AquaIllumination PAR Measurements

[djkms]

Originally Posted by jonnybravo22

I dont think these PAR measurements are accurate. For instance, why would par be HIGHER at what looks to be at least 6 inches below another reading? you have 150 midway and 155 at the bottom? Yet you are losing massive amounts of PAR through AIR even at every other level?

My best guess is because at the bottom of the tank I cant take the reading from the middle of the tank. The closer I get to the glass (like the bottom reading) the higher the PAR reading is. I assume its because the glass is reflecting light onto the meter.

In regards to losing massive amounts of PAR in the air but not the water, again no clue, best guess, because as the light hits the water its deep enough that the fixtures beams of light are starting to cross? I have no clue though, just posting what the PAR meter says...

Originally Posted by jonnybravo22

Are you using the right setting on the apogee meter? Are you in electronic or SUN mode? i believe you should be in electronic mode.

There is no "setting" its either on or off. Like my previous post stated I am using a older model meter.

Originally Posted by jonnybravo22

PAR meters can be tricky with the BLUE light given off by the LEDs and underestimates from what i understand, but the results you get sort of seem strange, but i dont know the answer. is there another meter you could borrow as a check?

Your right, they are tricky. I was not able to set the sensor in the water and have it flat give me a number. It was jumping all over the place. I watched it for a minute and averaged the number the best I could.

I am not a professional, just a hobbyist. Never used a PAR meter in my life. Just trying to show my findings to the best of my abilities with the equipment I have available. I wish I could dump $400 on a PAR meter but I think that money would be better spent on another AI module! The only meter around at all between 3 local clubs that I know of is the one I have.

[MikeandNicole]

Originally Posted by tmgrash

Am I the only one using these at 100%? I have the all 40deg optics about 5.5inches off the water on a 31" tall tank. New corals take a lot of acclimation, but once acclimated they do great (specially stags, have one getting 900par).
Just curious why no one else.

I swapped out a 250w MH over a 30g cube for an AI sol blue unit and have been running it at 100%. I have no bleaching except for pieces that are added to the tank which have to be put in the shade and worked up. So far so good.

[hazmat319]

I think it depends on what light you are changing from too. I've kept my standard 40/70 optics per the recommendation of AI. I have 2 units over a 75 and I'm well up over 50% on my intensity and I still think my corals/clams want more light. but I changed from a T5 Solar Flare which is a pretty powerful light. I bleached corals when I got THAT light. Right now.....I have some freakin' AWESOME colors coming out of some of my corals. But I'm considering getting a 3rd module so I have good coverage on either sides. Right now I keep moving my corals closer to the middle of the tank.

My sour apple birdsnest has the most polyp extension I have ever seen. And all my LPS on the bottom of my tank are huge and have great color (torch, hammer, rics, acans) I even have a candy cane that is pretty high up with no bleaching at all.

Thanks to everyone who are posting PAR levels. It's really given me a good idea where I'm at since I don't have access to a meter.

[hazmat319]

Originally Posted by Texasreefer79

Quick question I have 2 sol blue over my 75 gallon tank and I have tried 12" above water down to 7" above water and have not been able to get anything to really work well with these lights, I do not have a par meter so I am on a total guess of what to put my settings at, right now I have whites at 70 and blues at 85 ( I do not have the latest AI drivers installed, I will do that later today) but I am starting to think I need either another 2 unites? all of my corals were looking bad so I put them in a friends tank, my tank has been up for about 3 months, I custom made the stands (yes the cables look like *** haha, will fix that after I fix my lighting issue) any suggestions on what I should do?

I have a 75 gallon with 2 units. My tank has been up over a year. My units are hung about 14 inches above my tank and are mounted lengthwise. I have the Sol Blue also.

If your tank is only 3 months old, you are mounting the units only 7 inches above the water line and you have your intensity at 70% and 85% then I WOULD suspect your corals would not look good.

Is this information accurate? You might want to give a few more details so people can give correct information. I had a Solar Flare fixture on my tank before the AI's (which is a very intense light made for SPS) and I started with my intensity in the 20% range and have slowly ramped it up AND have it mounted high. And that was even with my prior light. I would say you have your light too low and WAY to high of intensity. Unless there is some information I'm not aware of?

