AI Hydra Settings Thread

[milsaltnewbie07]

Try a water change and or carbon. It will remove any yellowish color from the water and allow more light in.

Sonic, i usually change about 15g of water every other week. Granted its a 62g tank so that almost 50% a month. Thinking of going weekly, but its to much of a pain to go get water every week. I was running carbon and gfo a few months back, but removed it because it was stripping my water dry of nutrient and the corals look pale as heck. I have now added GAC , since i added an rbta to the tank. Just in case. I have to say though, water looks CRYSTAL clear now. I mean i thought it did before , but wow.

Can't help but to think that your green color is from not enough UV.

As far as growth you PO4 looks a bit high and from what i read it can slow growth down by 50% + in studies.

So you think i should up the uv? Cant say much about po4, since from all i have i have read 0.03 is perfect. Im at 0.04, so i don't know if that 0.01 of a difference will mater. Who know im not a reef chemist or biologist lmao.

 

[805mike]

Hi Mike, that sound a bit aggressive to me on a tank that is shallow. What lights are you coming from? I would start off with acclimation @ 50% over 4 to 6 weeks just to be safe. The lights may be more powerful than you think.

I was think that, but my corals started to brown, which I took as not enough light. I used to run a 6 bulb t5 fixture about 6" AWL.

Front
Blue+
Blue+ (dawn/dusk)
Coral+
Actinic (dawn/dusk)
Blue+
Blue+

Dawn/dusk: 1pm-3pm
All lights: 3pm-7pm
Dawn/dusk: 7pm-9pm

I was trying to recreate this. What do you suggest? So far things are looking good with the current LED settings.

 

[McGee10]

I was think that, but my corals started to brown, which I took as not enough light. I used to run a 6 bulb t5 fixture about 6" AWL.

Front
Blue+
Blue+ (dawn/dusk)
Coral+
Actinic (dawn/dusk)
Blue+
Blue+

Dawn/dusk: 1pm-3pm
All lights: 3pm-7pm
Dawn/dusk: 7pm-9pm

I was trying to recreate this. What do you suggest? So far things are looking good with the current LED settings.

It is my understanding that browning is to much light. Anyone out there know?

 

[805mike]

It is my understanding that browning is to much light. Anyone out there know?

Too much light, and corals should bleach. Not enough (or excess nutrients), and they develop excess zooxanthellae in order to maintain the level of energy needed. With the right amount of light, they'll shed the extra zooxanthellae that they depended on, and use the light/photosynthesis. (That's my understanding)

 

[McGee10]

Too much light, and corals should bleach. Not enough (or excess nutrients), and they develop excess zooxanthellae in order to maintain the level of energy needed. With the right amount of light, they'll shed the extra zooxanthellae that they depended on, and use the light/photosynthesis. (That's my understanding)

it's like a sun tan the more sun light the more tan.

 

[McGee10]

Just watch the corals closely. it took mine almost 2 weeks before all my bleaching took place

 

[Pallobi]

Thanks guys! Just waiting for the hanging kit (decided to just get the factory one)... Gonna use it for my frag tank addition as soon as the hanger comes in.

 

[milsaltnewbie07]

So mcGee10, you said the green shoild have to do with not enought uv? Would you recommend me raising it a bit, if so by how much. I have uv and v at 40 now?

 

[percula99]

I am seriously thinking of switching my present LED set up and the Hydras are at the top of my list, but I am curious as to why everyone says you can't run them at 100% output?

I bought E.Shine fixtures out of China to cut costs and they have been in service for three years plus. Presently I am running 508 watts at 100% over my 180. With the openings from my bracing I have three spaces to hang lights. Each opening has one 60W CREE fixture http://www.eshinesystems.com/aqua/60w-cree-classic-led-aquarium-light.html and one 4G Bridgelux 108W http://www.eshinesystems.com/aqua/4g-36x3w-bridgelux-led-aquarium-light.html. That's 168 watts over each section but I hear the 90 watt hydras are too powerful to run full out.

I first installed the 60W CREEs with 2-6 foot VHO actinic bulbs for supplementation. Six months later I switched out the VHO for the 4G Bridgelux, and at no time did I ever lower the output and nothing suffered from it. My corals look good, but not great. I have really noticed a lack of polyp extension and growth over these past three years so I feel a change is in order.

Here is a video showing my tank under the E.Shine lights. Please forvive the gurgling overflow noise, this has since been fixed. So again, why can't I run the Hydras at 100%? [URL=http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c346/percula99/WhiteLight_Trimmed_zps6fd588a8.mp4][/URL]

 

[Sonicboom]

Percula99, if you go to the Ai website you can find the type of led used, that will be the biggest difference between the China leds. It also looks like the eshine lights only run cool white and royal blue. The fact that you have the lights so close the the water and at 100% indicates they are not powerful enough, if you raise them about 8 inches the shadow from the brace will dissappear.

