ATI Powermodule Hybrid Club

[Big E]

Is there any chance of a pic of your program your running

I said I've worked with a handful of people........local reefers and LFS...never said I was running the PM.

My comments from above---

"I've helped at least 3 people with their hybrids and all have experienced better color and growth using the LEDs for short term supplements or completely off except for dusk/dawn."

There isn't a perfect program to plug in that fits all tanks.............there's a reason this thread is 123 pages long. Follow someone that has success.

These are the general guidelines I use--

Always keep the whites at no more than 25% of the blue settings. Leave the reds off.

Run the bulbs 7-8 hours a day full on.........no ramp up or down. You want your white to come from the bulbs....use the blue LED just for a little bling.

Run the coral+ bulbs sandwiching the LEDs. I prefer only coral+ & blue+
alternating. If you want other combos for looks that's up to you.

 

[JPMagyar]

Updated FTS. It's a side shot, but if you compare it to my earlier photo you can really see the growth and color shift both of which I attribute to this fantastic fixture. I can say this fixture is the best I have ever used by a wide margin.

 

[Bigfish93]

Has anyone hung up their lights with just the ati hanging kit in the drywall? I just bought the 8x54 and it seems to heavy for that kit to work. I know I could build a brace and screw it in to the studs on the ceiling but was wondering if that is necessary. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[mike810]

I have a 8x2x2 tank and interested in getting the pm/led hybrid. Should I get the 6 bulb or 8 bulb? Two 48" fixtures to cover my tank? Lastly, any recommendations on bulb configuration? It will be hung over an sps tank. Thanks guys.

 

[mike810]

Can anyone tell me how wide the 8x54 led fixtures are?

NVM, found the answer.

 

[bucfan]

Has anyone hung up their lights with just the ati hanging kit in the drywall? I just bought the 8x54 and it seems to heavy for that kit to work. I know I could build a brace and screw it in to the studs on the ceiling but was wondering if that is necessary. Any advice would be appreciated!

I did not use the supplied ATI toggles. I used 100b toggle lock that I purchased from Home Depot and the lamp has been hanging from my ceiling for over a year. Prior to that I had a PacSun lamp hanging for over 2 years with no issues. I know some warn against it but if your ceiling was installed right there should be no problems.

 

[gex23]

Anyone here every wished that UV leds were included on their hybrids? After seeing a friends tank with Radion Gen 3 Pros I certainly do!

I just think everything in the photo below looks very 'flat' :

DSC_0357 by DEAF N1NJA, on Flickr

 

[mike810]

Officially joined the club today. Can anyone give me ideas regarding schedules for the led along with intensity and what not? Thanks

 

[mike810]

Just wondering if anyone has tried using a windows tablet to adjust the settings on the lights? It would be nice to have a tablet hung next to the tank for this purpose. It would work great with the apex also.

 

[JPMagyar]

Hi Joe,

I am planning to have a new custom tank made. Exact dimensions will be determined by whatever lighting fixture I end up going for (max light coverage / minimal light spill)

Top contenders at this point are the Giesemann Spectra and the ATI PM Hybrid.
As you have experience with both, could you please share your personal comparison between the two? Coral colors, growth, overall health etc...?

Hi! My apologies for not seeing this post earlier, and hopefully my answer is not too late.

First, I love both fixtures and think either one will give you a chance at an awesome looking reef. Personally I prefer the slim look of the ATI Powermodule, and the ability to dim the lights on and off is fantastic. Below is a chart of my current dimming procedure and I would note that for the start when I am using LEDs I have the color set to just "Royal Blue" + "Blue" and I have found that it is a perfect match for the ATI Blue Plus. Therefore since I now am using only Blue Plus bulbs in Channel one the transition from LED dawn/dusk to T5s turning on is absolutely seamless in color. I LOVE that effect.

Having said that, I would point out that Lunar (K. Tryc of Poland) uses a simple 10 bulb non-LED ATI fixture, and arguably he has the healthiest looking corals in the world. The price difference between a Powermodule and a non-LED ATI fixture is huge.

Lastly, I would comment on depth. If you are planning a tank more than 75 cm deep then I might consider a Giesemann as the spread and coverage will be better at the lower levels of the tank. The Giesemann would, however, introduce heat issues if the top of your reef is enclosed.

