29g biocube AI Prime HD or Amazon Black Box?

[Spearo]

Hey guys!

I would really appreciate some input. I was heavily into reefing in 2006-2010, back then it was all T5's and Halides with leds starting to emerge. I just purchased a 29g biocube and would like to get back into my old sps ways but wondering what kind of light to get. I've heard great things about the AI Prime HD's and for the money they seem like an awesome light, I was just concerned about the power. For the money should I get one of those 165w black boxes from amazon for $90-120 bucks or pay $200 for a light that might underperform for corals I would like to grow. If i wasn't in grad school I would otherwise splurge for an AI Hydra 26 HD but unfortunately can't currently justify it. I would love to see pictures of similar setups/examples of lights fitting a similar tank footprint. Thanks a ton!

-Mike

 

[FartyParty]

The Redsea nano uses 1 AI prime HD for a similar sized tank, which advertises it can grow any coral. I have two of these prime HD lights in parent/child link on a 55 gallon and they grow everything from SPS, LPS zoas and a clam at the bottom. Do you plan to do a mixed reef or is yoir plan to pack out every usable square inch with SPS?

 

[nautical_nathaniel]

The AI Prime HD will do fine unless you want to grow Acropora at the very bottom of the tank. If it were my money I would get the AI. You can control it from your phone and set up lighting schedules and adjust spectrum to a finer degree. Black boxes are also not the prettiest things in the world and the AI looks like a little spaceship hanging out above the tank

 

[CNDReef]

Ai

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

The B.B. is actually a LOT of Light even at 1%.
At 12in from the light it’s about 250 par. But you could keep a clam on the sand lol.

I did see a bio cube build with an SBreeflight sprite. Pretty cool.

 

[CNDReef]

The B.B. is actually a LOT of Light even at 1%.
At 12in from the light it’s about 250 par. But you could keep a clam on the sand lol.

I did see a bio cube build with an SBreeflight sprite. Pretty cool.

I liked the reefbreaders v2 looked good. Wish I knew about it before getting my retro kit

 

[CNDReef]

Here’s the thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/32-gall-biocube-coraline-upgrade-light.342870/

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I liked the reefbreaders v2 looked good. Wish I knew about it before getting my retro kit

Nice!!!
Yep I was torn for months between the RB amd SB. The only thing that won out was the SB leans a bit more violet in the blue. I like the royal blue.

 

[Spearo]

The Redsea nano uses 1 AI prime HD for a similar sized tank, which advertises it can grow any coral. I have two of these prime HD lights in parent/child link on a 55 gallon and they grow everything from SPS, LPS zoas and a clam at the bottom. Do you plan to do a mixed reef or is yoir plan to pack out every usable square inch with SPS?

Great to hear! I love all corals but really partial to sps. I thinking that sps would be primarily on the top while keeping some nicer mushrooms, rics and zoas on the bottom area, just didn't want to be limited to plating montis and digi. It's fun to see how much reef progressed since I've been absent, couple of years ago Garf and ORA were the bigger designer coral dudes and now its exploded! This was my old 29g tall, please excuse the photo quality it was taken by 17 year old me on a 5mp crappy point and shoot. I was running a 4 bulb giesemann t5 on it.

 

[Spearo]

The AI Prime HD will do fine unless you want to grow Acropora at the very bottom of the tank. If it were my money I would get the AI. You can control it from your phone and set up lighting schedules and adjust spectrum to a finer degree. Black boxes are also not the prettiest things in the world and the AI looks like a little spaceship hanging out above the tank

That's what I was thinking, I really like the fact that I can ramp up the power on the HD if I have channels that I won't be using as much. Wonder what running your whites past 100% would do to the leds over time.

 

[Haggisman14]

I"ve got a 29 cube too, and currently running a Kessil 160, and thinking of changing to the AI Prime HD too

 

[LanM]

I'm also setting up a 29 biocube. I just ordered a galaxyhydro/roleadro wifi version with 3 channels for $98 shipped. I like the fact that at 100 bucks and a 2 year warranty its less than 5 bucksa month, and if I have to break the tank down for a move I'm not out much, or upgrade and I'm not out much. Can probably get 50 on the backend making it even cheaper.

I was 50/50 on a prime as well. But I decided to go with this light, and if I really did stay nano in the future or got another tank I'd spring for the radion xr15.

I also like to tinker, and for an additional 15 bucks in led's you can mimic just about anything you want.

I'm also going to try and under hood mount. We'll see how that works out