 

[McGee10]

So mcGee10, you said the green shoild have to do with not enought uv? Would you recommend me raising it a bit, if so by how much. I have uv and v at 40 now?

to me the green means that your setup is close and just needs to be fine tuned till you get the color you think it should be.
Every tank is different, I go very slowly so that I can find that sweet spot. again all I am saying is that I found that when a coral goes brown, then to much light when green you are close to where it should be, then you can play with different settings (not just UV) to fine tune the color to what you want. but because all corals are different each one may have a different sweet spot.
I am not a pro I just play like you all and go by what I see in my tank

 

[percula99]

Percula99, if you go to the Ai website you can find the type of led used, that will be the biggest difference between the China leds. It also looks like the eshine lights only run cool white and royal blue. The fact that you have the lights so close the the water and at 100% indicates they are not powerful enough, if you raise them about 8 inches the shadow from the brace will dissappear.

Hi Sonicboom. The Bridgelux LED run Bridgelux 12pcs Neutral White 6500K, 18pcs Royal Blue 455nm, 3pcs Red 660nm, 3pcs AC85-260 Violet and the 60W CREE fixtures run 10-3w XP-G R5 8000-10000K white and 10-3w XP-E D3 455 nm royal blue. I am finding it hard to understand how 168 watts is not as powerful as 90 watts. I am not trying to argue with you, just trying to understand the rationale.

 

[jarretk1]

Anyone having trouble with the update. I updated my director today but I keep keep getting an error message "Device 7001DFB failed to update." I am getting fed up with the director because it just disconnects at random times. With me traveling for my job there have been times that I have no clue how long my lights have been on.

 

[reef bloke]

That sounds like one of the lights that are failing to update rather than the director. Find the light with that code on it by double clicking your lights in layout and check the wireless signal to that light. If its low move the director closer and/or change channel and try again.

The disconnects may be related to an old style USB cable, they have been updated now to keep voltage above 5v as when it drops below the director may lose router signal or reboot.

Equally if the director is too far from the router it may just me due to a weak wifi signal if its only wifi that drops out rather than a director reboot.

 

[Newbie Aquarist]

Hi Sonicboom. The Bridgelux LED run Bridgelux 12pcs Neutral White 6500K, 18pcs Royal Blue 455nm, 3pcs Red 660nm, 3pcs AC85-260 Violet and the 60W CREE fixtures run 10-3w XP-G R5 8000-10000K white and 10-3w XP-E D3 455 nm royal blue. I am finding it hard to understand how 168 watts is not as powerful as 90 watts. I am not trying to argue with you, just trying to understand the rationale.

Could it be a possibility that they aren't runny the LEDs at full wattage? It's like the taotronics or evergrow LEDs, they have 55 three watt diodes but classify the fixtures at 120 watts. Just a thought or insight.

 

[Sonicboom]

Could it be a possibility that they aren't runny the LEDs at full wattage? It's like the taotronics or evergrow LEDs, they have 55 three watt diodes but classify the fixtures at 120 watts. Just a thought or insight.

Could very well be, can also be diffusers, lots of different things. I guess you would need to compare either actual power draw or par readings between the two.

 

[dahos]

Anyone having trouble with the update. I updated my director today but I keep keep getting an error message "Device 7001DFB failed to update." I am getting fed up with the director because it just disconnects at random times. With me traveling for my job there have been times that I have no clue how long my lights have been on.

I had to try different channels and eventually turning off all other Wi-Fi devices before one of my lights would update.

 

[Sonicboom]

Just received another update notification.

 

[Sonicboom]

Update took about 3 min to finish then a reboot.clouds are MUCH nicer, seems to include two lights at once now.

 

[percula99]

Could it be a possibility that they aren't runny the LEDs at full wattage? It's like the taotronics or evergrow LEDs, they have 55 three watt diodes but classify the fixtures at 120 watts. Just a thought or insight.

Could very well be, can also be diffusers, lots of different things. I guess you would need to compare either actual power draw or par readings between the two.

I guess without having a wattage meter or a PAR meter I will never know for sure. I went to my LFS yesterday, whom I trust very much, and he agreed, that from his experience I would indeed burn some of my corals without first acclimating them to the new lights. He did mention the intensity of PAR coming from different LEDs varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. So it would seem I will be taking the plunge into Hydras relatively soon.

One issue I saw mentioned in this thread previously was that if you are using the controller and it loses power the lights will stay at the setting they were on until you reset the controller. I sent an email to AI yesterday to ask clarification. I will report back here when I get an answer from them. Has this been answered by anyone else?