westreef
Lost as usual
It is 10" above the water surface.
ATI Powermodule Hybrid Club
- Thread starter rodneyri
- Start date
It is 10" above the water surface.
ClownsRCoo
New member
Just joined the club tonight with a 48" 8 bulb and can't wait to hook it up!
ATI Powermodule Hybrid Club
IMO for SPS get the 8 bulb unit. SPS demand light. Not sure how it'll sit if your tank is 20" front to back. 24" will cover most of the tank but you will have some shading on the side. With 36" there's no worries.
IMO for SPS get the 8 bulb unit. SPS demand light. Not sure how it'll sit if your tank is 20" front to back. 24" will cover most of the tank but you will have some shading on the side. With 36" there's no worries.
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ClownsRCoo
New member
Hey guys I just hooked up my light. No instructions with it though. Can I find those on ATI's website?
Also on my sunpower the fans ran 24/7... So far no fans have turned on yet. When do these fans cut on for this fixture?
Also on my sunpower the fans ran 24/7... So far no fans have turned on yet. When do these fans cut on for this fixture?
Download the software from the ATI website and connect the laptop to your lamp via USB then program. It's really easy. Fans only come on as needed.
ClownsRCoo
New member
Sweet thanks
ClownsRCoo
New member
Can you run that software on a MAC? It takes me to a website to buy this software called Parallels. Is that right or is this Windows only software?
It's Windows only. No Mac version!! I'm a Mac guy too but luckily have an old Win machine here. I think you can run it under Parallels on your Mac. Never tried it myself. Maybe someone else can chime in.
ClownsRCoo
New member
Even on my wife's PC it keeps taking me to that parallels website. Can someone send me the link for where I can program this light? Do you have to pay for parallels or something to be able to program the light or something?
Parallels is a software that allows you to run Win on a Mac. You may have to get it if you don't have a Win laptop.
Many people have asked what size fixture to get. I have the 4T5 x 48" fixture over the 24"x48"x21"(h) tank and did the measurement using a Apogee par meter. The measurement is not scientific but to give a general idea of how strong the light level is. I measured several configurations but the one I present here is for 100% T5 + 50% LED. Note that LED is not 100% on all channels. The blues are close to 100% while the white and reds are minimum levels. So this is close to how the light is run in real life. I run 60% LED currently. The light is hung 10" off the water surface.
First of all if you have a 36" tank you should get a 36" fixture. The T5 level drop off is very quick at the ends. So in effect you will lose about 2 to 3 inches at each end. Plus 2 clusters is much better than 1.
The middle of the tank par levels are 450-550 (surface), 350-410 (10" from surface), 250 (20" from surface).
One thing to note is that the light level at bottom is pretty even. So the light is covering the tank well. I normally have the SPS mounted at least 3" off the bottom so I should have enough light. The experience from the last 6 months or so have confirmed this.
The only place where the light is not enough is close to the surface in the front and back. This is because the light is cone shaped. 8 bulb fixture should remediate this problem.
Now you can decide base on your need.
For reference this is a picture of the tank. I completely redid the rock work two weeks ago so the tank is bare but I am seeing amazing colors under the light (of course the color cannot be pictured).
First of all if you have a 36" tank you should get a 36" fixture. The T5 level drop off is very quick at the ends. So in effect you will lose about 2 to 3 inches at each end. Plus 2 clusters is much better than 1.
The middle of the tank par levels are 450-550 (surface), 350-410 (10" from surface), 250 (20" from surface).
One thing to note is that the light level at bottom is pretty even. So the light is covering the tank well. I normally have the SPS mounted at least 3" off the bottom so I should have enough light. The experience from the last 6 months or so have confirmed this.
The only place where the light is not enough is close to the surface in the front and back. This is because the light is cone shaped. 8 bulb fixture should remediate this problem.
Now you can decide base on your need.
For reference this is a picture of the tank. I completely redid the rock work two weeks ago so the tank is bare but I am seeing amazing colors under the light (of course the color cannot be pictured).
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So a 4x54 would be enough to penetrate a 120, enough for even SPS ? Looks like you have some and it's just 3-4" taller than yours ... Just curious . I won't be able to buy one new . I'll have to see one come up used . I like the fact of 8 bulb having more color combos , but will more expensive . If I can swing the 4 bulb I'm all for it . Having 3 clusters of LEDs can probably help my color options a lot ? Is it fair to say that the 4 bulb with 3 clusters still have a lot of color options ? Maybe run a blue , pink, daytime and one other , then have leds to dial in the desired color ?
I had a 4 lamp PacSun hybrid before this and could not do SPS. Not sure if it was the lamp or the tank but my set up was similar. With my current 8 bulb hybrid I can do SPS easy. And with 8 bulbs there's so much more leeway for color combos. So if they had a 10 bulb lamp I would get that. That's my opinion only. Others may disagree or have different experiences.
Okay cool . I won't have much SPS I don't believe . Maybe just a couple . I guess instead of wondering if I can put them toward the top , might be better off going 8 bulb . Hopefully I can find one used here shortly . So if I do LPS , I'm guessing the 4 bulb is enough . But the colors and the brightness would be a lot better with the 8 bulb I'm thinking . Plus I'll want clams and anemones .
ATI Powermodule Hybrid Club
8 bulbs gives you a lot more options with different bulb combos. For LPS 4 bulbs should be good.
8 bulbs gives you a lot more options with different bulb combos. For LPS 4 bulbs should be good.
Agreed on options. 8 bulbs will be better trade off is cost. But rest assured 4 bulbs will work also. I have no problem growing sps anywhere in the tank. In fact I find sps is quite adaptable to lighting levels. I have ssc growing at the surface (you can see the plug glued to the overflow) and at the bottom. Same amazing color and growth rate. Out of the 30 or so species I have kept only one or two could use more light.
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