Sonicboom
Addicted to salt
+1
AI Hydra
- Thread starter saltymix
- Start date
+1
Thx for sharing!
vanisher
New member
I will try to get some pics tomorrow after the tank cleaning.
I took some pics every few months to try to catalog growth/color with my halides. So I can kind of show what a few months of 250w radiums did and then now what my hydra is doing.
Twostepper4041
New member
When setting the auto timer... What does the favor white or blue setting due?
Steveb
Premium Member
That would be much appreciated. I also am curious about your feelings on radium vs. ai sol blue vs. hydra. Originally I was going to go 4x250w radium on my 8' tank but then decided to get the sol blue's. I have been using two of them over my little frag tank and am not real happy with the coloration (or lack of on some corals...) red acan's turning orange, JF My Miami totally changed colors. So then I thought about buying upgrades to hydra or vega but not sure if I want to drop the coin to upgrade 8 only to be disappointed again. Also thinking about supplementing the sol blue's with T5's .
Sonicboom
Addicted to salt
favor one color or the other will intensify that color, so if you prefer a deeper ocean look, favor blues would increase the settings on the blues, favor whites would give more of a shallow reef look.
Sonicboom
Addicted to salt
it was my understanding that Sunrise/Sunset timer was only for manual timer settings, and using Region setting would use the built in region sunrise/sunset. This is a pain for me as i do not want my lights kicking on @ 5:30 am when sunrise isn't until 7:30... I fixed this by carrying the Lunar Cycle until 7am.
vanisher
New member
Here's some pics of the most dramatically changed corals of mine. My orange setosa, blue tenius, and not sure what kind of purple acro.
The color was better until ~2 weeks ago on the setosa, I was out of town for work (this is always when bad stuff happens right?) and the wife didn't realize the light hangar came loose and was facing the wall...
Time period is 5-28 -> 8-13. First pics are Radium 250w w/ galaxy m58/250w ballast and lumenmax elite reflector.
LED is the Hydra as you would expect.
Oh, and please excuse my overabundance of microbubbles. I'm working on fixing my sump drain.
The color was better until ~2 weeks ago on the setosa, I was out of town for work (this is always when bad stuff happens right?) and the wife didn't realize the light hangar came loose and was facing the wall...
Time period is 5-28 -> 8-13. First pics are Radium 250w w/ galaxy m58/250w ballast and lumenmax elite reflector.
LED is the Hydra as you would expect.
Oh, and please excuse my overabundance of microbubbles. I'm working on fixing my sump drain.
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vanisher
New member
So the major difference is the radiums are like the sun... Retina burning bright. I switched to an XM bulb for 2 weeks because I was literally burning my corals with the radium 10" above my tank.
The XM was a lot dimmer, slightly bluer, and that's when I said, "F it, I'm trying a real LED unit."
A whole back I tried a chinese LED light a friend loaned me, it was 12 royal blues, and 12 cool whites (claimed same power as a 250w halide). It was dim, and the corals told me to F off, because they didn't like it. Colors suffered, and I lost a blue acro. I guess the spectrum just wasn't there.
I can't say how that compares to a Sol Blue as I've never seen/used one, but I guess take it for what it's worth.
Let me know if my rambling didn't sufficiently answer.
Oh, and current FTS for the heck of it.
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Steveb
Premium Member
Can't argue with those results. They both look great under the hydra's!
Sonicboom
Addicted to salt
looks great! questioning my placement now as mine are only 7" from the waters surface and yours look to be about 14"
milsaltnewbie07
New member
i got mine at 7 from water, and i love the lights. THE only thing i hate is that pics come out crappy, and i have yet to figure out how to get good pics. Tank is 3 weeks old and cycle just finished. Im starting to add sps now, and the ones i have gotten are lookin amazing in person. To bad i cant get a good pic 
running at
CW: 30%
V: 80%
DR: 30%
G: 50%
DB: 80%
RY: 80%
UV: 70%
Seriously the pics dont do it justice, the colors look sooo bad *** in person. Im going to crank the blues all the way up to 100 in a few days, since i preffer the blue look. I got a question , i seen some of yalls setting were you set it to blue or white. I have now clue were thats at or how to access it. Can anyone chime in?
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running at
CW: 30%
V: 80%
DR: 30%
G: 50%
DB: 80%
RY: 80%
UV: 70%
Seriously the pics dont do it justice, the colors look sooo bad *** in person. Im going to crank the blues all the way up to 100 in a few days, since i preffer the blue look. I got a question , i seen some of yalls setting were you set it to blue or white. I have now clue were thats at or how to access it. Can anyone chime in?
Sonicboom
Addicted to salt
Love everything about your tank! do you have a build thread? you can find favor blues or whites on the first page of region settings assuming you are running the latest firmware. also the people taking these fantastic photos are usually using a DSLR camera with a wicked macro lens, read about it in the photography forum, I have yet to get a good pic with any of my point and shoot cameras, I did manage a relatively nice shot with my wifes iPhone in a lifeproof case which makes it water proof and i can actually put it in the tank.
milsaltnewbie07
New member
TY, i sure do bud http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=21828365#post21828365.
I am almost done with the whole ascetics build of the process. Doors should be in this week I'm hoping . I think I have the latest firmware, since my controller has the icons already. I will check when I get home
milsaltnewbie07
New member
I have to say, i was really against led at first. Im a t5 guy, but after seeing them in person i fell in love.
WBS Reefer
New member
My AI Hydra settings
My AI Hydra settings
Sorry I can't share a picture, but I think I get close to a 14k with these settings.
CW 85%
V 45%
DR 22%
GR 19%
DB 54%
RY 54%
UV 33%
I will start a thread once I can share photos. I've gone from T5's 6 x 24" on a 18" cube. I place my lights 30" off the sand bed. I have a few fish, Maroon Tomatoe Clown and a Maroon Goldflake(They love each other), LPS (RBTA, Branching Hammer, Florida Ricordea's) and Invert's.
I have rather sensitive eyes and the UV at 45% is noticeable > 65% it's rough. The weather effects are interesting, seems to follow my local conditions neato AI. Also The lunar effects are really cool. I dont see anywhere in the instructions, not to look directly at the LED fixture, I highly recommend not looking directly into LED's either!!:wildone:. Fish seem to hide from stronger UV ouput I've noticed, like many others. My RBTA was very shy during the LED acclimation process, and went hyper color for awhile.
My AI Hydra settings
Sorry I can't share a picture, but I think I get close to a 14k with these settings.
CW 85%
V 45%
DR 22%
GR 19%
DB 54%
RY 54%
UV 33%
I will start a thread once I can share photos. I've gone from T5's 6 x 24" on a 18" cube. I place my lights 30" off the sand bed. I have a few fish, Maroon Tomatoe Clown and a Maroon Goldflake(They love each other), LPS (RBTA, Branching Hammer, Florida Ricordea's) and Invert's.
I have rather sensitive eyes and the UV at 45% is noticeable > 65% it's rough. The weather effects are interesting, seems to follow my local conditions neato AI. Also The lunar effects are really cool. I dont see anywhere in the instructions, not to look directly at the LED fixture, I highly recommend not looking directly into LED's either!!:wildone:. Fish seem to hide from stronger UV ouput I've noticed, like many others. My RBTA was very shy during the LED acclimation process, and went hyper color for awhile.
