AquaIllumination PAR Measurements

[kmu]

How do you guys mount the AI modules if you run them sideways? I want to hang them from the lamp tree I got.

[kmu]

Originally Posted by ducatimikep

Thanks to CalmSeas for all of his help.

Here we go....
Some basic pictures. These pictures in no way do this
lighting fixture justice. It has been a very long time since I have
seen such colors and such pop from my tank.
This is 2 modules mounted lengthwise over a 48" 90g.
AI recommends 4 modules for a 48" tank so I am running half.
I do have some shadowing from this but I feel confident this can
be eliminated with some tweaking.
All of my tweaking thus far has been getting the power ramps
in the beta software sorted.
LED's are 9" from the waterline. Pictures are taken at 40% output.





Now lets talk numbers.
**Thanks Vic for the use of your Apogee**
ATI SunPower 6X54 with 5 month old bulbs (all par bulbs, no actinics)
Total power consumption per Kill-o-watt meter is 388 watts (including fans).
510 par at light
331 par at 9" depth
290 par at 14" depth
195 par at 21" depth (sandbed)

AI SOL Blue Modules (2)
White only @ 100% = 47 watts
750 par at light
105 par at 9" depth
90 par at 14" depth
60 par at 21" depth (sandbed)


Blue only @ 100% = 105 watts
2000+ par at light (in excess of meters' range)
265 par at 9" depth
165 par at 14" depth
95 par at 21" depth (sandbed)


White 50% + Blue 50% = 66 watts
2000+ par at light (in excess of meters' range)
240 par at 9" depth
220 par at 14" depth
105 par at 21" depth (sandbed)


Total power consumption per Kill-o-watt meter is 155 watts (including fans and both modules at 100%)
Both modules at 100%
2000+ par at light (in excess of meters' range)
495 par at 9" depth
455 par at 14" depth
310 par at 21" depth (sandbed)

This is wonderfull information for me...

I got a 48x18x18 reef tank with an ATI sunpower 6x54 T5 Fixture that would love to change for some AI modules, I would like to keep it with just 2 modules and your tank is the perfect example.

How did you mount the single light rail to the AI modules? is it solid?

THX in advance

[wickedfish]

I would not go over 40% with the blues, royal or regular to start. But it all depends on previous PAR.
This is key!!! Pay to get a measurement if you have to, it will save you from kicking you own butt. And remember its not only the PAR, its the duration of the amount of par.

Say your supplemental was producing 45-100 par and now you do, say 20-30% b's and w's and are getting ramp ups of higher par during those hours you might get some coloration changes.
Main thing is these lights do grow corals, but my corals have responded differently in all of my specimens. Some lightening, some growing better than with my MH and T5's and some just look plain horrible.

[CleanLivin]

Originally Posted by wickedfish

I would not go over 40% with the blues, royal or regular to start. But it all depends on previous PAR.
This is key!!! Pay to get a measurement if you have to, it will save you from kicking you own butt. And remember its not only the PAR, its the duration of the amount of par.

Say your supplemental was producing 45-100 par and now you do, say 20-30% b's and w's and are getting ramp ups of higher par during those hours you might get some coloration changes.
Main thing is these lights do grow corals, but my corals have responded differently in all of my specimens. Some lightening, some growing better than with my MH and T5's and some just look plain horrible.

Wickedfish - "some just look plain horrible" is disturbing as I have just placed an order for two modules of the Sol Super Blues.

Would you please define further - how much is the LED fault and how much operator getting familiar with LED's?

[reefsurfing]

I took the front off of my canopy to show you my AI setup! The Canopy is six inches tall putting the led lenses ~4" off the surface of the water and I love the coverage. Hope this helps anyone who had questions like I did. Sorry for the crumby white balance setup the auto setting almost deletes the blues entirely. The light is much more diffuse in person!

[kmu]

Originally Posted by reefsurfing

I took the front off of my canopy to show you my AI setup! The Canopy is six inches tall putting the led lenses ~4" off the surface of the water and I love the coverage. Hope this helps anyone who had questions like I did. Sorry for the crumby white balance setup the auto setting almost deletes the blues entirely. The light is much more diffuse in person!

