Can you use multiple AI Primes to grow SPS coral? | BRStv Investigate

[randyBRS]

Thanks a lot. Any negative effects of running the UV channel so high? I run mine at 30% and violet and blues at 85. Red and green are 5% and whites at 25%.

Hey! We found that these settings provided a nearly identical spectrum to the EcoTech Coral Lab AB+ preset spectrum. They've used this spectrum in several experiments on coral growth, health and coloration with what looks to be pretty good success. You can see the comparison of both spectrum charts near the beginning of the video!

Curious as to if the "ab+" setting is acceptable for softies or if we can get setting that is

From the info released in EcoTech's Coral Lab experiments, it looks like this spectrum setting is good for nearly all coral types!



-Randy

 

[landlocked303]

I wonder how LED's and spectrums like the AB+ impact coralline algae growth (assuming stable water parameters conducive to growth).

 

[Biznizface]

Hey! We found that these settings provided a nearly identical spectrum to the EcoTech Coral Lab AB+ preset spectrum. They've used this spectrum in several experiments on coral growth, health and coloration with what looks to be pretty good success. You can see the comparison of both spectrum charts near the beginning of the video!



From the info released in EcoTech's Coral Lab experiments, it looks like this spectrum setting is good for nearly all coral types!



-Randy

How many hours would you run at this power ? How much ramp if any ?

 

[siggy]

Hey! We found that these settings provided a nearly identical spectrum to the EcoTech Coral Lab AB+ preset spectrum. They've used this spectrum in several experiments on coral growth, health and coloration with what looks to be pretty good success. You can see the comparison of both spectrum charts near the beginning of the video!

Randy time for a build thread and experiment Kessil vs Ecotech vs AI 24 x 24 cubes with 2 pucks (lights) each and SPS dominant and why not t5 too. Now that would be the end all test! and who knows you might get your Journeyman's card after.

 

[randyBRS]

How many hours would you run at this power ? How much ramp if any ?

When I add a new LED to a tank, I typically run about a 8-9hr lighting cycle with a 1-2hr ramp up and down. This usually gives me 4-5ish hours of full intensity for the midday and allows me to enjoy the tank for a bit when I get home!

-Randy

 

[randyBRS]

Hey Reef 2 Reefers!

We're embarking on a new video series, the Reef2Reef FAQ, where we come back to these BRStv and BRStv Investigates forum posts and answer one or more of your questions!

Today, Ryan is answering questions from @chipmunkofdoom2 , @lactose , and @HairyGary about over-driving LEDs, the Aquatic Life Hybrid bracket and effects of running the UV channel at max.

So, feel free to respond to any of our BRStv forum threads and you may just see your questions answered on future R2R FAQ videos!

 

[HairyGary]

Hey Reef 2 Reefers!

We're embarking on a new video series, the Reef2Reef FAQ, where we come back to these BRStv and BRStv Investigates forum posts and answer one or more of your questions!

Today, Ryan is answering questions from @chipmunkofdoom2 , @lactose , and @HairyGary about over-driving LEDs, the Aquatic Life Hybrid bracket and effects of running the UV channel at max.

So, feel free to respond to any of our BRStv forum threads and you may just see your questions answered on future R2R FAQ videos!

Thanks for the info fellas! Going to ramp up my UV

Oh and what AIO tank did you have the Aquatic fixture over in the video? Thanks!

 

[Sebastian Costin]

Great video! I would like to know if you have tryed to mimic this AB+ spectrum on Hydra 26HD and if the % match.
For example, on my Hydra 26HD UV max is 118 not 119

Thank you

 

[randyBRS]

Thanks for the info fellas! Going to ramp up my UV

Oh and what AIO tank did you have the Aquatic fixture over in the video? Thanks!

That is Zack's tank which is a 60gal reef ready system from Vertex. They donated a couple of them to us years ago and Zack's is the best one running IMO!

-Randy

 

[randyBRS]

Great video! I would like to know if you have tryed to mimic this AB+ spectrum on Hydra 26HD and if the % match.
For example, on my Hydra 26HD UV max is 118 not 119

Thank you

Thanks! We haven't tested any of the Hydra's just yet, but I imagine they are on the list. We will probably do the same spectrum matching for them as we did for most other lights we've tested so far. Stay tuned!

-Randy

 

[lactose]

Hey Reef 2 Reefers!

We're embarking on a new video series, the Reef2Reef FAQ, where we come back to these BRStv and BRStv Investigates forum posts and answer one or more of your questions!

Today, Ryan is answering questions from @chipmunkofdoom2 , @lactose , and @HairyGary about over-driving LEDs, the Aquatic Life Hybrid bracket and effects of running the UV channel at max.

So, feel free to respond to any of our BRStv forum threads and you may just see your questions answered on future R2R FAQ videos!

Woohoo I am BRSTV famous (okay, not really...)