[Texasreefer79]

Hazmat, thanks for the reply, I raised my lights to 13 above water and I updated the AI controller to newest software and setup the timers to look like this...
1. 7:00am 5% white, 10% blue 10% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
2. 8:00am 15% white 20% blue 20% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
3. 9:00am 25% white 30% blue 30% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
4. 10:00am 35% white 40% blue 40% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
5. 11:00am 45% white 50% blue 50% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
6. 12:00pm 65% white 70% blue 70% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
7. 3:00pm 45% white 50% blue 50% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
8. 4:00pm 35% white 40% blue 40% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
9. 5:00pm 25% white 30% blue 30% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
10. 6:00pm 15% white 20% blue 20% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
11. 7:00pm 5% white 10% blue 10% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
12. 8:00pm 0% white 1% blue 2% royal blue 5 minute ramp time
Thunderstorm 25%

any other suggestions?

again thanks

[liquidplumber]

So No One has any idea About the RKE and controlling the Ai ?

[CalmSeasQuest]

Originally Posted by liquidplumber

So No One has any idea About the RKE and controlling the Ai ?

The AI's use 1-10v dimming controls. I believe the Apex, Profilux and RKE all have 1-10v dimming modules. Take that with a grain of salt as I use only an Apex.

[uhuru]

rke cant control ai at this time

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1921810

[liquidplumber]

Thanks for the link, Just got 2 AI SOL Blues and Love these lights on my 92 corner, They blow away 2 of the 120w Led Evolutions lights I bought for my setup and are almost 100 watts less, go figure.

[Danny Mac]

I am planning on putting a pair of sol blues over my 90 gallon. I want them horizontal. I would prefer not to hang them from my ceiling because mine are really tall. I kind of have ocd about how clean and neat my tank lights need to look lol I know I know im a appearance freak like that. Any other alternatives ? Im thinking I need it about 10" or so above the water?

[cpasurfer]

Originally Posted by Danny Mac

I am planning on putting a pair of sol blues over my 90 gallon. I want them horizontal. I would prefer not to hang them from my ceiling because mine are really tall. I kind of have ocd about how clean and neat my tank lights need to look lol I know I know im a appearance freak like that. Any other alternatives ? Im thinking I need it about 10" or so above the water?

Here is what I did with my two AI Sol Blues and 90 gallon tank.

[reefjunkie42]

whats going on is the 70 degree optics are throwing too much light everywhere and making it less par IMO 70/40 is the way they should be run IMO if they should be all 70 they would have been BNIB that way. i think we should enjoy this good thing and not Your post is in violation of the terms and conditions of use of this web site and has been edited. Further violations will result in revocation of your posting privileges. with it.love these lights. i got fresh cut frags 2 weeks ago and they have started to encrust already. i am happy with these babies

[Danny Mac]

Cpasurfer did you make that or buy it? Any further details? That's looks nice!

[kmu]

Originally Posted by djkms

I have my fixture hanging 23" above the water line now. I also adjusted my intensities so that a majority of the coral is getting the same amount of par as before. According to my research and how ineffective 70 optics are when the fixture is high above the water line I would venture to guess the 70's are doing nothing but flooding my house with light! I highly doubt they are of any use 23" above the water.

Im going to shoot AI a email and see if I can get 70 optics. I will post back my findings when I do.

btw CalmSeasQuest since you are the OP of this thread which got me to purchase AI's in the first place I am going to send you the bill for another 3 units ok? You can use it as a tax write off, its a win win for both of us!!

Can you please post some pics of the modules at 23" above the water line

I got a friend with a 70x24x24 tank and Im trying to convince him that he only needs 3 to 4 modules at the most and not the recommended 6 modules, His tank is a mixed reef tank with 7 60" T5s on icecap ballast.

[djkms]

Sure. 3 modules over my tank hasnt been easy though. If I had the money i would purchase 3 more in a heartbeat.

