AI Vega Color/Blue Owners Thread!

[Nob35]

Originally Posted by ug.mac

I just got my Ai Vega and have a question about how is timer works for night light and lunar cycle.

From what I understand, night intensity determine the intensity out side of daylight timer. If my daylight is from 9-7pm w/hr ramping and 4% RB night, then my light schedule should be, 12am - 7am, 4% RB, then ramping starts for daylight, at 9pm all lights off except RB remains 4% till 12am, then repeat.

Same setting but with lunar cycle, RB channel will change intensity based on the actual lunar cycle at max of 4%, but what I don't understand is how is lunar cycle start and end time interact with daylight timer? If lunar cycle start at 12am but daylight end 9pm(after ramping), from my observation, RB stays on? Is that normal when using lunar cycle?

I'm not 100% sure because I'm not running a lunar cycle but you could try adding a timer to ramp down the RB to 0% from 9:00pm till 11:55pm. I think in order for this to work you need the main settings that are done in the easy timer to have the RB at 5%. It takes the 5% because the phases of the moon, if you put it any lower the lights will be completely out for more than half the month.

Again I have not set my lunar cycle so not really sure this will work, but after reading others that have set theirs I think this is how they did it. If I understood correctly the Lunar does not work if you have any lights on at the time its supposed to start.

Hope this helps and let us know if this works and is the correct way of doing it.

[reefervinny]

I am still having difficulty with adjusting my settings. Does anyone have timer/% for light settings on the Vega Blue. I have had the lights for 3 months coming from t5 VHO's and already my Acro is about dead, my blastos are shrunken, my candy cane is about dead and my zoas are starting to melt. Anybody have any good advice for me please let me know. My whites max out at 40% while my blue maxes out at 60%. I don't think I have them too high and I ran the acclimation for 30 days with a 40% deduction. Any help is great. Thanks in advance.

[rhinonm]

I have vega colors and only run my whites, RB, B, DB and G @ 100% (red at 30%) for 3 hours. They (except for blues and greens which are already on) ramp up from 10am @ 0% to 100% @ 12pm then ramp down from 100% @ 3pm to 0% at 5pm. I just run just the blues and green before and after.

I had to lower the high output cycle when my zoas started to look plastered. Now they slightly reach up and are growing like a weed. I can gauge my light output by how the zoas react.

Another thing you may want to try is the cloud feature. This gives the corals a break throughout the day.

I also have a small 10g frag tank with 20 sps frags on this light cycle and they are doing great with color and growth.

Hope this helps!

[rhinonm]

I have vega colors and only run my whites, RB, B, DB and G @ 100% (red at 30%) for 3 hours. They (except for blues and greens which are already on) ramp up from 10am @ 0% to 100% @ 12pm then ramp down from 100% @ 3pm to 0% at 5pm. I just run just the blues and green before and after.

I had to lower the high output cycle when my zoas started to look plastered. Now they slightly reach up and are growing like a weed. I can gauge my light output by how the zoas react.

Another thing you may want to try is the cloud feature. This gives the corals a break throughout the day.

I also have a small 10g frag tank with 20 sps frags on this light cycle and they are doing great with color and growth.

Hope this helps!

[Moosetache]

I guess I have been misinformed all this time thinking that the Sol was the better unit. So if someone can straighten a couple things out for me I'd appreciate it.

1. Does the Sol cover more area because it has additional LED's?
2. Which one is the better light? Why?
3. Which one is capable of a higher PAR?

Any additional facts or opinions are appreciated as well.

For Context, I have a 48 x 24 x 20 rimless tank that will be hopefully mostly sps and high end corals with as much varying color as possible (I hope anyway). I'd also like a decent growth rate so the tank fills in a bit more quickly.

[reefervinny]

Originally Posted by rhinonm

I have vega colors and only run my whites, RB, B, DB and G @ 100% (red at 30%) for 3 hours. They (except for blues and greens which are already on) ramp up from 10am @ 0% to 100% @ 12pm then ramp down from 100% @ 3pm to 0% at 5pm. I just run just the blues and green before and after.

I had to lower the high output cycle when my zoas started to look plastered. Now they slightly reach up and are growing like a weed. I can gauge my light output by how the zoas react.

Another thing you may want to try is the cloud feature. This gives the corals a break throughout the day.

I also have a small 10g frag tank with 20 sps frags on this light cycle and they are doing great with color and growth.

Hope this helps!

