Sps and LEDs

[ReeferMadnss]

Hi all, I'm kinda new to this forum but not new to the hobby. Im starting a 125 in wall build soon and was thinking about goin with 4 AI units spread over a 6 foot tank. My question is, would that be enough light for SPS or am i better off going with T5s

Thanks,
Adam

 

[stevedola]

lol, thats a loaded question if Ive ever seen one. let me just say that 4 Ai units would work fine for SPS if you like that appearance. An Ati T5 fixture would work also. It really depends on your personal preference.

 

[Phsycodelic81]

you need 1 ai per foot of tank apollo led you only need 3for a 6 foot tank

 

[swanny]

you need 1 ai per foot of tank apollo led you only need 3for a 6 foot tank

That would mean he needs 6 according to your logic. (edit) Sorry misread this.

 

[swanny]

I think 4 would be fine, I have 3 over my 4x2x2 120 and get great coverage. Just remember that you need to start the intensity low and slowly work your way up. I'm not sure if it is because of the PAR or what but you will fry corals if you don't slowly acclimate.

 

[Dustin1300]

That is quite the loaded question In my research you'd need 6 AI LED units over a 6 foot tank or your going to have spotlighting. Spread of the AI units are not very good.

Phsycodelic81 mentions a great fixture for the price, the ApolloReef fixtures. I'm going to buy two of the Apollo fixtures for my 140 gallon frag tank and take them for a test drive to help me decide on my 600 gallon DT.

 

[swanny]

That is quite the loaded question In my research you'd need 6 AI LED units over a 6 foot tank or your going to have spotlighting. Spread of the AI units are not very good.

Phsycodelic81 mentions a great fixture for the price, the ApolloReef fixtures. I'm going to buy two of the Apollo fixtures for my 140 gallon frag tank and take them for a test drive to help me decide on my 600 gallon DT.

I totally disagree that ai's don't have good spread, do you own the units and know this for a fact or listen to what others have said? This is 3 over my 120g 4x2x2, and that is at only 30% intensity. I have very few dark spots in my tank even at these low settings. When I ramped them up to 100% for just a few minutes my tank lit up beautifully. I actually know one guy who has 3 over a 300 gallon and his tank looks great.

 

[Donkeykong]

I have 2 over a 4 foot tank with good spread, One of the LFS here has 4 over a 6 foot tank and has very good coverage and good growth and coloration, before this thread turns into a LED's cant grow sps argument, I would say try and find some one local that has AI's and take a look and see if you are happy with the look of the LED's. LED's are very hard to photograph so pics online arent always a true representation.

 

[stevedola]

I saw 4 over a 180 yesterday and wouldnt do any less on a 6ft tank. He said he had lighting problems with only 3 and it never looked right.

 

[Dustin1300]

I totally disagree that ai's don't have good spread, do you own the units and know this for a fact or listen to what others have said? This is 3 over my 120g 4x2x2, and that is at only 30% intensity. I have very few dark spots in my tank even at these low settings. When I ramped them up to 100% for just a few minutes my tank lit up beautifully. I actually know one guy who has 3 over a 300 gallon and his tank looks great.

I've seen them in person and they don't have near the spread of other fixtures compared to them (Radion, Vertex Illumina, ApolloReef Fixture). They had a spotlighting effect compared to any of the other fixtures with a good spread. I'm not saying they are a bad fixture, just don't have the right optics that help spread the light better compared to some of it's competition.

 

[ReeferMadnss]

Thanks for all the replies, sorry if it was a loaded question, I was at work and didn't really think about it before i started typing lol. My tank is 6'x18"x2' and there are two cross members at the top so its either 3 or 6 AIs (probably just 3). My LFS does have 3 over a 6' 180g tank and spread is fine, but its not that bright and most of their acros are brown from not enough light... so thats why I was a little worried they werent cut out for the job. I found out today that they only keep them at 30% so not to fry the softies in there lol.


Thanks again guys,
Adam

 

[stevedola]

just be careful if you do go AI, they can be tricky to get the corals happy. Id be worried if you didnt like the appearance at your LFS.

 

[CUZ]

just be careful if you do go AI, they can be tricky to get the corals happy. Id be worried if you didnt like the appearance at your LFS.

as in just acclimating them slowly??