AI or Vertex Illumina - Page 2

TheDogFather · 02/07/2011, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sefrayser

Dam those are expensive. 1200+ for a 24"?

Initially it certainly is a premium, but it is also a premium product and in the long term the long list of benefits justifies the increased capital expense IMO.

Some of the benefits:

Lower Power Consumption
More Light per Watt
User Upgradeable
No Heat Transfer Issues
No Chiller Required (Plus power for said chiller)
50,000+ Hour Bulb Life
No Toxic Mercury (unlike T5, PC and VHO Bulbs)

TheDogFather · 02/07/2011, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevotron

This totally segways into a question I have before buying my illumina
am building a 6 foot tank 24" deep... contemplating between the 200 or the 260 series and also don't know if I can settle for a 5 foot fixture as is another $700+ dollars for 1 more foot of light.

Definitively a 260 model for a 24" deep tank for better depth penetration over the 200 models. And again I stress, the fixture length should always match the length of your tank for maximum coverage end-to-end otherwise you will find that you will have 6" on either end of the tank with a lot less usable light...

-TDF

Kevotron · 02/07/2011, 07:20 PM

How far above the tank should the fixture be ?

TheDogFather · 02/07/2011, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevotron

how far above the tank should the fixture be ?

6" above the water

aschweig · 02/07/2011, 11:26 PM

So if you are to go the width of the tank, what happens to the length - aren't you missing in the front to back?

Kevotron · 02/08/2011, 12:34 AM

I think front to back will be fine as u most likely won't have corals in the very back of the tank or right up against the front of the glass

TheDogFather · 02/08/2011, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aschweig

So if you are to go the width of the tank, what happens to the length - aren't you missing in the front to back?

The Illumina has 120 degree optics so at 6" above the water surface it will easily cover a 30-36" deep (front to back) tank.

Midnightsun · 02/08/2011, 06:54 AM

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought 120 degrees was in all directions and therefor a 12" unit on a 24 " tank would be sufficient in terms of coverage even from side to side. Personally I opted for the 24" on my 24" tank.

AGYDAL · 02/08/2011, 08:01 AM

I have a 30x30x18" with a 12" 200 hanging 5" off the water...I went with the 12" so it would go with the square of the rest of the set ups theme...

I don't know if these even help but it's a reference point as far as the front-back side to side with a smaller unit.

Has anyone been able to see the AI and the Vertex side by side in person?...wow, you have got to be joking...made me think of the movie Twins with Schwarzenegger & DeVito, yeah they're close to the same on the inside but woah what a difference on the outside...if my tank had a canopy I might have looked at the AI a second time, I probably would have still been cringing at it a little though...

aschweig · 02/08/2011, 10:39 AM

Thanks for the pic's - helps me see the coverage area and how it might work for my 24"x24"x20". Its unfortunate that Vertex hasntbposted any PAR data/ mapping like AI but at this point it come down to a $300 difference for 12" of potential coverage which based upon the above post I might not need.. 260 12" or 24" 200.. Hmmm..

AGYDAL · 02/08/2011, 11:06 AM

Oh, one thing I forgot...I'm nearly positive both those pictures are NOT at full intensity. Sorry.

christ102 · 03/20/2011, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AGYDAL

I have a 30x30x18" with a 12" 200 hanging 5" off the water...I went with the 12" so it would go with the square of the rest of the set ups theme...

I don't know if these even help but it's a reference point as far as the front-back side to side with a smaller unit.

Has anyone been able to see the AI and the Vertex side by side in person?...wow, you have got to be joking...made me think of the movie Twins with Schwarzenegger & DeVito, yeah they're close to the same on the inside but woah what a difference on the outside...if my tank had a canopy I might have looked at the AI a second time, I probably would have still been cringing at it a little though...