[snewcrash]

Originally Posted by Danny Mac

I am planning on putting a pair of sol blues over my 90 gallon. I want them horizontal. I would prefer not to hang them from my ceiling because mine are really tall. I kind of have ocd about how clean and neat my tank lights need to look lol I know I know im a appearance freak like that. Any other alternatives ? Im thinking I need it about 10" or so above the water?

How aren't hanging fixtures clean? You have 1 bar that the lights attach to, and then 2 nearly invisible wires coming down from your ceiling. Nothing is sitting on your tank, it's easy to raise and lower, and is visually cleaner than having 4 leg mounts sitting on top of your tank...

[Danny Mac]

Snewcrash the only thing I don't like is that my ceiling is 14 feet above the top of my tank. Its so far up to hang a light. Plus. Im renting this condo. Im just trying not to put any holes in the wall if I don't have to...

[Subie]

Originally Posted by Danny Mac

I am planning on putting a pair of sol blues over my 90 gallon. I want them horizontal. I would prefer not to hang them from my ceiling because mine are really tall. I kind of have ocd about how clean and neat my tank lights need to look lol I know I know im a appearance freak like that. Any other alternatives ? Im thinking I need it about 10" or so above the water?

Is your tank acrylic or glass? I am putting some AI units over my 300 gallon acrylic tank. Unfortunately, they don't make a rails that are 8' long so I bought two 4' lengths. I'm playing around with the height and am thinking of putting the rails on acrylic "legs" that a plexiglass company can make for me.

I thought about installing the rails inside the canopy or hanging them but it seems to be a hassle if I ever need to take the canopy off (the canopy only opens at the top ).

[liquidplumber]

2 AI Sol Blue's worked out great for me Love these Fixtures, here's a couple pics

[pecan2phat]

So what I gather from playing with the controller, the moonlight is determined by the % of the blue and or royal blue settings on the night timer whether lunar or not.
What are some of the settings that everyone is using?
I have it at 0%W, 1%B & 2%RB.

TIA

[moliken]

Originally Posted by pecan2phat

So what I gather from playing with the controller, the moonlight is determined by the % of the blue and or royal blue settings on the night timer whether lunar or not.
What are some of the settings that everyone is using?
I have it at 0%W, 1%B & 2%RB.

TIA

thought you were a big booster of pacificsun on manhattan reef?? what happened.
anyway,
the last timer setting should be lunar yes. that will automatically set the lunar for the max setting you have on final timer. seems to me that yours is too weak. b/c that's the max [full moon], much of the nights it'll be much darker. i am w 0% b3% rb 5%. niiice full moon effect

[cpasurfer]

Originally Posted by Danny Mac

Cpasurfer did you make that or buy it? Any further details? That's looks nice!

I also wanted a clean look so I made them from materials at Lowes and alittle help from Vern (local welder). Attached them to a 2X4 going across the back of tank stand. Lights are 10 inches from the water.

[pecan2phat]

Originally Posted by moliken

thought you were a big booster of pacificsun on manhattan reef?? what happened.
anyway,
the last timer setting should be lunar yes. that will automatically set the lunar for the max setting you have on final timer. seems to me that yours is too weak. b/c that's the max [full moon], much of the nights it'll be much darker. i am w 0% b3% rb 5%. niiice full moon effect

Thanks for the setting recommendations.
I am still using my Pacific Suns, Solaris units and am still satisfied with their performance. Always wanted to try out the AIs and also got a small Maxspect unit to tinker with.

[freezetyle]

Well my 70 degree optics came in from AI today. Now its only another 3-4 weeks until my fixture is shipped! Really excited about whats being shown in this thread, but it is making me impatient!

[cassklar]

Well I too just purchased my 2 ai aol blue with 70 degree optics I was told that #2 module should be enough for my 72 gallon bowfront. Just a question at the moment I have chalices some zoas and scans I have 1 piece of sps I have 4 t5 ar the moment I have been researching awhile almost bought the sunbrite stand and some bulbs today but I couldn't pull the trigger so I went with the ai I am hoping to add more sps later but will these led grow coral like mh. Your foment is appreciated