AI Hydra Settings Thread

[gregrocks79]

I read through a ton of these pages, anyone know if someone posted settings their using on frag tank? I have 2 Hydras on my frag tank 48x24x13 What best heighth and settings would be? I have been tinkering starting off very low but I want awsome growth and no damage to livestock!




I have diffrent iteams at diffrent height in tank trying to experiment at moment

I would start at 12" AWL and settings no more than 40% and go from there. Start slow and work your way up over a couple months. The LFS by my house has hydras over frag tank

Was wondering if anyone could help.
. Have some browning on my acans no phos so thinking lights....

Own a 240 long 24 inches deep plan on having sps...lights 12 inches above tank

Would these settings be over kill

White 60
violet 80
red 25
green 25
blues 100
uv 25

Any help would be appreciated

Your whites are way too high imo. Browning happens for a few reasons. The main being phos. But you said you don't have any so maybe it's just adjusting to LEDs.

What lights did you have before?

 

[rabbitrun]

The AI hydras are the only lights I have owned tank has been up for 8 months now.

My previous settings were

whites 25
reds 15
greens 15
blues 75
UV 15

 

[Tyler1993]

I run everything at 52% except the whites

 

[Reeftub]

I run everything at 70% across the board all colors which is considered 12k per apex controller. I have great growth on sps and Lps. My tank is 27" deep with lights 7" off the water and growing sps on the sand.

 

[rishu_pepper]

Since a 20% WC, changing my RowaPhos, and reducing my Reds to 15% last week, I've noticed lesser algae buildup on the tank glass. I'd like to think it's a combination of all the factors that contributed to this healthier turnaround.

The one thing the Hydras 52s have done for most is help bringing back my once poor zoas. They are now opening up nicely with great colours, and have even seen small baby heads producing. All this within a month.

 

[rabbitrun]

I run everything at 70% across the board all colors which is considered 12k per apex controller. I have great growth on sps and Lps. My tank is 27" deep with lights 7" off the water and growing sps on the sand.

Could you hook me up where you got this information the LED settings got me pulling my hair out.

 

[Reeftub]

As you can see I keep it simple but my set up is all colors even and set to 70%.

 

[Reeftub]

I don't understand why everyone is tweaking all the colors. Set it up and leave it and see how colors change on corals and what growth you get, then if not happy change it. These lights have great color as is, if anything just make the tank more blue if wanted but I see people messing with uv, red, green, violet all the time with low settings and makes no sense to me why.

 

[fio1022]

Does anyone know if having uv at 100%(or any percent) has the same effect that a uv sterilizer has?
I've been wondering this for awhile but don't want to adjust anything just yet.

 

[gregrocks79]

I don't understand why everyone is tweaking all the colors. Set it up and leave it and see how colors change on corals and what growth you get, then if not happy change it. These lights have great color as is, if anything just make the tank more blue if wanted but I see people messing with uv, red, green, violet all the time with low settings and makes no sense to me why.

Trial and error I guess. Lol

Does anyone know if having uv at 100%(or any percent) has the same effect that a uv sterilizer has?

I've been wondering this for awhile but don't want to adjust anything just yet.

I don't think so. It's not close enough to the water to kill bad stuff or "sterilize" it.

A uv sterilizer has the water pass through it and pretty much contacts it. From the light it wouldn't be enough imo

 

[gldnegle76]

Not sure if this has been asked before but can the new AI controller communicate with the Hydra 26 modules wirelessly, while being hard wired to one of the modules with data cable to get power?
I've heard the power adapter with mini usb that comes with the controller has some issues.
I currently have the new controller connected to my sol blues with a data cable, and it's working fine. Waiting for my 26's to come in.

 

[Fudz Cwerner]

After almost 4 years of running my Sols, I finally upgraded all of them to Hydras. I also run 1 Vega with them. There are 3 Hydras and 1 Vega on a 72" 210g. The lights are on top of my canopy 8" above the waterline arranged parrallel to the front. Love the look with the addition of all the colors! I think it looks a little pink with all channels at the same level, so I am currently running:

White 70
Violet 42
Red 20
Green 20
Blues 100
UV 42

I was running my Sol Blues at 70, but I still went ahead and did a 4 week acclimation program since the corals havent been exposed to the other spectrums. Any other advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Wazzel]

I don't understand why everyone is tweaking all the colors. Set it up and leave it and see how colors change on corals and what growth you get, then if not happy change it. These lights have great color as is, if anything just make the tank more blue if wanted but I see people messing with uv, red, green, violet all the time with low settings and makes no sense to me why.

I think a lot of people expect to see results in days. In reality it takes weeks or even months to see the full impact of a lighting change. I have been on almost the same setting for almost 9 months. Patients is in the top things required for this hobby. Up there with time and money.

 

[Wazzel]

What do you run your light at night?

Deep blue 3% with lunar on. I get a couple extra days of dark with the setting lower than 5%.

 

[gldnegle76]

Not sure if this has been asked before but can the new AI controller communicate with the Hydra 26 modules wirelessly, while being hard wired to one of the modules with data cable to get power?
I've heard the power adapter with mini usb that comes with the controller has some issues.
I currently have the new controller connected to my sol blues with a data cable, and it's working fine. Waiting for my 26's to come in.

I guess what I'm asking is do the Hydra 26's have a data port? Can't see one on any of the pictures I've seen.

 

[Sonicboom]

I guess what I'm asking is do the Hydra 26's have a data port? Can't see one on any of the pictures I've seen.

no the 26 does not have a data port, it communicates wirelessly just like the Hydra. I am running both the Hydra and a 26 and all are controlled by the director

 

[gldnegle76]

Thanks Sonicboom. Hope the power adapter on the mini usb cable works. I've heard they were cheap and have issues. Don't want to have to plug it into a computer and rout a long mini usb to usb cable.

 

[Sonicboom]

Thanks Sonicboom. Hope the power adapter on the mini usb cable works. I've heard they were cheap and have issues. Don't want to have to plug it into a computer and rout a long mini usb to usb cable.

i think the first batch of cables may have had issues but might have been fixed a while back, it doesn't need to be plugged into a computer, anything with USB power of around 5v should work. I have mine plugged into my Verizon FIOS box.

 

[gregrocks79]

i think the first batch of cables may have had issues but might have been fixed a while back, it doesn't need to be plugged into a computer, anything with USB power of around 5v should work. I have mine plugged into my Verizon FIOS box.

Exactly. Mines plugged into an older iPhone charger I had. Works perfectly and isn't near the tank [emoji16][emoji106][emoji225][emoji226]

 

[rishu_pepper]

Just wondering what you guys do for photoperiod/intensity.

Currently I run my Hydra 52s from 10am, ramp up 4 hours to max intensity at 2pm, which goes on until 7:30pm, then a ramp down period of 4 hours until 11:30pm, when it goes back to 4% deep blue and nothing else.

Max settings are:
UV 40
Violet 60
Deep blue 85
Royal blue 85
Green 40
Red 15
White 45

9" AWL, 90g, 48x18x24. Recently I added a maxima clam and I also wonder if it's getting enough light (raised about 3 inches off the sandbed). Other stuff seems to be doing okay (zoas doing well especially), while plate coral (dying a slow death) and big toadstool (1/4" PE) aren't looking too hot. Colouration of most LPS seem good, I don't have any SPS except monti caps.

Water params are doing fine, though there is some diatom going on in the sandbed lately. Wondering if I can do something about it as far as light goes.