Nice, what are the dimensions of your 90g tank?

[reefsurfing]

48x18x24

[TonyV]

Hey Wickedfish - OT but where is the Southbay because if your local to me, I'd love to see these lights in person.

[wickedfish]

It's all error on the user. You have to know the par at the level your coral will be at before the addition of these units and after. Including the times you have supplemental lighting as this is the acclimation period. These are sensitive sea animals. I scorched corals because I didn't set up the firmware and therefore gave my corals a long strong photoperiod, they were not use to.

Measure your current par. Add the units measure par again. Set up the firmware and timers according to par ratings. This is what you would do ideally.

[wickedfish]

I'm in socal sorry bro but if you come down, mi casa es tu casa.

Reef surfing looks good for the rock you have and the level the lights are at. At that level you could grow sps on the sand if you wanted. My zoos are on the sand and are in heaven. I have some acros on the bottom 4" for the past 6 weeks and are doing well.

[moo0o]

sweet, lights are all hung up

[wickedfish]

GL moo0o.

[moo0o]

ahh, i come home from tron to see my tank fully lit ZZZZ. I guess these are the bugs that are gonna be worked out by the time this firmware finalizes? Any ideas on how to get my timers working as i want them to?

[CleanLivin]

Great, I purchased my two Sol Blue modules yesterday and they shipped.
Should have them by next Wednesday and will start working with setting up the controller.

Will be interesting to be a hands on member of this thread rather than just a reader!

[kmu]

can you order AI Sol Blue Modules with all 70% optics?

[drtrash]

Can't order them from AI, it is a seperate item. maybe in time they will see the value of ala carte

[VegasMike]

I tried to do that a month ago, but was told that they really cvan't keep track of what units do to what distributor if they start with too many "custom" orders. Maybe in time, it will just be another item number and they will have the ability to track them, but right now they do not. I got my 70 degree optics shipped to me separately and they came very quickly. I hope to have my five modules some time next week.

[sploke]

I'm in the process of a 265gal build, and I think I'm pretty sold on these lights. One idea I had though, for versatility, is instead of mounting to a hanging rack or something, mounting it to an articulating arm. I realize this isn't an option for everybody...my tank will be in-wall, so the mounting wouldn't be visible anyway. I was thinking about it because it is a glass tank with plastic braces, and I was trying to figure out how I could get creative about angling the lights so I wouldn't get shadows too bad. My first thought was like a dentist's light, but there are a lot of options out there. It would allow me to try different angles, heights, orientations to really maximize spread and PAR. The light modules themselves are only about 4lbs each so I don't think it would be a huge stretch.

Something like this. any thoughts?

[moo0o]

nvm, i re-read the manual on setting up timers and i know what i did wrong.

[coseal]

just curious and it migt have already been said....but what is the weight on 2 units with the rail kit?

[Braincoral73]

Just ordered the 24" complete system with hang kit for my 65-gallon reef tank from Premium Aquatics. I should have it in 2-3 weeks. I can't wait as I'm moving up from a 250W Coralife Power Compact unit. I hope to see significant benefits aesthetically and in health of the livestock/reef.

However, in spec'ing out where they will hang over the tank it seems I would be way better off if they mount parallel with the hang kit vs. perpendicular.

But, I don't see how you guys managed the in-line positioning. Would someone be kind enough to write up a detailed "how to" on that?

Thanks guys!

Rob

[rostato]

Originally Posted by Braincoral73

But, I don't see how you guys managed the in-line positioning. Would someone be kind enough to write up a detailed "how to" on that?

What do you mean?

[coralreefhq]

Speaking of timers, has anyone had the chance to hook this up to the Apex w/o the VxM or do you need the Vxm to give it that lighting effects?

[Braincoral73]

Originally Posted by rostato

What do you mean?

Well, in the diagrams I've seen, the Sols are mounted perpendicular to the hang kit--so the kit rails run East-West and the Sol units North-South.

I saw a couple of pics in this thread where the operators managed to get the Sol units running East-West along the rail.

Just wondered how that's possible.

[daveonbass]

use one rail...down the middle. If not then I assume you can use two rails but the side of the hanging wires will be slightly different then when mounted perpendicular. I plan on only using one rail.