AI Sols on 75 mixed

ptbmaniac · 10/12/2011, 05:13 AM

Have had FW for about 23 years.I have been reading about SW for about 6 years and I am about ready to start setting up.Anyway Lighting has been weighing on my mind a lot.Anyway It will be a 75 Gallon reef for sure.I like softies and lps and my wife is more into sps and clams.I know I want leds because of electricity.I have a standard (not RR)75 gal with middle bracket that just fell into my lap.I do not have a very big budget right now and was wondering if 2 AI Sols(blue) would atleat work to start things off? I am going to be doing everything by the book so it will be slow,but arguing with my wife over what corals we can keep has not been fun.Would 2 be enough to get a good start with ? If I plan right there will be no high light stuff in shaded areas and I thought that I could maybe supplement with some par 38's if needed.I like mostly polyps,leathers,mushrooms,plates,and toadstool's,stuff like that.My wife likes birdnest,brains,acans,acros,montis,blastos,doughnuts things of that nature.She aslo wants a clam very bad.Positioned right could we get away with a few of those with maybe a par 38 spotlight or 2 over a couple spots? Once I can get this out of the way I can start the tank.Keep in mind mabe later on I can add a couple more lights like possibly the AI phoenix or something after everything gets going.Please let me here your thoughts.

NatureNerd · 10/12/2011, 08:06 AM

I have three hanging length-wise over my 75g. I think two would work if you hang them higher off the water. My canopy restrict their distance to the water to 6-7 inches. When I mounted the two I bought, I did not have enough spread to cover the whole tank. I needed to buy a third unit. If I could have raised them to 10" off the water, I think I would have been fine with two. Or, I could have just had lower light levels on the ends of the tank and lived with just the two.

I am sure others will give you their experiences,

Tbduval · 10/12/2011, 09:04 AM

I think you will be fine with 2, if you can mount them high enough. FWIW, I have 3 on mine 14" awl on a 210g. Also, I have clam sitting on the sand bed without any issues.

5pacey · 10/12/2011, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tbduval

I think you will be fine with 2, if you can mount them high enough. FWIW, I have 3 on mine 14" awl on a 210g. Also, I have clam sitting on the sand bed without any issues.

I've been pondering the same issue but for a standard 90 (same horizontal dimensions as 75 (48x18) but 3" deeper (24" v.s. 21). So you say you have 3 over @ 14" over water. That's great! So far I was getting mixed responses to that. But a clam on the sandbed sounds like it seals the deal

... what clam BTW? And would you mind sharing the dimensions of your tank?

Thx,

Spacey

10/12/2011, 05:13 AM	#1
ptbmaniac Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anchorage,AK Posts: 51	AI Sols on 75 mixed Have had FW for about 23 years.I have been reading about SW for about 6 years and I am about ready to start setting up.Anyway Lighting has been weighing on my mind a lot.Anyway It will be a 75 Gallon reef for sure.I like softies and lps and my wife is more into sps and clams.I know I want leds because of electricity.I have a standard (not RR)75 gal with middle bracket that just fell into my lap.I do not have a very big budget right now and was wondering if 2 AI Sols(blue) would atleat work to start things off? I am going to be doing everything by the book so it will be slow,but arguing with my wife over what corals we can keep has not been fun.Would 2 be enough to get a good start with ? If I plan right there will be no high light stuff in shaded areas and I thought that I could maybe supplement with some par 38's if needed.I like mostly polyps,leathers,mushrooms,plates,and toadstool's,stuff like that.My wife likes birdnest,brains,acans,acros,montis,blastos,doughnuts things of that nature.She aslo wants a clam very bad.Positioned right could we get away with a few of those with maybe a par 38 spotlight or 2 over a couple spots? Once I can get this out of the way I can start the tank.Keep in mind mabe later on I can add a couple more lights like possibly the AI phoenix or something after everything gets going.Please let me here your thoughts.

10/12/2011, 08:06 AM	#2
NatureNerd Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: SF Bay Area, CA Posts: 877	I have three hanging length-wise over my 75g. I think two would work if you hang them higher off the water. My canopy restrict their distance to the water to 6-7 inches. When I mounted the two I bought, I did not have enough spread to cover the whole tank. I needed to buy a third unit. If I could have raised them to 10" off the water, I think I would have been fine with two. Or, I could have just had lower light levels on the ends of the tank and lived with just the two. I am sure others will give you their experiences, __________________ Reef tanks since 1987. Current tank: 75g SPS dominated reef tank set up in 1996

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10/12/2011, 09:04 AM	#3
Tbduval Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 369	I think you will be fine with 2, if you can mount them high enough. FWIW, I have 3 on mine 14" awl on a 210g. Also, I have clam sitting on the sand bed without any issues.