put their hand on the Bible and swore that each unit would cover a 24"x24" area well enough to grow any sort of corals I like within it. I was told without question, two units hung 12" over the water with 40 degree optics would be more than enough for my tank.
(I will have to disagree with their claims. I would say they adequately cover a 18"x18" square of a 25" deep tank.)
With the information they gave me I made my decision. While the units were very expensive, I could justify the cost given the upside. After running the units front to back, side to side, changing the optics, mixing the optics, and adjusting the height... I've come to some conclusions. Here are my observations over the past several months.
1. SPS has little to no growth and color is vastly inferior to MH tanks.
* A friend of mine is running a tank with 400w MH. We both bought the same exact SPS frags, from the same colonies, at the same time. His have incredible Pop, growth, and color. Mine do not.
2. My Zoa's and LPS are growing like MAD and have incredible color with a "Wow" factor.
3. Spotlighting is a real issue with the stock optics. (40 Degree)
4. Very uneven light distribution. PAR can be measured a full 200 points different just 2" away from another parallel spot.
5. Brightness is very deceptive. The naked eye looking at a tank with MH vs LED will fool you. The AI's seem to be a more laser beam/particle beam light where MH seem to be a more wavelength light.
*I would liken this to the difference between a room lit with sunlight flooding in from a window or a room illuminated by a very bright flashlight. While both may have the same measurable PAR, one is distinctly different than the other as seen to the naked eye. Which of these would you like the rooms of your house illuminated by?
6. SPS has bad color
7. SPS has bad growth
8. Bleaching can easily happen to any coral caught in path of the "Laser Beam" these lights project
FWIW- My tank parameters have ranged over the past four months as follows
Mg- 1290-1350
Ca- 420-450
PO4-0-.05
NO3-0
Salinity is always at 1.026
Temp 77.4-77.9
I was in love with these units for the first several months I had them. I wanted to love them even after I started seeing their failings. I didn't want to think I had made a bad decision, (And even worse, admit it to the world!) I'm setting my pride aside to try and help others here on ARC. I loved these units for all the wrong reasons. Bottom line- Why do we buy lights for our tanks? To GROW things! Not do fancy tricks or cut down heat.
Here is my recommendation to anyone considering AI units.
If you already have MH or T5 and just looking to upgrade, WAIT!
While LED is the future, it's still not where it needs to be. Especially given the price tag! Just buy another set of replacement bulbs for your current setup and watch the price of LED units come down and the technology improve. (OR GO DIY)
The only person I would recommend entertain these units is someone doing a build from scratch that doesn't plan on going heavy with SPS.
I know there are reefers out there who may have different results or opinions on their AI lights. I thinks most of them really want to BELIEVE the lights are great given the price they paid. I know there are very few on ARC that have had these units more than 6 months. I feel partially to blame for some peoples decision to buy them given my initial feedback. (I'm sorry)
(I've also heard some personal confessions from those who had them too)
After purchasing AI SOL Blues last Dec for my build I have done a lot of fiddling around with these units and would like to offer MY observations and experience. When researching lighting for my build I entertained all options. I decided on LED (And AI specifically) for a number of reasons. I went around town viewing a number of different tanks with different LED set ups. Of course, I also saw several MH and T5 setups as well. When all the research was done and after reading CalmSeasQuest's thread on RC I decided AI was the way to go.
LED had such an upside looking at it on paper. And so here are the pro's and con's of the AI's for me on paper
PRO'S
1. No heat emission
2. Complete control of White to Blue ratio with controller
3. Sunrise and sunset. (Love it!)
4. Apex controllability allowing i-phone controls and wicked programing options (A real draw for the gadget guy!)
5. Low energy consumption
6. Low bulb replacement cost based on life expectancy
7. And yes I hate to admit it, but the "It's the newest, coolest, hottest thing on the market factor"
CON'S
1. Price
2. Didn't look as pleasing to the eye as MH tanks.
When I emailed and called AI prior to deciding on the units, they basically put their hand on the Bible and swore that each unit would cover a 24"x24" area well enough to grow any sort of corals I like within it. I was told without question, two units hung 12" over the water with 40 degree optics would be more than enough for my tank.
(I will have to disagree with their claims. I would say they adequately cover a 18"x18" square of a 25" deep tank.)
With the information they gave me I made my decision. While the units were very expensive, I could justify the cost given the upside. After running the units front to back, side to side, changing the optics, mixing the optics, and adjusting the height... I've come to some conclusions. Here are my observations over the past several months.
1. SPS has little to no growth and color is vastly inferior to MH tanks.
* A friend of mine is running a tank with 400w MH. We both bought the same exact SPS frags, from the same colonies, at the same time. His have incredible Pop, growth, and color. Mine do not.
2. My Zoa's and LPS are growing like MAD and have incredible color with a "Wow" factor.
3. Spotlighting is a real issue with the stock optics. (40 Degree)
4. Very uneven light distribution. PAR can be measured a full 200 points different just 2" away from another parallel spot.
5. Brightness is very deceptive. The naked eye looking at a tank with MH vs LED will fool you. The AI's seem to be a more laser beam/particle beam light where MH seem to be a more wavelength light.
*I would liken this to the difference between a room lit with sunlight flooding in from a window or a room illuminated by a very bright flashlight. While both may have the same measurable PAR, one is distinctly different than the other as seen to the naked eye. Which of these would you like the rooms of your house illuminated by?
6. SPS has bad color
7. SPS has bad growth
8. Bleaching can easily happen to any coral caught in path of the "Laser Beam" these lights project
FWIW- My tank parameters have ranged over the past four months as follows
Mg- 1290-1350
Ca- 420-450
PO4-0-.05
NO3-0
Salinity is always at 1.026
Temp 77.4-77.9
I was in love with these units for the first several months I had them. I wanted to love them even after I started seeing their failings. I didn't want to think I had made a bad decision, (And even worse, admit it to the world!) I'm setting my pride aside to try and help others here on ARC. I loved these units for all the wrong reasons. Bottom line- Why do we buy lights for our tanks? To GROW things! Not do fancy tricks or cut down heat.
Here is my recommendation to anyone considering AI units.
If you already have MH or T5 and just looking to upgrade, WAIT!
While LED is the future, it's still not where it needs to be. Especially given the price tag! Just buy another set of replacement bulbs for your current setup and watch the price of LED units come down and the technology improve. (OR GO DIY)
The only person I would recommend entertain these units is someone doing a build from scratch that doesn't plan on going heavy with SPS.
I know there are reefers out there who may have different results or opinions on their AI lights. I thinks most of them really want to BELIEVE the lights are great given the price they paid. I know there are very few on ARC that have had these units more than 6 months. I feel partially to blame for some peoples decision to buy them given my initial feedback. (I'm sorry)
(I've also heard some personal confessions from those who had them too)
