Aqua Illumination
- Thread starter wingo81
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I am going that route also and after considerable research, what I found was that the sol blue gives you a little more options than the whites do. I ordered mine from reefgeek.com which saved me the tax since I bought four of the modules. They have free shipping.
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Two thousand just in LEDS,is it really worth it?
I have 4 AI LED V1 modules over my 90g mixed reef. I love them, so they are worth it to me.
Thinking of Sol White versus Sol Blue, I would probably go with the blues. I have mine running at 40% white, 90% blue to get the color I want. I don't really like the color when the whites are turned up much more. When I upgrade the modules, I will probably be going with the Sol Blue upgrade.
You may be able to use 3 modules on that setup. If you are not really going to be doing much SPS, no need to have the fourth module in my opinion.
Thinking of Sol White versus Sol Blue, I would probably go with the blues. I have mine running at 40% white, 90% blue to get the color I want. I don't really like the color when the whites are turned up much more. When I upgrade the modules, I will probably be going with the Sol Blue upgrade.
You may be able to use 3 modules on that setup. If you are not really going to be doing much SPS, no need to have the fourth module in my opinion.
The initial cost was a concern I had but when I figured the cost of replacement bulbs (2 XM 400 watt approx every 8-10 mos), the heat issue for my tank as well as the room I have my tank in) I think the cost is more than justified. Additionally, I have more flexibility with the lighting and it greatly reduces my use of powercords. I think the color is better under LEDs also. Last summer, I was having to constantly run a chiller to maintain temp in the tank as well as the A/C was going heavy in the room that I had my 110 in. So everything taken into consideration, I feel the initial cost is justified.
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a good lighting setup can make or break you or the long haul..
If its good.. its worth it..
that being said.. I'm not ready to spring for LEDs QUITE YET... Just waiting a while for some hard and fast facts n such
No, because with whites and blues at 100%, the color of the light is around 10k, or a little lower. It has a really "warm" look at that setting.
I now have them set to White 45% and Blue 100% and I think it gives a look somewhere in the 12k range.
What facts? They work, and they are cost effective. That is enough for me.
I have a huge plating orange montipora that was in my 90g reef under the LEDs, the color was an amazing hue. It was on a rack on the front glass that is kind of in the way, so I moved it to my frag tank, a shallow 60g (48 x 24 x 12). That tank is covered by a 2 x 150w MH setup. It is now no longer bright orange, but has faded to a rust brown.
Oops, it logged me out before I updated my post. Continuing.....
I purchased a Purple encursting montipora frag from someone who had it under LEDs. The color was a bright, almost neon color. I have it on a frag rack in my Nanocube 28g HQI, and it is now a duller purple, very non-descript.
I have seen some people argue that 'something is missing from the spectrum', so they think LEDs are 'not quite ready', or the technology 'needs to improve'. This is a bunch of voodoo. The spectral plots of the LEDs are fine. There is nothing missing, at least nothing that science can explain today. The LEDs have peaks in the proper places, and put out some amazing PAR.
Hope this helps,
Landon
I purchased a Purple encursting montipora frag from someone who had it under LEDs. The color was a bright, almost neon color. I have it on a frag rack in my Nanocube 28g HQI, and it is now a duller purple, very non-descript.
I have seen some people argue that 'something is missing from the spectrum', so they think LEDs are 'not quite ready', or the technology 'needs to improve'. This is a bunch of voodoo. The spectral plots of the LEDs are fine. There is nothing missing, at least nothing that science can explain today. The LEDs have peaks in the proper places, and put out some amazing PAR.
Hope this helps,
Landon
The bottom of the modules is 14" from the water line. Each one covers about 1 foot. My 90g reef is 4ft long. Keep in mind though that the optics on mine are different from the options available with the newer modules. You can get more spread with larger optics.
I could probably cover two feet by turning the modules 90 degrees and keeping them mounted at that height. I have heard of that being done to maximize coverage where more light intensity, and thus modules, are not needed.
Landon
I could probably cover two feet by turning the modules 90 degrees and keeping them mounted at that height. I have heard of that being done to maximize coverage where more light intensity, and thus modules, are not needed.
Landon
I bought 2 modules of the latest AI modules (2x CREE XRE/1 Blue XPG per pod) before the release of the Sol Blue version, and I sold them after six weeks because the color was so white I couldn't stand it. I had to dial the whites down to 30% and the blues up to 100% to get anywhere near a 12-14K rendition. If I had known they were coming out with the Sol Blue a few months later, I would have waited.