Im not sure if i understanded you correctly about how you have your light cycle timer set up. 100% seems high IME so far with these lights. Im sure there are variables that differ from tank to tank but I have been staying on the lower side of intensities. Maybe this could be the problem. I guess i really don't know if my corals are getting too much light or too little. If you could re-explain your light cycle in better detail i might be able to get it. THanks in advance.

Anyone else that would like to chime in to explain better would be much appreciated.

[ticake]

Hi
I want help to make my choice. I want to change my light (2*250w MH and 4*54Wt5) for my 48'*23' sps tank (depth 24'). I don t know if i need 2 or 3 Ai vega. The light will be put on my tank at 5'from the water.
Thank you for your help
Fred

[twiddle]

I recently put 3 Vegas on my 72x24x24. Also, I switched from MH\T5s. Personally I think 2 will be enough for a 48" tank and you can always add another.
I am also still running the T5s from before for added spectrum so if you can do that I would.
However..I am toying with going back to MH|T5s. I am on the fence so will give the Vegas another month or so.
I have lost some SPS and some beloved Montis are loosing color. I can't figure out if they are getting too much, not enough or just dodn;t like the change.
With that said..some SPS are loving the Vegas and all of my softies and LPS are doing great with lots of growth in just almost 2 months.

[Nob35]

Originally Posted by Moosetache

I guess I have been misinformed all this time thinking that the Sol was the better unit. So if someone can straighten a couple things out for me I'd appreciate it.

1. Does the Sol cover more area because it has additional LED's?
2. Which one is the better light? Why?
3. Which one is capable of a higher PAR?

Any additional facts or opinions are appreciated as well.

For Context, I have a 48 x 24 x 20 rimless tank that will be hopefully mostly sps and high end corals with as much varying color as possible (I hope anyway). I'd also like a decent growth rate so the tank fills in a bit more quickly.

The sols have 2 optics a 40 and 70 degree so they are better suited for tanks that are 30" deep or more. On a shallow tank you will need to have them raised well above the tank to stop the spotlight effect. You also get less of the color spectrum from them.

The Vegas have only one optic 80 degrees and at 5"to 8" AWL you will get a 24"x24" spread with more of the color spectrum unless you get the vega blue then the same as the sols.

So overall if you have the sols and Vegas mounted 5" AWL on a 20" deep tank the Vegas will give better coverage, more spectrum and better overall lighting.
The sols would give you more of a spotlight effect and give you hot spots in the tank.

With them mounted 12"+ AWL they would both cover the tank, the Vegas would still have more spectrum and the sols would probably have more intensity but both would probably grow sps.

I have 4 vega colors on a 59"x21"x24" with them mounted 4"AWL and have good coverage except on the top 4" of the back of tank but this is my fault as I want to keep the stock canopy and cannot raise them any more, if I would move them up 1"or2" they would cover the entire tank.

As for the PAR you would have to ask some one else as I don't know what the sols put out and only know what AI puts out on the Vegas.

If you decide to go with the Vegas I would suggest 3 of them if you want to go with sps at all levels in tank. 3 would give you coverage enough to have sps anywhere in the tank and still will not be running full power with them.

Hope this helps

[rhinonm]

Originally Posted by reefervinny

Im not sure if i understanded you correctly about how you have your light cycle timer set up. 100% seems high IME so far with these lights. Im sure there are variables that differ from tank to tank but I have been staying on the lower side of intensities. Maybe this could be the problem. I guess i really don't know if my corals are getting too much light or too little. If you could re-explain your light cycle in better detail i might be able to get it. THanks in advance.

Anyone else that would like to chime in to explain better would be much appreciated.

I have my high intensities @ 100% for only 3 hours.

[twiddle]

I wish I could figure if my SPS was getting too much or not enough light. Some are doing great and others not so good.
Softies are doing great all around.
3 vegas with T5 supplementation. Currently at 70% Acclimation reduction, Using the Easy Timer schedule with Whites 60%, Blue 70%, Royal 50%, DB 60%, Red 70% Green 15%
Tank looks great.

[reefervinny]

Originally Posted by rhinonm

I have my high intensities @ 100% for only 3 hours.

I was looking for more of a timer schedule for my Vega Blue in the format of this.


