21x21x21 40g AIO Cube with 2 AI Prime 16HDS or 1 Hydra 32 HD? (Picture)

mell0w

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I've been using a blackbox for awhile now, but recently downsized tanks and bought an AI Prime 16 HD. I watched the BRS video on using a single Prime 16 HD to light a 24x24x24 cube and the PAR seems to be barely enough to get by with just LPS (which I mostly plan on having anyway).

The actual dimensions of my water column are: 21x21x19 (since the rear AIO doesn't need to be lit). 1" sand bed, and water level is 1" below the top of the tank so maybe the water column is actually 20x20x19?

Right now in order to get the most PAR I have to run the intensity maxed out. 125% on Blue and Royal Blue channel, 60% Cool White, 167% on Violet/UV, 10% Green, 10% Red, 0% moonlight.

I have a couple of questions though:

Would a single Hydra 32 HD do a better job than 2 Prime 16 HD? Or would it be the same, minus the ability to spread the lights apart?

If I, later down the road, bought a second Prime 16 HD, would I still have to run the channels at max intensity on both to really get good PAR or could I significantly decrease them? I know by running them so hot I'm probably decreasing their lifespan, but I don't know by how much.

I know 1 32 HD is cheaper than 2 AI Prime 16 HDs, but having to deal with returning this one, ordering the 32 HD and a mount, etc I'd probably be right around a similar cost. If they would perform similarly, I'd rather just keep this until I had the extra money/had more demanding corals I needed to support.

Let meknow what you think?

EDIT: don't mind the DIY mount, haven't bought a mount yet because I'm still on the fence on what to do.

20201027_125730.jpg
 

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