I recently purchased the Aqua Illumination LED system and this is a review. for that system
The system
AI lights are modular, with each 12" module recommended for 24" width . Each 12 L" section consists of 24 LED lamps grouped into a bank of 8 lenses or pods each containing two 6500K Daylight LED lamps and one Blue LED lamp. Blue LED lamps peak at 460nm. The system also includes a controller, which allows you to set mode (auto or manual), sunrise/sunset, lunar cycle, bulb intensity for day and night. It also comes with a mounting rail and legs.
I have a 6' tank so i purchased 6 modules.
Pros;
Actual lighting is very nice, although i haven't been able to dial in the lights to get a bluer tone. Right now i have them set at 75% white and 100% blue. I am not sure how far I can dial down the white without affecting coral growth. Par data the company gives only compares at 100% and does not say how far over the tank their tests are. i will do some experimentation as i go.
Corals love the light. Everything is growing and has crazy polyp extension.
Tank does not heat up, I have not seen any real rise in temp
Operating Cost. Before i purchased the system i did a cost benefit analysis (sorry cost accountant/Controller before retiring lol) and payback was going to be 2 1/2 years vs a metal halide system in terms of initial cost and operating costs. Cost of bulb replacement was not considered because currently there are no bulb replacements. Each LED is supposed to last 10 years....
Upgradeable Each module is upgradeable if new systems become available, This includes software for the controller. Matter of fact the company is already offering an upgrade over it's old system.
Looks- rail is made from polished silver metal with black legs so looks very modern and sleek. looks great as my stand is black.
Warranty It's pretty confusing when you read it but basically 1 year, or it could be 30 days its says both in 2 sentences
Fixture is supposedly sealed internally to protect from water and salt.
System is quiet and no "visible" heat is dissipating into the room from the fans
Cons:
Legs on rail are really not tall enough. the light barely clears the rim top. On my tank it is 1/2". My tank is filled to with in an in of top so i am really uncomfortable with rail leg length as this means lights are only at the MOST 2" from water top
Light insert into rail. There are 2 mounting screws in the top of each light. you unscrew it slightly so it fits into the rail. if you move the light left or right in the rail. it SQUEALS as it is metal on metal. unscrew it more does not help and drops the light even closer to the water. (There is a hanging option kit)
Controller, My gripe here is it is a button type dial, if button gets bumped it automatically switches to manual I mounted mine to the stand door but if it's shut too hard it will change it. So really sensitive.
Controller issue #2. i am the idiot here as i assumed that each module would be individually controlled. They are not. If you wish to control the modules individually you will need a separate controller for each. I wanted to create shady areas
etc...
'
Modules are daisy chained together with the final chain to controller. The "chain" cords are about 12" in length. which means cord hangs in the water as it's really not long enough to drape in back of tank. The module it's self is only
The lights may be sealed but the electrical connectors are not! I have already sent 1 light in for repair as well as the controller. (This was after less than 1 week of running) They found water in the light which they said came from the cords... This resulted in the controller shorting out.
Watch where you place the lights. The intensity will melt the braces. They are just like magnifying glasses. I now have 2 middle braces with circular melts...
With the legs being so short you really don't get 100% coverage The system needs to be higher to cover that 24" space. There is no overlap with mine right now so i have some slightly shady spots... The lights are only 5 1/2" wide... not 12" wide as they are advertised!
Overall:
I do like the system. I decided on this system after much research because I felt it offered more "bang for the buck". I liked the idea that i could upgrade the modules should i want to. It received excellent reviews from different mag articles. Would i recommend the system? Yes, after some hesitation.
The system
AI lights are modular, with each 12" module recommended for 24" width . Each 12 L" section consists of 24 LED lamps grouped into a bank of 8 lenses or pods each containing two 6500K Daylight LED lamps and one Blue LED lamp. Blue LED lamps peak at 460nm. The system also includes a controller, which allows you to set mode (auto or manual), sunrise/sunset, lunar cycle, bulb intensity for day and night. It also comes with a mounting rail and legs.
I have a 6' tank so i purchased 6 modules.
Pros;
Actual lighting is very nice, although i haven't been able to dial in the lights to get a bluer tone. Right now i have them set at 75% white and 100% blue. I am not sure how far I can dial down the white without affecting coral growth. Par data the company gives only compares at 100% and does not say how far over the tank their tests are. i will do some experimentation as i go.
Corals love the light. Everything is growing and has crazy polyp extension.
Tank does not heat up, I have not seen any real rise in temp
Operating Cost. Before i purchased the system i did a cost benefit analysis (sorry cost accountant/Controller before retiring lol) and payback was going to be 2 1/2 years vs a metal halide system in terms of initial cost and operating costs. Cost of bulb replacement was not considered because currently there are no bulb replacements. Each LED is supposed to last 10 years....
Upgradeable Each module is upgradeable if new systems become available, This includes software for the controller. Matter of fact the company is already offering an upgrade over it's old system.
Looks- rail is made from polished silver metal with black legs so looks very modern and sleek. looks great as my stand is black.
Warranty It's pretty confusing when you read it but basically 1 year, or it could be 30 days its says both in 2 sentences
Fixture is supposedly sealed internally to protect from water and salt.
System is quiet and no "visible" heat is dissipating into the room from the fans
Cons:
Legs on rail are really not tall enough. the light barely clears the rim top. On my tank it is 1/2". My tank is filled to with in an in of top so i am really uncomfortable with rail leg length as this means lights are only at the MOST 2" from water top
Light insert into rail. There are 2 mounting screws in the top of each light. you unscrew it slightly so it fits into the rail. if you move the light left or right in the rail. it SQUEALS as it is metal on metal. unscrew it more does not help and drops the light even closer to the water. (There is a hanging option kit)
Controller, My gripe here is it is a button type dial, if button gets bumped it automatically switches to manual I mounted mine to the stand door but if it's shut too hard it will change it. So really sensitive.
Controller issue #2. i am the idiot here as i assumed that each module would be individually controlled. They are not. If you wish to control the modules individually you will need a separate controller for each. I wanted to create shady areas
etc...
'
Modules are daisy chained together with the final chain to controller. The "chain" cords are about 12" in length. which means cord hangs in the water as it's really not long enough to drape in back of tank. The module it's self is only
The lights may be sealed but the electrical connectors are not! I have already sent 1 light in for repair as well as the controller. (This was after less than 1 week of running) They found water in the light which they said came from the cords... This resulted in the controller shorting out.
Watch where you place the lights. The intensity will melt the braces. They are just like magnifying glasses. I now have 2 middle braces with circular melts...
With the legs being so short you really don't get 100% coverage The system needs to be higher to cover that 24" space. There is no overlap with mine right now so i have some slightly shady spots... The lights are only 5 1/2" wide... not 12" wide as they are advertised!
Overall:
I do like the system. I decided on this system after much research because I felt it offered more "bang for the buck". I liked the idea that i could upgrade the modules should i want to. It received excellent reviews from different mag articles. Would i recommend the system? Yes, after some hesitation.
