AI blade upgrade?

[Red_Beard]

My dt is 65 g and it’s its 36” by 18” by 24” o attached a fts so you can get a scope for the scape

get a nero 5 and run it at lower flow. then you have room to turn it up when your corals grow out. nero 3 will not give you much overhead

 

[j.speaks]

I have a 5ft 160 g DT with 2 AI blade grow. Underwater par bottom 125 ish and top around 350. This would be more than plenty for most corals. The spectrum on the grow is better for corals. The blue’s are nicely balanced and the red green yellow etc is there but very little. Enough for those colors to pop, and not to much for nuisance algae growth. Only downside for me is that they don’t dim and Mimick sunset and rise very well. 1% is alot of light allready. Also no moonlight function, although the app mentions moonlight but it’s pretty useless if u ask me.

Do you run them at full power? Wondering if I upgrade I should turn them both down to try not to overwhelm my corals too much.

 

[j.speaks]

idk if it’s helpful at all but here’s My schedule and percentages

 

[bkwonnn]

Do you run them at full power? Wondering if I upgrade I should turn them both down to try not to overwhelm my corals too much.

yes full power

 

[BasementBox]

I have a blade for my tank. I decided after talking to people on this to upgrade and go with Quantas helix. It’s affordable and I gotta say. I’m impressed. I’d say take a peek at that.

 

[bkwonnn]

Do you run them at full power? Wondering if I upgrade I should turn them both down to try not to overwhelm my corals too much.

yes full power

 

[lil sumpin]

I wouldn't call the Glow an "accent" light. It provides an important part of the light spectrum to the corals that the Grow alone is missing.

Yes, you can absolutely "grow coral" with nothing but 450nm blue LEDs, but your coral won't color up like it will with a better, "fuller" spectrum.

Grow: 400-500nm

You want "pop" and windex? Get a glow. You don't need to though. There's few corals in our tanks that need to be inundated with those deep blues, that's the deeper water stuff. For most of the stuff that's in our tanks, the grow's spectrum will do.

 

[bubbgee]

Grow: 400-500nm

You want "pop" and windex? Get a glow. You don't need to though. There's few corals in our tanks that need to be inundated with those deep blues, that's the deeper water stuff. For most of the stuff that's in our tanks, the grow's spectrum will do.

Agreed, I only used Grow and not Glow. Heard that you don't get much par from the Glow anyway.

 

[ktran]

I have a blade for my tank. I decided after talking to people on this to upgrade and go with Quantas helix. It’s affordable and I gotta say. I’m impressed. I’d say take a peek at that.

thinking of also doing this. the helix looks like a great offering. Just missing the adjustability of each individual channel, but you get WAY more light with it.

 

[BasementBox]

thinking of also doing this. the helix looks like a great offering. Just missing the adjustability of each individual channel, but you get WAY more light with it.

Yeah. I mean there is an adjustable dial. I picked up a Kasa smart WiFi plug and just scheduled on and off times. It make it as good as any other light at there. Maybe better.

 

[Hooz]

Grow: 400-500nm

You want "pop" and windex? Get a glow. You don't need to though. There's few corals in our tanks that need to be inundated with those deep blues, that's the deeper water stuff. For most of the stuff that's in our tanks, the grow's spectrum will do.

Like I said, you can grow coral with nothing but 450nm blue, but as to what the corals "need" to grow and color to their fullest potential ...

... I stand by my original statement.

 

[ktran]

Yeah. I mean there is an adjustable dial. I picked up a Kasa smart WiFi plug and just scheduled on and off times. It make it as good as any other light at there. Maybe better.

I'm sold on it, just wondering if I can get away with 1 on a softie tank. 36x15x16, thoughts?

 

[rtparty]

Agreed, I only used Grow and not Glow. Heard that you don't get much par from the Glow anyway.

The Glow is mainly Royal Blue LEDs and they put out plenty of PAR

 

[j.speaks]

Just ordered the second grow!! thanks to everyone who helped!! :beaming-face-with-smiling-eyes:

going to buy the nero 5 soon too... :cool:

 

[vadryn]

I'm running a Grow and Glow on a 90g. I've never tested PAR running them at 100%... but now I am curious. I own a PAR meter so I have no excuse not to test it out.

I have no trouble getting PAR of 150 mid-tank on my 40 B running only Glow at modest levels. I don't buy that the Glow does nothing for PAR like some here suggested. You won't regret the Nero 5 either.

 

[DrV4n]

I have three 39" blades on a 47.2" x 19.7" x 21.7" tank, 2 Grows and 1 Glow, using AI elevated tank rests so about 5" off the surface.

My LFS thought they wouldn't be enough by themselves, but at max intensity they measured >800 par at the top of my aquascape and 375 in the corners so I also run them at lower levels.

 

[lil sumpin]

Like I said, you can grow coral with nothing but 450nm blue, but as to what the corals "need" to grow and color to their fullest potential ...

... I stand by my original statement.

uhh still looks like day light

can you elaborate??

 

[briley91]

I feel like Orphek OR4 bars would be better and cheaper than glows. Have better punch the deeper tank than the blades.

Also,a Reefi Duo at $550 would light the whole tank and you wouldn't need supplemental leds.

What exact or4 bar would mimic the glows?

 

[Steven Garland]

What exact or4 bar would mimic the glows?

Either a Blue Plus or the all violet one. The 2x OR4 30's are an amazing blue,I love mine. A pain to get setup but its worth the frustration. I kinda feel like I need a all violet one and a Sky Blue one.

 

[reef605]

I switched to Orphek OR4 bars for my 36" and very satisfied with it instead of buying an AI Blade. you should look into that.

How many OR4s are you running?