AI Hydra Settings Thread

[SiXLiNe]

what lens did you get with the 52 hydra's?

80 degree version.

 

[saltyair]

you will be surprised how bright they are - due to the 80 degree lens it defuses the light much more efficiently than MH.
to your eye it might not seem as bright - they are very intense lights.

check out some of the par readings on the hydra and hydra 52

80 degree version.

 

[saltyair]

there are a few formula's in this thread

here is mine right now high noon


I think i will be lowering the whites by 10%
lower uv and red by 10% also

I also do a 20% chance of clouds @ 60%

Maybe it's the diffuser plastic lens covers that are causing things to appear muted. The other units I've seen just have straight clear plastic covers while the ones on my Hydras are frosted.

No one wants to share their color blends? They must be top-secret like the recipe for KFC or how the get the caramel in the caramilk bar.

 

[saltyair]

and a snap shot of my graph

 

[Magickiwi]

there are a few formula's in this thread

here is mine right now high noon
View attachment 267362

I think i will be lowering the whites by 10%
lower uv and red by 10% also

I also do a 20% chance of clouds @ 60%

Yeah the only formulas I was able to find were people's starting points. I am interested in where they wound up in terms of colors.

So you intend to lower your UV and I'm curious as to why? I would think the higher UV would stimulate the colors from your corals. You probably intend to reduce algae growth by lowering your red and white?

 

[saltyair]

the reason for the lower uv/red and green:

I replaced white / royal blue/ blue - LEDs for the hydra
Not having these colours for the last 18 months - I just want to be sure no adverse effects - going slow

On the UV side i have seen posts of bleaching and browning - I had them higher for 3 days and did notice some bleaching on a pokerstar monti so I lowered them for now.

I am still playing around and keeping an eye on things - so dont take my settings as gospel. So far staying in the blue range looks good and seems to be working.

Yeah the only formulas I was able to find were people's starting points. I am interested in where they wound up in terms of colors.

So you intend to lower your UV and I'm curious as to why? I would think the higher UV would stimulate the colors from your corals. You probably intend to reduce algae growth by lowering your red and white?

 

[Magickiwi]

the reason for the lower uv/red and green:

I replaced white / royal blue/ blue - LEDs for the hydra
Not having these colours for the last 18 months - I just want to be sure no adverse effects - going slow

On the UV side i have seen posts of bleaching and browning - I had them higher for 3 days and did notice some bleaching on a pokerstar monti so I lowered them for now.

I am still playing around and keeping an eye on things - so dont take my settings as gospel. So far staying in the blue range looks good and seems to be working.

Replaced? As in they were broken and you had to fix them? I don't like the sounds of that...

 

[McGee10]

Maybe it's the diffuser plastic lens covers that are causing things to appear muted. The other units I've seen just have straight clear plastic covers while the ones on my Hydras are frosted.

No one wants to share their color blends? They must be top-secret like the recipe for KFC or how the get the caramel in the caramilk bar.

There posted throughout the thread

 

[SiXLiNe]

you will be surprised how bright they are - due to the 80 degree lens it defuses the light much more efficiently than MH.
to your eye it might not seem as bright - they are very intense lights.

check out some of the par readings on the hydra and hydra 52

Thanks. My Hydra 52 replaced my old LED unit so I know how easy LEDs can fry your corals if you go overboard on power percentages. I think I was blasting my tank with a little bit too much intensity with my old LED unit so that's why these seemed a little dimmer. Over the last few days, my eyes have gotten accustom to the Hydra, so now they seem perfect.

I'm guessing you're using the Director to control your lights? Have you had any problems using the Director? The reviews I saw on it had been mixed so I'm not real sure if I should replace my Controller and try out the Director setup.

 

[saltyair]

No no - i sold off my vertex led's

Replaced? As in they were broken and you had to fix them? I don't like the sounds of that...

 

[saltyair]

I do use the director - amazing control. IMO I would wait they are still in the Beta process with the software (didnt know that)

Once i got use to it i like it much better that the controller. they will be doing an upgrade soon (told by cs) that should correct most of the bugs.

Thanks. My Hydra 52 replaced my old LED unit so I know how easy LEDs can fry your corals if you go overboard on power percentages. I think I was blasting my tank with a little bit too much intensity with my old LED unit so that's why these seemed a little dimmer. Over the last few days, my eyes have gotten accustom to the Hydra, so now they seem perfect.

