AI Hydra 26HD settings

[KashAlp]

So after browsing around I noticed my current settings with the hydra 26Hd seem to be way off the general census. Just looking for some thoughts and comments as well as a comparison from other users. I am running 1 26Hd on a 24"x24"x18" 45g cube. Relatively newish tank with only some easy softies for now but will become a mixed reef with sps eventually. Have been running these settings for about 3 weeks so far and happy with coral extension and coloring. I copied these peak settings from the display tank at our LFS Big Als. They ran them, using the same light fixture, constant however from open to close. I modified it and added the 4.5 hour ramp up/down.

Pic 1 shows my schedule that's goes as so:
10am-2:30pm 4.5 hour ramp up to my max settings.
2:30pm-5:30pm 3 steady at current settings
5:30pm-10:00pm 4.5 hour ramp down to moonlight settings.
10:00pm-3:00am 5 hours of 1% royal blue & blue only using lunar effects/moon phasing.

Pic 2 shows what my setting are for the 3 hour "mid day" peak time.


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[Optionman]

i run 4 AI 26HD over an 8 month old 175 gal Red Sea reef. i increased the intensity over several weeks and currently run UV at 60% and the blue/royal/violet at 100-110%. i have the green/red/white at 0.

running the green and red spectrum will lead to algea growth. in my opinion the colors look better with the white light off (especially wearing reef glasses) but the fish arent as pretty.

i'm getting great growth using these parameters.

 

[Potatohead]

Your actual settings seem fine, maybe a little heavy on UV, green and red (try 2/3 that or so) but you don't need such long ramping IMO. I would slowly (over about a month) change the ramp to about two hours on each end and increase the length of the max setting.

 

[MrDaniel]

Your settings look pretty normal to me. I also agree that the coloration is better with the whites off or extremely low. AI has built in acclimation settings that will slowly increase the intensity of light over a period of time if you're worried about bleaching corals. With as big of a tank as you have, I would be surprised if that light was too strong. I run 2 AI Hydra 52's and 2 AI Hydra 26's. The 26's are mounted in my sump over my frag grow out area . At 100% output they would fry my frags, so I run them at about 75% with no whites. It is also important to remember that your light already has different numbers of each colored LED. Therefore even running 100% red and 100% blue doesn't mean you have an equal proportion of each color lighting your tank.