Thanks for the info and great to see the new fixture live over a tank. So glad to see you are testing the aquatic life hybrid fixtures. Do you have any updates on when/if you will have them up for pre-order?

 

[VicK32]

Thank you for providing an excellent video on the Ai primes HD as I just brought two units and I am thinking of a third unit to have a uniform coverage for mixed reef. Can you provide me details on how you had the primes mounted on a extruded aluminium rail as at the moment I am using the AI Prime hanging kit but too fiddly to my liking. Keep the great videos coming.

 

[Ahogue21]

So I'm curious just got my primes and Currently set the light percentages to match the brs ab+ and have it set on acclimation mode at 50%.....now my tank is almost all zoas so if I wanted to say run the light at 75% do I just take the numbers to 75% or is there a setting other than acclimation that will do this?

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I am having difficulty in setting up my AI Prime HD. I won this at Macna last year and when I got home I was able to control my Prime HD with my MAC computer. I saved the site on my bookmark.

First problem I go to the bookmark and it says it cannot find it.

Second problem I hooked up my Samsung phone up to the network down load the app and it states that my email is incorrect.

I then go back to my computer and ask for a new password and they send me a link in my email (funny the one that they say does not exist) but they do not give me a new password but want me to remember the password that I do not remember.

FRUSTRATING

So both sites do not work.

I wonder why I love my Kessil yeah two knobs.

Somehow on there site I do not see where I try to adjust my AI Prime HD can someone send me a link where I would adjust my light.

Yeah I am not tech savvy and what should be easy is frustrating.

Thanks in advance if anybody can help me out.

 

[HairyGary]

Randy - do you know if ramping my UV up to 119 from 30% will have negative effect on corals or if slow ramp is necessary? Thanks. I already had been at similar levels for the other colors.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

Call me an old codger, but I absolutely cannot stand the level of customization available on current LED fixtures. How on Earth can an LED channel produce more than 100% of its rated output? What does that even mean? Are you overdriving the LED, providing more current than the diode was designed to take? I hope not.. there's no better way to make an LED go "pop" than to feed it too much current (if you've ever done DIY LEDs and you've made an LED go pop, you know the sound I'm talking about). Additionally, how does running a white LED at, say, 5% of its rated capacity suddenly mean the blue diodes can now accept more current than they're designed to accept? Running one LED far below its rated capacity does not suddenly change the other diodes to allow them to accept more current. Are all the LEDs in AI fixtures underpowered, and the +100% output means you're just getting more power that AI didn't want to let you have in the first place? It makes absolutely no sense. And that doesn't even factor in that you have no clue what spectrum the resulting mix is, or how much PAR it's providing. That's a whole different issue all together.

Aside from ramping up and ramping down to emulate sunrise and sunset, I have no interest in playing with spectrum. Give me a 10,000K, 14,000K, 20,000K and maybe 24,000K preset, and I'm satisfied. If I don't like the color, I can at least start tweaking the spectrum from a known starting point. Of course, this is just my humble opinion, and it's likely not in the majority. If it was, I would see more people complaining about the spectrum choices available, and the manufacturers wouldn't be making something that people don't want. Still. Just don't get it.

EDIT: Regardless, good video again from BRS. Thanks for taking the time!

As one of the other users mentioned (I would quote you both if I knew how multi-quote worked on here), they are not overdriving the LEDs. In fact, they are under driving them at 100%. The fixture has a finite amount of thermal capacity to remove heat. When LED diodes are operated at maximum current, their efficiency is eroded, and the amount of heat they produce goes up. Their lifespan also goes down. The better manufacturers take this fact into account and try to keep the diodes in a range where their efficiency and lifespan are maintained. You often see lifespans (of LEDs) quoted in decades (E.g. 30 years). This is only true if you do not run the diodes at 100% of the current limit as the enemy of a long lifespan for a LED is heat.

So that is why running some channels are less than a 100% allows you to overdrive other channels (in this fixture) and indicated they are operating the diodes themselves well below the maximum current for that part (which is a good thing).

Dennis

 

[randyBRS]

Randy - do you know if ramping my UV up to 119 from 30% will have negative effect on corals or if slow ramp is necessary? Thanks. I already had been at similar levels for the other colors.

Unfortunately, I couldn't say with 100% certainty as we have not done the research on specific spectrums and their effects on corals. The UV channel in this light isn't a "real" UV spectrum, but still within the 390-410nm range.

When in doubt, slowly increasing any intensity is probably the best practice all around.

-Randy

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

What do the symbols mean there is a Plus X return like symbol star etc? Where is the OK button?

 

[Fishninja]

Great video! I would like to know if you have tryed to mimic this AB+ spectrum on Hydra 26HD and if the % match.
For example, on my Hydra 26HD UV max is 118 not 119

Thank you

+1
I am sure many people with hydras would love to see this!

 

[flowflezy]

just got mine this week. This is what color I’ll be using to try and grow some Frags out. We will see how it does.