Aqua Illumination LED Light Modules on my 29g nano

xenon · 01/18/2009, 12:01 AM

I recently upgraded from a Nova Extreme Pro 6x18w T5HO light fixture. I did not upgrade because that light was not strong enough. It did a great job for my purple LTA, crocea clam and SPS. I upgraded because I am a sucker for tech toys and when I learned that I could connect these LED modules to my GHL Profilux controller I was sold! Another huge selling feature was that I could upgrade to a bigger tank and order more modules and longer rails.

I ordered them online from Greg @ ReefGeek and they were 10% off. Greg went above and WAY beyond for me and I greatly appreciate his stellar customer service! I ordered the modules without the controller because my GHL Profilux will be used to control all the settings.

I was currently using the RS232 port on the Profilx to connect my laptop to the controller but now the LED modules will need the RS232 port so I got a USB card for the Profilux to connect my laptop with.

The first thing I noticed about the modules was how solid they felt. These things are build like a tank and I now understand why they are so expensive. They are truly a work of art when you see them in person. The aluminium rails that were included were 24" long so they looked ridiculous over my 20" wide biocube. I had to cut almost 8" off each rail to make the fixture fit right. I simply used a hacksaw and mitre box. My girlfriend thought I was crazy to start hacking up my brand new light but it was well worth it!

After installing the USB card into the controller I was able to connect and play with the LED light. I started adjusting the color temp from 6,000K (VERY yellow) all the way past 20,000k (it almost looks like 2000 flushes toilet bowl cleaner it so blue). I can also adjust the brightness from 0% - 100%. Witch is very helpful to acclimate the corals to the new lighting and choosing what color temp combo looks best. To get the moonlight effect I simply dial back the blue LED's down to 2%.

A few surprise options was the fact that I could have clouds that dim the lights by 30% for 5-30sec. I have the clouds set to happen only 5% of the time. Another wild feature is lightning storms! The light will dim by 50% and flash the white LED's like a strobe light. If I had controllable Tunze 6055 powerheads the flow would get more intense at the same time. When the storm begins the lightning strikes are further apart just like if it was far away. They get more frequent as the storm gets closer and it fades away as the storm passes. Too cool!

I had a hard time justifying the expense but now that I see how well they perform I would have probably paid double (don’t tell Greg, lol).

xenon · 01/18/2009, 12:02 AM

I will post some full tank shots tomorrow and possibly a demo video of the light in action!

xenon · 01/18/2009, 09:58 AM

If anyone else has this lighting system post up some pics! There is very little info about these modules.

GSMguy · 01/18/2009, 10:39 AM

Very cool, any chance of a pic of the LEDs turned on?

xenon · 01/18/2009, 11:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GSMguy
Very cool, any chance of a pic of the LEDs turned on?

Here is how they look @ 55% of blue and 55% white.

grigsy · 01/18/2009, 12:04 PM

Your tank certainly looks nice but I don't know - $1,350 to light a 29 bio cube is a lot of coin.

To each his own but if it was me, I would have saved a $1,100 and gone with one 150 watt HQI.

But, whatever floats your boat.

xenon · 01/18/2009, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by grigsy
Your tank certainly looks nice but I don't know - $1,350 to light a 29 bio cube is a lot of coin.

To each his own but if it was me, I would have saved a $1,100 and gone with one 150 watt HQI.

But, whatever floats your boat.

Been there done that.

I have owned the 20" sunpod with 150w MH and the heat was incredible. I refused to run a chiller.

Then I upgraded to the 20" nova extreme pro with 6x18w t5 and it did a great job but I was itching to get a new toy.

I may be crazy to spend this money on a light for just a 29g biocube but I am planning to upgrade to a custom rimless 100g (48x20x24) in the next few months. I will need 2 or 4 more modules so upgrading the light is easy.

ob1thx1138 · 01/18/2009, 02:28 PM

so are the clouds, lightning storm, and light level controls part of the lights or a part of the controller???

I guess what I am asking is if I wanted those features would I just order the light kit or would I need something else as well.

Thanks

xenon · 01/18/2009, 03:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ob1thx1138
so are the clouds, lightning storm, and light level controls part of the lights or a part of the controller???

I guess what I am asking is if I wanted those features would I just order the light kit or would I need something else as well.

Thanks

Good question.

I have no idea what options are on the AI controller.

ob1thx1138 · 01/18/2009, 04:39 PM

So I take it those options you spoke of were from your controller and not just built into the lights themselves.

xenon · 01/18/2009, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ob1thx1138
So I take it those options you spoke of were from your controller and not just built into the lights themselves.

