Verdict is in on Aqua Illuminations- Don't buy
- Thread starter SethTheWineGuy
- Start date
power boat jim
Well-known member
It seems there are several unrelated issues that the op and others are blaming on AI lights. The ops main concern was the number of units needed for his tank. I can assure him he was misinformed on that. I was told right off the bat I would need six for a standard 180 gallon tank. with six I have sps all over the tank and Im not having any issues with getting things to grow even in the corners and bottom. Now once the proper amount of lights are put in place things are not so clear cut.
People complain AI LEDs wash out color on their corals. This is true to a point, however I had swithced many MH bulb colors in the past to try to find a bulb that would pull good color from all the coral. It never happened, there was always a piece of coral or two that would always look bleached or drab no matter what bulb was used. Now some colonies look better then ever under LED but others that look drab.
The claims that growth under MH is far superior then LED is simply not true by my experience. It does take a good 8 months or so for coral to adjust to the diffrent style light. Some coral will grow faster then before others slower. Overall its pretty close between MH and LED. I have yet to see single light fixture that can give us all of what we want, we are a fussy bunch. So the best thing I found is add a suppliment to get the color pop you are after. I had T5 with my halide and I now have t5 with my LEDs and it looks pretty good. Others have added different suppliments and like what they have. Right now it may be the only way beside a custom diy fixture.
AI LEDs are not a magic bullet they have drawbacks, as do all other light sources, but to say you shouldnt by a product based on information that was wrong in the first place really isnt an accurate rating for the products overall performance.
People complain AI LEDs wash out color on their corals. This is true to a point, however I had swithced many MH bulb colors in the past to try to find a bulb that would pull good color from all the coral. It never happened, there was always a piece of coral or two that would always look bleached or drab no matter what bulb was used. Now some colonies look better then ever under LED but others that look drab.
The claims that growth under MH is far superior then LED is simply not true by my experience. It does take a good 8 months or so for coral to adjust to the diffrent style light. Some coral will grow faster then before others slower. Overall its pretty close between MH and LED. I have yet to see single light fixture that can give us all of what we want, we are a fussy bunch. So the best thing I found is add a suppliment to get the color pop you are after. I had T5 with my halide and I now have t5 with my LEDs and it looks pretty good. Others have added different suppliments and like what they have. Right now it may be the only way beside a custom diy fixture.
AI LEDs are not a magic bullet they have drawbacks, as do all other light sources, but to say you shouldnt by a product based on information that was wrong in the first place really isnt an accurate rating for the products overall performance.
6Speed
Zardoz
I've got one SOL Nano over my tank and it so far has done a great job with the SPS I've added - all of which came from tanks that utilized halide lighting.
I don't think the truck hauling a boat is really a fair analogy because there are so many more variables at play while growing a living creature in a glass box vs simply pulling x amount of weight with a machine.
I would also add that SPS frags can change color, growth speed and pattern and/or look different under MH lighting when placed in different parts of a tank. Merely snipping off two frags from a colony and placing one on the left side of a 120 gallon and 1 on the right side of a 120 gallon tank could result in two different variations of color/growth in the same exact species of SPS.
I've seen a red planet before under 250w halides that was all red with no green...then a piece gets fragged off the colony and moved to the other side of the tank, (almost the same exact height), and it turned green with just a tinge of red/pink near the polyps.
Same thing with other frags taken from one tank placed in another tank under similar mh lights.
My buddy got a frag of some sps that was purple under the other guys lights and it turned turquoise in his tank. Both have metal halide 250's.
There are so many factors at play here - between chemistry/calcium/dkh/phosphates/magnesium/ph, salt mix, bulb, ballast, lighting schedule, light height, coral placement, food, flow, temperature - all of which having an effect on the coloration and growth of a coral - that I find it difficult to place all blame on the AI's. Especially since I, the brownest thumb (ok opposite of green, whatever lol) in the world, can grow SPS under AI lights...
I don't think the truck hauling a boat is really a fair analogy because there are so many more variables at play while growing a living creature in a glass box vs simply pulling x amount of weight with a machine.
I would also add that SPS frags can change color, growth speed and pattern and/or look different under MH lighting when placed in different parts of a tank. Merely snipping off two frags from a colony and placing one on the left side of a 120 gallon and 1 on the right side of a 120 gallon tank could result in two different variations of color/growth in the same exact species of SPS.
I've seen a red planet before under 250w halides that was all red with no green...then a piece gets fragged off the colony and moved to the other side of the tank, (almost the same exact height), and it turned green with just a tinge of red/pink near the polyps.
Same thing with other frags taken from one tank placed in another tank under similar mh lights.
My buddy got a frag of some sps that was purple under the other guys lights and it turned turquoise in his tank. Both have metal halide 250's.
There are so many factors at play here - between chemistry/calcium/dkh/phosphates/magnesium/ph, salt mix, bulb, ballast, lighting schedule, light height, coral placement, food, flow, temperature - all of which having an effect on the coloration and growth of a coral - that I find it difficult to place all blame on the AI's. Especially since I, the brownest thumb (ok opposite of green, whatever lol) in the world, can grow SPS under AI lights...
gcarroll
Active member
Hasn't AI always recommended 1 unit for every linear foot of tank? I'mm not seeing the big deal. I do know they said it was equivilent to 270 watts of MH but I thought it was common knowlwedge that this was hype. I am sure I could get a poor reflector (bad design with salt creep) paired with an cheap quality 250 watt mh to preform like the AI. Heck, loose the reflector and you could get the AI to outperform it. Is that realistic? No, but it would uphold their claim.
