Going from MH to LED.....Intensity??

[sefrayser]

I have a 150 MH Sunpod right now and I am looking at the Evolution or AI SOL for my 34G Solana. I know with the SOL I can dim the lights....but the SOL is 500+. I like the cost of the Evolution but it isnt dimmable. Is this something I need to worry about? I do have the Current hanging kit. I really want the SOL but 500 is a hard pill to swallow. It is either Ecoray or Evolution more than likely. I didnt really like some of the reviews on the EcoRay. What do you think?

 

[aculross]

I know the AI stuff is expensive, but it is worth it and yeah, I think you have to worry. I have a 120 that had 2x175 MH plus 2x65 actnics. I bought 4 AI units to go over the tank - they put out a lot of light at 100%

 

[jgrog76]

Yes you have to worry. My opinion is people are way way way way underestimating the power of LED lighting. I went from a 250 phoenix 14k on an icecap ballast 14" above the water on a 20" deep tank to 12blue, 12rb, 12cw cree 3w diy led fixture 4 feet above the tank (using optics). Initially I had the fixture set to run 350mah on the blues and 600mah on the whites. Within a week i had to move all calaustra, digis, LPS, and what yumas had not jumped off their rock to shaded areas. I am now 1 month in on the acclimation process and have turned my fixture up to 700mah on each string. My blasto's that used to be almost directly underneath the halide now need to be moved to a lower light area. The polyps on top of the colony will no longer open because the light is too intense. I am now running 75 watts of lighting compared to the 250 prior to the changeover. Even when I was running the fixture at around 50 watts it was still more powerful than the 250w halide. If you go with a non-dimable fixure you will need to put some type of shade fabric or structure under the light until your tank acclimates. Even then depending on what corals you want to keep the shade might need to in place all the time.

 

[Anemonebuff]

AI units blow the Evolutions out of the water. The AI's use 3watt LEDs with optics with controllable power, while the Evolutions use 1 watt LEDs.

Check out the review on r33f....builders. Not very flattering either.

 

[chathomas]

but didn't we just say that AI is way too much light? I have 2 evos and love them.

 

[Anemonebuff]

AI is controllable and can be adjusted to the light you need in 1% increments.

 

[Anemonebuff]

The only "we" here is "you". I am glad you like your evos though.