I am in the process of deciding on an LED fixture for a ELOS 70 (29.5x22.44x19.7 55 gallons) and was considering a 24" Vertex Illumina 200 fixture. However, after reading through the post and seeing the coverage that the 12" unit provides, I am curious if that unit will be sufficient for my tank that will be SPS dominant and scaped no higher than the mid level of the tank. Will the 12" Illumina 260 work for me? I was also considering an AI SOL, as I was told that 1 unit would cover 36x36. Can someone with experience on the units chime in? If I go with the 12", how high off the tank would it have to be hung to get max coverage and penetration? Is the 24" Illumina overkill for my setup?

Texsun · 03/20/2011, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by christ102

I am in the process of deciding on an LED fixture for a ELOS 70 (29.5x22.44x19.7 55 gallons) and was considering a 24" Vertex Illumina 200 fixture. However, after reading through the post and seeing the coverage that the 12" unit provides, I am curious if that unit will be sufficient for my tank that will be SPS dominant and scaped no higher than the mid level of the tank. Will the 12" Illumina 260 work for me? I was also considering an AI SOL, as I was told that 1 unit would cover 36x36. Can someone with experience on the units chime in? If I go with the 12", how high off the tank would it have to be hung to get max coverage and penetration? Is the 24" Illumina overkill for my setup?

Don't have experience with Vertex but I run 2x AI Sol Blues over my System 70 and it's great coverage. Don't think a single would be sufficient for me especially coming from a 24" MH/T5 combo.

Tbduval · 03/25/2011, 08:02 PM

IMO, you dont need to go with a full length fixture. We are used to every inch of the tank being lit up by MH and T-5's. You dont need light where the coral is at. With that being said, it is personal prefence. I would light 72" tank with a 60" model. 120 degree optics are a wide spread, they actually put out more than 120 degree but the light is not very strong. I would think you would get great coverage with a slight smaller unit. This also means more light stays in the tank. Like I said, it is personal prefence. If you are spending this type of money, do what makes you happy. What's another grand?

cha0s · 04/01/2011, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDogFather

LED's are different than any other light source out there as far as coverage is concerned. For a 24" wide tank you will absolutely want a 24" fixture to get complete coverage.

Cheers!

-TDF

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDogFather

The Illumina has 120 degree optics so at 6" above the water surface it will easily cover a 30-36" deep (front to back) tank.

Don't these two statements contradict each other? If the front to back spread is capable of 30-36 inches, why would it be important to extend the light to the outer edges of the tank?

I took your advice and purchased a 6 foot 260 for my 6 foot tank. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as planned. With the 120 degree optics, the majority of light from the outer modules just spills over the top edge of the tank and into my living room. The glare was intolerable. The only saving grace is that I was able to disable the outer modules using the software.

To be fair, I anticipated this problem before I bought the light. I had planned to slide the modules inward from the edge. However, what I didn't anticipate is that Vertex doesn't recommend moving the modules even though this is listed as a feature?? I'm told through other sources the they will be releasing a kit to enable this at some point in the future. For now, the modules remain disabled.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midnightsun

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought 120 degrees was in all directions and therefor a 12" unit on a 24 " tank would be sufficient in terms of coverage even from side to side. Personally I opted for the 24" on my 24" tank.

Yes. Exactly. The 120 degrees is in all directions. Go with a fixture one foot shorter than your tank.

jmvaldes80 · 08/10/2015, 12:10 PM

Zombie thread revival...

Anyone purchase this fixture as of, or recently prior to Aug. 2015?

jmvaldes80 · 08/10/2015, 05:54 PM

So, I did some investigation on the Vertex Illumia and why BRS and Premiumaquatics doesn't carry the illumina.

I started by emailing a British vender to inquire if they ship international. However, they shut me down quick. No, they did not with no explaination. Try to figure out why they would not dare to ship internationally, I remembered the patent issues and how more importantly the fixture will not work on our grid. (UK 220/US 110).

I then searched for countries with the same grids as the US, turns out Canada has the same grid. I then emailed JL Aquatics in British Columbia. I got word from them that they do ship to the US, but that there is one US retailer left, Proline Aquatics in California.