If the answers you are looking for cannot be found here: http://www.aquaillumination.com/

Contact Greg @ reefgeek.com

wesheltonj · 01/18/2009, 07:07 PM

Those options are not on the AI controller, just light levels and sun up, sun down, moon phase

xenon · 01/18/2009, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wesheltonj
Those options are not on the AI controller, just light levels and sun up, sun down, moon phase

You are right!

http://www.aquaillumination.com/controller.html

GHL Profilux FTW!

ob1thx1138 · 01/18/2009, 11:21 PM

very cool thanks.

xenon · 01/19/2009, 09:33 AM

Here is a quick demo video I put together. Please ignore the 2" yellow tang. I got desperate and put him in to help me battle red hair algae.

http://www.dansouliere.com/ai.html

xenon · 01/19/2009, 10:39 AM

Few more pics.

areze · 01/19/2009, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by grigsy
Your tank certainly looks nice but I don't know - $1,350 to light a 29 bio cube is a lot of coin.

To each his own but if it was me, I would have saved a $1,100 and gone with one 150 watt HQI.

But, whatever floats your boat.

yep, it is nice, but Im with this guy. those lights cost more than I spent to light a 240g tank. :/

no chiller either. though I think you could manage to get one for 1100$ lol.

different strokes for different folks though, thats why they are for sale, and I appreciate people buying them, pays for the research so hopefully one day the cheapskates such as myself will be able to get such technology.

xenon · 01/19/2009, 03:36 PM

I was more than happy to pay the price. I am a sucker for tech toys.

itsdarrow · 01/19/2009, 06:48 PM

It seems that the way Aquaillumination groups the light seems to give a spotlight effect in that picture. Is that just the picture or a light cycle?

Quote:

Originally posted by xenon
Few more pics.

magnoliarichj · 01/19/2009, 07:21 PM

A+ ill be joining you in this look but im going with the solaris i5... bravo! finally some one gets it.

xenon · 01/19/2009, 08:58 PM

They look like spot lights because I did not turn the pumps off when taking the pic.

Light is reflecting off the particles floating around in the water column. Kinda like when sunlight comes in the window and there is dust in the air.

xenon · 01/19/2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by magnoliarichj
A+ ill be joining you in this look but im going with the solaris i5... bravo! finally some one gets it.

The AI outperforms the solaris.

http://www.aquaillumination.com/par.html

purdeyhouse · 01/19/2009, 10:15 PM

we use these lights on our 80 gallon and love them easy to use and easy to install.

xenon · 01/19/2009, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by purdeyhouse
we use these lights on our 80 gallon and love them easy to use and easy to install.

Pics?

RetroAndreas · 01/19/2009, 10:42 PM

Greats setup.

Ignore the people that say you could have done this or could have done that.

Simply an awesome setup!

Couple of questions.

What intensity do you have the lighting dialed in at?

Does moisture build up anywhere on the fixture.

Did you consider hanging the unit? It looks like you have to remove the fixture to access the tank.

Take care

01/18/2009, 12:01 AM	#1
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	Aqua Illumination LED Light Modules on my 29g nano I recently upgraded from a Nova Extreme Pro 6x18w T5HO light fixture. I did not upgrade because that light was not strong enough. It did a great job for my purple LTA, crocea clam and SPS. I upgraded because I am a sucker for tech toys and when I learned that I could connect these LED modules to my GHL Profilux controller I was sold! Another huge selling feature was that I could upgrade to a bigger tank and order more modules and longer rails. I ordered them online from Greg @ ReefGeek and they were 10% off. Greg went above and WAY beyond for me and I greatly appreciate his stellar customer service! I ordered the modules without the controller because my GHL Profilux will be used to control all the settings. I was currently using the RS232 port on the Profilx to connect my laptop to the controller but now the LED modules will need the RS232 port so I got a USB card for the Profilux to connect my laptop with. The first thing I noticed about the modules was how solid they felt. These things are build like a tank and I now understand why they are so expensive. They are truly a work of art when you see them in person. The aluminium rails that were included were 24" long so they looked ridiculous over my 20" wide biocube. I had to cut almost 8" off each rail to make the fixture fit right. I simply used a hacksaw and mitre box. My girlfriend thought I was crazy to start hacking up my brand new light but it was well worth it! After installing the USB card into the controller I was able to connect and play with the LED light. I started adjusting the color temp from 6,000K (VERY yellow) all the way past 20,000k (it almost looks like 2000 flushes toilet bowl cleaner it so blue). I can also adjust the brightness from 0% - 100%. Witch is very helpful to acclimate the corals to the new lighting and choosing what color temp combo looks best. To get the moonlight effect I simply dial back the blue LED's down to 2%. A few surprise options was the fact that I could have clouds that dim the lights by 30% for 5-30sec. I have the clouds set to happen only 5% of the time. Another wild feature is lightning storms! The light will dim by 50% and flash the white LED's like a strobe light. If I had controllable Tunze 6055 powerheads the flow would get more intense at the same time. When the storm begins the lightning strikes are further apart just like if it was far away. They get more frequent as the storm gets closer and it fades away as the storm passes. Too cool! I had a hard time justifying the expense but now that I see how well they perform I would have probably paid double (don’t tell Greg, lol). Last edited by xenon; 01/18/2009 at 12:11 AM.