Allmost
New member
have you noted the recent study on tunze flow ? ....
Have you noticed that this is a thread about AI LED's and not water movers? You realize there is a difference and has no bearing at all on this thread. In keeping with useless drivel, I think Sonic has the best tater tots. :wavehand:
power boat jim
Well-known member
There is no hard and fast rule as to how many units it takes to cover a tank, it depends on alot of other factors. You are correct though I was told they were designed to be a replacement for a 250 mh fuxture. Now what you can cover with a 250 w mh fixture can be open for debate also.
I was not aware of any "common knowledge" that the rating is hype. Matter of fact to the people using them, myself included, I have found the comparson quite accurate. Remember these things are guides to compare differnt types of lighting systems. Everyones mileage will vary.
ErikS
New member
Right, because I've never seen any tanks with mixed light sources............no t5/mh, mh/vho.....
Yep, and true of so many products not just reef related. Part of being a consumer - filter out fact from "fiction".
James77
Team RC
Have you noted that they have addressed it by modifying their most popular pump and are putting out new pumps? I recall seeing very few, if any, complaints of people not happy with Tunze flow until the "study" was released. I'll leave all the other arguments about that single test on pumps out of this thread, since they have been debated to death already.
And my comment still stands that either Tim or Roger would not recommend certain models of their products and state their capabilities in a way that would leave the person disappointed as was the case with the OP in this thread. AI stated to the OP that their light would cover a 2'x2' area fine, and I have seen that statement from them as well and have read people doing it.
James77
Team RC
Yes, but LEDs have beed promoted as being the only source of light you need, that it can combine and use dimming to provide dusk/dawn and allow you to get that perfect color.
Allmost
New member
wow !
we are saying that most of REEF EQUIPMENTS are overrated.
water movements are part of reef equipments.
honestly, read the thread before making a comment like that ... it takes like 4 mins.
Allmost
New member
I dont agree, but we can leave it for now
tunze sais XXXX GPH ... which wasnt true.
AI sais XXX coverage .... which wasnt true ...
at the end, both tunze and AI, told the customer they need more units do to what they claimed it would do... extra AI unit to cover the area, and extra power head to cover the flow
[I speak to alot of german reefers ... and this was obv before the study came out. the study just brought the North american market up to date.]
I see no difference
James77
Team RC
No they are not. I can email Roger from Tunze right now and i could ask him what would provide adequate flow in a 180 dense SPS tank, and be happy with the result when i buy his suggestion. Same with Tim at EcoTech, or Jeremy from CoralVue. THAT is what the OP has a problem with.
James77
Team RC
----
I'll say it again and drop it....Tunze has corrected the honest mistake, one I would argue was way overstated in itself. Assumin the lower test numbers were accurate, you would still be happy with the pumps he would recommend in your tank.
I see no difference
I'll say it again and drop it....Tunze has corrected the honest mistake, one I would argue was way overstated in itself. Assumin the lower test numbers were accurate, you would still be happy with the pumps he would recommend in your tank.
Allmost
New member
sorry, but what makes u happy, wont make me happy. I have followed the advice too
lets drop it, and lets calm down
you are fine with tunze telling you wrong number for flow ... I am not !
some ppl are fine with AI telling them wrong coverage, the OP is not
anyways ...
Allmost
New member
you really think this is about tunze VS vortech ? what statement makes u think that ?
the point is, we are lied to !
tunze sais XXX GPH, and fails to bring it.
AI sais XXX coverage and fails to show it.
XXXX skimmer maker sais fit for 100G and fails to skimm a 100 G tank !
all the same.
thats the point I am trying to make
not sure how I can make it more clear
James77
Team RC
Allmost
New member
but AI said the same !!
they said the employee that make the claim does not work there anymore !
so what is different from tunze and AI ? u tell me
jcw
Active member
I just changed from 5 ai sols to a 7ft current nova T5 unit on a 125g. That one used unit cost less than one of the sols. (I know, I know. Bulb replacement costs)
The difference in coral growth, color, tank illumination is dramatic for me. I'm sticking with T5.
Now, two ai's are over a 20g frag tank, one is directly over my clam in my display tank as they are GREAT spotlights. and one is over my refugium as the worlds most expensive refugium light.
If you shine the ai sol on a wall, you will see that through their positioning of the leds and possibly the optics, the spread is round but with a center high par area. I don't think ai necessarily falsified their claims.
What I found was that inside that high par area, growth was great, outside not so hot. My biggest problem was that I couldn't see my fish that well as they would swim in and out of the spotlights.
The difference in coral growth, color, tank illumination is dramatic for me. I'm sticking with T5.
Now, two ai's are over a 20g frag tank, one is directly over my clam in my display tank as they are GREAT spotlights. and one is over my refugium as the worlds most expensive refugium light.
If you shine the ai sol on a wall, you will see that through their positioning of the leds and possibly the optics, the spread is round but with a center high par area. I don't think ai necessarily falsified their claims.
What I found was that inside that high par area, growth was great, outside not so hot. My biggest problem was that I couldn't see my fish that well as they would swim in and out of the spotlights.
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