Example of timers
01................. 02.......................03........................ 04
8:00am........... 8:30am........... 9:00am....................10:am
D.blue...............R.blue...............Blue................. White red green
80%.................75%..................70%..................65%, 50%, 40%
3 ramp............. 2.5 ramp..........2 ramp................. 1 ramp
Doing this all lights while reach there highest out put at 11:00am
05......................... 06............................. 07................................ 08
6:00pm...................6:30pm......................7:00pm........................7:00pm
White,red,green........ Blue......................... R.blue....................... D.blue
0%,0%,0%................ 0%...........................0%............................. 2%
1.5 ramp................. 1.5 ramp....................2 ramp.........................2.5 ramp
This will get white red and green off at 7:30pm, blue at 8:00pm, R.blue at 9:00pm,
And D.blue will go to 2% for moonlight at 9:30pm.

[Endy0430]

Just set up my Vega today and I'm so impress with the colors I'm getting....

[GR214]

I have had these 2 ai vega color modules on my 105 deep sea aqutics tank for a month and a half. They were at about 5-6 inches above the water line and I noticed a some what spot light look on the tank. My sps over the past week look very unhappy and I tested alk and calcium and it was a bit high which I think is the reason my sps was slimming and browning. Since I have done a water change to bring down alk and calcium and raised my lights to about 12 inches for better coverage. I also turned up all the light intensity to a 100 and changed carbon and gfo. Has anyone else had this problem or could offer some solutions? Any advice would be appreciated!

[reefervinny]

Originally Posted by GR214

I have had these 2 ai vega color modules on my 105 deep sea aqutics tank for a month and a half. They were at about 5-6 inches above the water line and I noticed a some what spot light look on the tank. My sps over the past week look very unhappy and I tested alk and calcium and it was a bit high which I think is the reason my sps was slimming and browning. Since I have done a water change to bring down alk and calcium and raised my lights to about 12 inches for better coverage. I also turned up all the light intensity to a 100 and changed carbon and gfo. Has anyone else had this problem or could offer some solutions? Any advice would be appreciated!

At 100% intensity with it at 12" above the water level you are still gonna scorch your corals. I am finding with my vega at 9" AWL with my whites at 55 and the rest at 70 is starting to bleach my acros tips, melt my zoas, murdered my candy cane and pretty much singed my 2 little blastos. All were in the upper and middle portion of my tank. Everything was fine before under my t5 setup. This led learning curve and trial and error is starting to get annoying. Director needs to be released ASAP with a lot of options and more generic lighting formulas and schedules. (Btw I have 2 AI vega blues over my 90.

[specvjeff]

I just got two and have yet to set them up. I'm planning on setting them 8" above the surface, and start all the levels out fairly low, increasing them over 4 week period. I currently have metal halides and am very worried about bleaching my coral. At the store I work at, we changed to Vegas and did some par testing. With the lights 2 feet above the bins, with every channel at 100% and the white at 20% the par was 160 8" below the surface. We were using other LED's before but haven't seen any issues after a week. I'll update my success or failure once the hanging kit arrives and I hang the lights.

[GR214]

Yeah I know its a huge learning curve. I was thinking at 6 in awl at 85 white and 75 % blue that I wasnt getting enough light. I saw browning tips and very un happy sps and loss of color.

[sgammon1]

I'm curious what I should be with my biocube 29. I started with 80% with 50% coral acclimation... around in the first and second month i had nice growth on my bonsai, now it's starting to recede at the bottom with 80% light. Nothing else has changed. Also lost red planet that rtn'd. Is this because of the lights behing too hight? acclimation period was over

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...6#post21015106

[GR214]

I think that was a bit strong for a bio cube honestly.

[sgammon1]

80%? or the 50%/60% I was getting growth during the acclimation.

[GR214]

The 80% but I am no expert. I thought for sure I wasnt getting enough light now I am thinking I had to much haha

[sgammon1]

yeah, It doesn't look like much light at 60% compared to 80%, so maybe I'm getting too much. I'm going to set it for 60% starting tomorrow. Oh forgot to metion, i have the bottom of the Vega 10" from AWL.

[twiddle]

Becareful...although the Vegas may not look bright they are pretty powerful and can easily burn coral if you arent careful.

[reefervinny]

Not sure if I am getting too much light. I was maxed out with my blues at 65% and Whites at 55% I think it was burning up my little acro and I think that is what melted a few colonies of Zoas. Backed down the % of all my lights and I guess I'll see what happens. What are you guys/gals maxing out your light at and for how long a day are that at that max percentage? Thanks in advance.

[Tron_954]

jezzz. i remember my first ai upgrade, started em out at 25%... all i see now are posters saying they just got the light and fired it up at 60%... 70%, corals were unhappy and they cranked it to 80% and corals died, im like *** lol!