Ryan S September 15, 2011 Share September 15, 2011 http://aquaillumination.com/sol/ Does anyone have an AI Sol (Blue or White) running on a tank of yours that I could see? I'd like to compare the white and blue in person, though the majority seem to be going with blue nowadays... I also want to see the colors of the sps underneath them and the growth rates. I can't believe such tiny LEDs could have better colors than powerful T5HO bulbs, or better growth rates than 10k MH bulbs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella September 15, 2011 Share September 15, 2011 Who says there better then MH or T5.? I know a lot of people who beg to differ. They might be comprable, but not better. Lights are the key to growing corals, stability and quality water are more important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 15, 2011 Share September 15, 2011 Light type isn't the important step in growing corals- it's water chemistry. Yes, LED's are better than T5's and MH's for many reasons. Travis still uses Triton bulbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 15, 2011 Share September 15, 2011 Here's a tank lit by 2 of the Sol Blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldReefer September 16, 2011 Share September 16, 2011 I have AI Sol blues over SPS and regret it. Nowhere near the coloration I got under T5 s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic September 16, 2011 Share September 16, 2011 I have AI Sol blues over SPS and regret it. Nowhere near the coloration I got under T5 s + 1 I got the PAR reader from OldReefer today and got readings of my tank with one AI SOL Blue on it. I have a regular 20gal so everyone will agree that I won't need more than one module to light this tank and according to AI and some reefers out there AI is the magical touch and corals grow like under nothing else under these LEDs. I call bull Sh@$t on this! Couple weeks after I installed my AI Sol fixture all my SPS browned out, some of them are still on the verge of dying. I always blamed my test agents suspecting that it was the water chemistry but I was wrong. What I needed was a PAR reader. Today I got the PAR readings and contrary to what everyone was saying about the amazing strength of LEDs, my SPS were starving for more light even at 85% intensity with PAR readings of only 150 - 200 just 4" below the surface. Sandbed is worse with readings of 65 or down. I added two of my old T5s to bring more PAR to the surface area, but they can only add so much. OldReefer has a great thread going on on RC about this. Check it out : AI Sol I miss my MH fixture and I am actually considering installing my old T5 and MH combo and taking my Sol down! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bankyf September 16, 2011 Share September 16, 2011 That is somewhat shocking about the par on those AIs. Those are similar numbers to my Ecoexotic Panorama with low wattage LED's, but quite opposite of my "old LED technology" PFO solaris fixture. That Solaris rocks on par. I will say that the Panorama is growing SPS. I lost all of my color from some Phosphate issues, but it is slowly coming back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roni September 16, 2011 Share September 16, 2011 I'm a little surprised too. I always thought that the AI Sols were fine in terms of actual light output, just not the color. I still think the best color/growth combo was the 10K XM + VHO actinics. The nicest LED lit tank I've seen was on RC but I think he had 16 AIs over a 400+ tank. There are some PAR measurements from the Maxspect Mazerras on RC as well and those may be another option as would be the new Ecotech fixtures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttlee858 September 16, 2011 Share September 16, 2011 this is very disappointing read. I plan on contacting you, oldreefer, because I see you made the switch from ATI to AI and I was thinking about doing the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trockafella September 16, 2011 Share September 16, 2011 Lights are the key to growing corals, stability and quality water are more important. Oops.I meant to say lights AREN'T the key.. Rob, Im not an antique like you, I dont even know what Triton bulbs are... But I am big supporter of T5's, but I like LEDs as a supplement.. Im sure the AI units are great, as with many lights. Unfortunatley people have issues with there corals and lights are usually one of the first things blamed for there problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan S September 16, 2011 Author Share September 16, 2011 http://reefbuilders.com/2011/09/09/ai-sol-phoenix-led-light-aquaillumination/ Wonder if this will be any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefoholic September 16, 2011 Share September 16, 2011 Just posted an update on my tank thread. Check it out, here is the link Reefoholic setup Thanks! PS: I didn't wanna double post it in two places, hope it is ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FearTheTerps September 17, 2011 Share September 17, 2011 Im pretty sure I have read somewhere that PAR readings arent comparible from LEDs to T5/MH. I dont recall where that was or anything else much about it. Can anyone else help jog my memory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewire September 22, 2011 Share September 22, 2011 that's weird..i have diy led, i can grow them and they have decent color. Granted i have only a few sps... who want to sell their sol to me ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k September 22, 2011 Share September 22, 2011 (edited) FWIW, I have installed 13 LED systems over various tanks over the last 2 years. I have never had an SPS coral brown or bleach as a result of changing the lights. Most of these tanks were previously lit by MH/T5 combos. All existing corals in these tanks have grown more rapidly under the LED's than the MH/T5 combos. I have installed the following: AI Sol Blue- looks just like a 20k MH. Ecoxotic Cannon Pendants- 12k shows off the true colors of corals. Some corals are really drab, but the magic actinic lights make them appear to be less drab. 453nm is blue insanity. Makes for a great fake cop car look. Ecoxotic 12w Panoramas- You need many of these to equal a MH or T5. Strong enough to grow softies and LPS. Ecoxotic 19w Panorama Pro- Montiporas from the greenhouse haven't lost any color after being subjected to these. More time needed to give results. Ecoxotic Par 38's- By far the most versatile LED on the market. Great color/lens combinations and will grow SPS with ease. Nano Tuners Par 38's- see above. 100w china built LED arrays- lasted about 3 months before catching fire... 3 different DIY kits- 1 fishman, 2 from Robert Chu. I'm currently using the Chu-built and it gives excellent coloration to the LPS and SPS that I grow at home. Edited September 22, 2011 by zygote2k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkcirca January 11, 2012 Share January 11, 2012 I know this is a few months old, but was curious if anyone in the Northern Virginia area is running the AquaIllumination Sol yet? Husband wanted to see it in action, so I figured I'd look around. We are looking to upgrade from our Aquactinics TX5 fixture, and this was one we were considering, especially since we can always add more when we decide to get a bigger tank. Going to hopefully be building a new stand in the coming months, most likely with a canopy to house lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldReefer January 12, 2012 Share January 12, 2012 You are free to stop by sometime. I am running AI Sols supplemented with neutral whites, warm whites, and greens. I can turn stuff on and off and give you a sense of spectrum. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now