I'm guessing you're using the Director to control your lights? Have you had any problems using the Director? The reviews I saw on it had been mixed so I'm not real sure if I should replace my Controller and try out the Director setup.

 

[Magickiwi]

I do use the director - amazing control. IMO I would wait they are still in the Beta process with the software (didnt know that)

Once i got use to it i like it much better that the controller. they will be doing an upgrade soon (told by cs) that should correct most of the bugs.

I'm also using the director and it does give some pretty great control to your lights. Despite all the features they have I find myself saying if they could do this then why didn't they do that. Typical greedy consumer I like being able to pick a weather location and I'm glad it's not limited to US locations etc; none of my fish were American citizens

 

[gregrocks79]

So frustrating. So got my replacement light and #1 it's a different size...has the new slimmer heat sink. Looks kinda funny since I have the other one being larger from the Sol Blue. And now I've noticed the new lights deep blues are not working at all. Not functioning in any way. Why?? I updated the firmware. Did a factory reset and nothing? Makes no sense to me

 

[Sonicboom]

So frustrating. So got my replacement light and #1 it's a different size...has the new slimmer heat sink. Looks kinda funny since I have the other one being larger from the Sol Blue. And now I've noticed the new lights deep blues are not working at all. Not functioning in any way. Why?? I updated the firmware. Did a factory reset and nothing? Makes no sense to me

Welcome to my world... I had a pre order and it has a larger heat sink, then I ordered my second light and it was slimmer like yours. I would just call ai/ecotech...lol in the morning, you can probably get a new one after some troubleshooting.

 

[gregrocks79]

AI Hydra Settings Thread

Welcome to my world... I had a pre order and it has a larger heat sink, then I ordered my second light and it was slimmer like yours. I would just call ai/ecotech...lol in the morning, you can probably get a new one after some troubleshooting.

Ya I emailed on the same ticket I've been using, but I'm gonna call too. So annoying!! How is it a brand new unit isn't working? I turned the deep blues off for now. Can't stand the color being off. Annoying

 

[saltyair]

I'm kinda surprised , my experience has been great with hydra and AI. Other then setting up the director ( my network setup issues)
I hope the merger is a good thing, I think it was done to have more led buying power

QUOTE=gregrocks79;22489509]Ya I emailed on the same ticket I've been using, but I'm gonna call too. So annoying!! How is it a brand new unit isn't working? I turned the deep blues off for now. Can't stand the color being off. Annoying[/QUOTE]

 

[Magickiwi]

I'm kinda surprised , my experience has been great with hydra and AI. Other then setting up the director ( my network setup issues)
I hope the merger is a good thing, I think it was done to have more led buying power

QUOTE=gregrocks79;22489509]Ya I emailed on the same ticket I've been using, but I'm gonna call too. So annoying!! How is it a brand new unit isn't working? I turned the deep blues off for now. Can't stand the color being off. Annoying

So far mine has been great too. Although my brand new never opened director didn't come with the wireless adapter so I'm having to wait for Ray at Reefsupplies to mail me another. I've got it networked using an RJ45 and an Apple Airport. A little messy but it's working.

BTW thanks for posting your color settings, I was wanting to know how you arrived at them. Did you just go with what looked the best or did you get information on which spectrum is best for corals?

 

[saltyair]

I went with the articles on advanced aquarist

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/201...ider&utm_medium=slider&utm_campaign=clickthru

and on ************ the science aspect of light and sunlight on the reef - advanced aquarist has some real up to date light data. Some of it is over the top but some great articles on what colours activate corals best.

I took the spectrum of lighting @ 6 feet high noon.

lowered the white and green due to over saturation.

So far mine has been great too. Although my brand new never opened director didn't come with the wireless adapter so I'm having to wait for Ray at Reefsupplies to mail me another. I've got it networked using an RJ45 and an Apple Airport. A little messy but it's working.

BTW thanks for posting your color settings, I was wanting to know how you arrived at them. Did you just go with what looked the best or did you get information on which spectrum is best for corals?

 

[gregrocks79]

Wow that's quite a lot of info lol.

 

[jarretk1]

Anyone else having problems with the director or is it just me. I set my hydra and controller up over my 38 on Monday and since then I have had to completely reset the director twice and tonight up went to bed early and woke up at 12:30 to notice the light never started to ramp down as it was supposed to at 8pm. I tried to reset it tonight but that didn't work, the wave length frequency box is blank as is the box below for color/power setting, tried changing channels and nothing. Just hoping my corals aren't damaged from being a full ramp power for over 14 hours today.