01/18/2009, 10:39 AM	#4
GSMguy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 17,420	Very cool, any chance of a pic of the LEDs turned on? __________________ Nick. Conehead. Shallow Reef club. Current Tank Info: 48"x27"x14" Envision Acrylic rimless, 6x39w ATi Sunpower, Custom ATB Deluxe Skimmer, 4x tunze nano stream,ATB flowstar 1500, ACJR, Tunze osmolator.

01/18/2009, 07:07 PM	#12
wesheltonj Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 225	Those options are not on the AI controller, just light levels and sun up, sun down, moon phase __________________ wesheltonj Current Tank Info: Oceanic: 90gl Reef-Ready Bow Front; C2 Development: AquaIllumination LED; Eco-tech Marine: 3 Vortech 40w ES powerheads; Precision Marine: Bullet 1 Skimmer; GHL: Profilux 3eX Controller, Doser

01/18/2009, 12:02 AM	#2
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	I will post some full tank shots tomorrow and possibly a demo video of the light in action!

01/18/2009, 09:58 AM	#3
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	If anyone else has this lighting system post up some pics! There is very little info about these modules.

01/18/2009, 12:04 PM	#6
grigsy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Posts: 2,307	Your tank certainly looks nice but I don't know - $1,350 to light a 29 bio cube is a lot of coin. To each his own but if it was me, I would have saved a $1,100 and gone with one 150 watt HQI. But, whatever floats your boat.

01/18/2009, 02:28 PM	#8
ob1thx1138 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kentucky Posts: 170	so are the clouds, lightning storm, and light level controls part of the lights or a part of the controller??? I guess what I am asking is if I wanted those features would I just order the light kit or would I need something else as well. Thanks

01/18/2009, 04:39 PM	#10
ob1thx1138 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kentucky Posts: 170	So I take it those options you spoke of were from your controller and not just built into the lights themselves.

01/18/2009, 11:21 PM	#14
ob1thx1138 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kentucky Posts: 170	very cool thanks.

01/19/2009, 09:33 AM	#15
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	Here is a quick demo video I put together. Please ignore the 2" yellow tang. I got desperate and put him in to help me battle red hair algae. http://www.dansouliere.com/ai.html

01/19/2009, 10:39 AM	#16
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	Few more pics.

01/19/2009, 03:36 PM	#18
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	I was more than happy to pay the price. I am a sucker for tech toys.

01/19/2009, 07:21 PM	#20
magnoliarichj Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: florida west coast Posts: 1,455	A+ ill be joining you in this look but im going with the solaris i5... bravo! finally some one gets it.

01/19/2009, 08:58 PM	#21
xenon Owner of Canada Corals Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mississauga, Canada Posts: 3,148	They look like spot lights because I did not turn the pumps off when taking the pic. Light is reflecting off the particles floating around in the water column. Kinda like when sunlight comes in the window and there is dust in the air.

01/19/2009, 10:15 PM	#23
purdeyhouse Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 14	we use these lights on our 80 gallon and love them easy to use and easy to install.

01/19/2009, 10:42 PM	#25
RetroAndreas Awaiting Email Confirmation Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Newmarket, Ontario Posts: 56	Greats setup. Ignore the people that say you could have done this or could have done that. Simply an awesome setup! Couple of questions. What intensity do you have the lighting dialed in at? Does moisture build up anywhere on the fixture. Did you consider hanging the unit? It looks like you have to remove the fixture to access the tank. Take care