Ecstatic that there possibly might still be a vendor in our great nation, I saught out Proline Aquatics' sales team.

There is **** news and good news... **** News: Vertex illumina is extinct... Went out of product last year. Good News: there is a new model coming out Spring 2016.

Let's see! Just around the time I'll be ready to fire my 40 build up.

02/08/2011, 08:01 AM	#34
AGYDAL Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 291	I have a 30x30x18" with a 12" 200 hanging 5" off the water...I went with the 12" so it would go with the square of the rest of the set ups theme... I don't know if these even help but it's a reference point as far as the front-back side to side with a smaller unit. Has anyone been able to see the AI and the Vertex side by side in person?...wow, you have got to be joking...made me think of the movie Twins with Schwarzenegger & DeVito, yeah they're close to the same on the inside but woah what a difference on the outside...if my tank had a canopy I might have looked at the AI a second time, I probably would have still been cringing at it a little though... Last edited by AGYDAL; 02/08/2011 at 08:20 AM. Reason: me fail english? thats unpossible!

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02/07/2011, 07:20 PM	#28
Kevotron Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 37	How far above the tank should the fixture be ?

02/07/2011, 11:26 PM	#30
aschweig Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5	So if you are to go the width of the tank, what happens to the length - aren't you missing in the front to back?

02/08/2011, 12:34 AM	#31
Kevotron Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 37	I think front to back will be fine as u most likely won't have corals in the very back of the tank or right up against the front of the glass

02/08/2011, 06:54 AM	#33
Midnightsun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 311	Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought 120 degrees was in all directions and therefor a 12" unit on a 24 " tank would be sufficient in terms of coverage even from side to side. Personally I opted for the 24" on my 24" tank.

02/08/2011, 10:39 AM	#35
aschweig Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5	Thanks for the pic's - helps me see the coverage area and how it might work for my 24"x24"x20". Its unfortunate that Vertex hasntbposted any PAR data/ mapping like AI but at this point it come down to a $300 difference for 12" of potential coverage which based upon the above post I might not need.. 260 12" or 24" 200.. Hmmm..

02/08/2011, 11:06 AM	#36
AGYDAL Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 291	Oh, one thing I forgot...I'm nearly positive both those pictures are NOT at full intensity. Sorry.

03/25/2011, 08:02 PM	#39
Tbduval Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Orlando, Fl Posts: 369	IMO, you dont need to go with a full length fixture. We are used to every inch of the tank being lit up by MH and T-5's. You dont need light where the coral is at. With that being said, it is personal prefence. I would light 72" tank with a 60" model. 120 degree optics are a wide spread, they actually put out more than 120 degree but the light is not very strong. I would think you would get great coverage with a slight smaller unit. This also means more light stays in the tank. Like I said, it is personal prefence. If you are spending this type of money, do what makes you happy. What's another grand?

08/10/2015, 12:10 PM	#41
jmvaldes80 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 57	Zombie thread revival... Anyone purchase this fixture as of, or recently prior to Aug. 2015?

08/10/2015, 05:54 PM	#42
jmvaldes80 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Posts: 57	So, I did some investigation on the Vertex Illumia and why BRS and Premiumaquatics doesn't carry the illumina. I started by emailing a British vender to inquire if they ship international. However, they shut me down quick. No, they did not with no explaination. Try to figure out why they would not dare to ship internationally, I remembered the patent issues and how more importantly the fixture will not work on our grid. (UK 220/US 110). I then searched for countries with the same grids as the US, turns out Canada has the same grid. I then emailed JL Aquatics in British Columbia. I got word from them that they do ship to the US, but that there is one US retailer left, Proline Aquatics in California. Ecstatic that there possibly might still be a vendor in our great nation, I saught out Proline Aquatics' sales team. There is ** news and good news... ** News: Vertex illumina is extinct... Went out of product last year. Good News: there is a new model coming out Spring 2016. Let's see! Just around the time I'll be ready to fire my 40 build up.