Either way I don't think you will go wrong. I'm excited for you and your build, and I hope you will share the details here on RC!!

Joe

 

[westreef]

Hi Joe,

What bulbs you are using for Channel 2? I understand you turn all leds off at peak hours.

 

[JPMagyar]

I have been keeping an eye on the PAR readings and felt that I was losing too much PAR too quickly. I suspected the the Giesemann Super Actinics were the weakest bulb I was using so I just recently made a switch. For the first 4 months I was using the bulbs below and I was running the LEDs from 8:00 to 22:00 at 35% power.


Fauna Marin Ultra Royal Blue
Giesemann Super Actinic
ATI Coral Plus
ATI Purple Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Coral Plus
Giesemann Super Actinic
Fauna Marin Ultra Royal Blue

But now I have made a minor switch to the setup shown below:


Fauna Marin UltraRoyal Blue
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Blue Plus
ATI Aquablue Special
ATI Purple Plus
ATI Coral Plus
ATI Blue Plus
Fauna Marin Ultra Royal Blue


and as you can see from the picture above I only run LEDs from 7:00 to 9:30 and from 20:30 to 23:00 and only to a peak of 15%. Basically I took out the Giesemann Super Actinics and replaced them with ATI Blue Plus bulbs to try and increase overall PAR.



and I should note I have 2 fixtures for a total of 16 bulbs and the second fixture has the exact mirror image of the first fixture for bulb layout. This new layout means that channel one which turns on first is just blue bulbs and is a seamless match to the LED color that starts the dawn and dusk cycle.

 

[westreef]

Thanks. By the way, beautiful corals.

 

[JPMagyar]

Thanks. By the way, beautiful corals.

Thanks

 

[75greefer]

This hybrid came out about a year after I bought the ATI Powermodule Dimmable 6 x 48 - 54w T5. Other than the frequent replacement of balast, I love the Dimmable. When I saw this hybrid I wanted it, but wasn't going to spend another 1200 dollars for new lighting. I like new toys as well but sometimes we have to show constraint. LOL. I am super curious how this works out for you. A new toy may be in the future. Good luck..

 

[bucfan]

Thanks

Where did you get the FM Ultra Blue from? I cannot find them here.

Also given you dim the T5s how long do your bulbs last?

I have been following your suggestion of turning off LEDs when T5s on but my LEDs in the pm are at higher power (70%) then dim down over 3 hours. Have not seen much difference in coral colors yet but I did have a bit of an alk swing from my ca-reactor not working right so that could be it.

And anemone in a reef tank! Or is that a torch?

 

[newyorkerx]

For a mixed reef, what is the likely maximum coverage area for the 8-bulb lights? Can they really stretch to 36" from front-to-back? How far beyond the ends of the fixture? I see a lot that aren't as wide as the tank, but I'm not sure how far you can really push it and still have relatively even illumination.

 

[bucfan]

For a mixed reef, what is the likely maximum coverage area for the 8-bulb lights? Can they really stretch to 36" from front-to-back? How far beyond the ends of the fixture? I see a lot that aren't as wide as the tank, but I'm not sure how far you can really push it and still have relatively even illumination.

I have a 37" front to back and get more than adequate coverage from an 8 bulb unit.

 

[newyorkerx]

For a 63" mixed reef, do I want the 4' unit or the 5' unit? Either way, I would go with the 8-bulb set up.

 

[JPMagyar]

Where did you get the FM Ultra Blue from? I cannot find them here.

Also given you dim the T5s how long do your bulbs last?

I have been following your suggestion of turning off LEDs when T5s on but my LEDs in the pm are at higher power (70%) then dim down over 3 hours. Have not seen much difference in coral colors yet but I did have a bit of an alk swing from my ca-reactor not working right so that could be it.

And anemone in a reef tank! Or is that a torch?

I had to buy the bulbs direct from Germany, but they arrived in the US in 4 days with no extra charge so I consider them a bargain. Honestly though I must disagree with Lunar. I feel they are slightly less blue than the ATI Blue Plus, and I say that with me running the two bulbs side by side.

As to the dimming, yes 100% I think the dimming is reducing the useful life on my bulbs. I recently changed out my Giesemann Super Actinics for new ATI Blue Plus because I felt that after just 4 months they were putting out too little PAR to be useful. My plan is to replace all the bulbs every six months.

No one ever said Reefin' was cheap!!