How many Hydra 32s for a IM Lagoon 25
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old salt reefer
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I'm in about same boat(IM 20 peninsula) and the distance between the light pucks(clusters of lights) on the Hydra32 is only 4.5 inches center to center. I'm leaning towards 2 Prime 16HDs to spread the light out more towards the edges and avoid a hot spot in the center that would come with just one Hydra 32HD.
My tank is 27" long(water part) so that's 13.5 in each direction from center of tank. If I mount a 16HD 6.75" in from each end(same as 6.75" left and right of center) I'll have a much better light spread than if I mount a Hydra with a light puck 2.25" left and right of center(remember the 4.5" puck spread). My tank is only 12" wide.
In your case your tank is 24" long x 16.50 " wide so 1 Hydra hung in the center is going to give you a nice hot spot in the center and very very low par in the 4 corners as well as the edges.
So If I wasn't worried about money I would buy 2 Hydra 32 HDs(always better to have more light than you need) and If I was worried about money I'd buy 2 Prime 16HDs. But I wouldn't just have 1 Hydra 32 HD unless I was keeping just fish and softies.
My tank is 27" long(water part) so that's 13.5 in each direction from center of tank. If I mount a 16HD 6.75" in from each end(same as 6.75" left and right of center) I'll have a much better light spread than if I mount a Hydra with a light puck 2.25" left and right of center(remember the 4.5" puck spread). My tank is only 12" wide.
In your case your tank is 24" long x 16.50 " wide so 1 Hydra hung in the center is going to give you a nice hot spot in the center and very very low par in the 4 corners as well as the edges.
So If I wasn't worried about money I would buy 2 Hydra 32 HDs(always better to have more light than you need) and If I was worried about money I'd buy 2 Prime 16HDs. But I wouldn't just have 1 Hydra 32 HD unless I was keeping just fish and softies.
old salt reefer
Valuable Member
Well, how about some more food for thought. First let me say that I have a Prime 16HD and love it. It's on a IM Nuvo 10 that was supposed to be my QT but some how became a mixed reef tank with all kinds of coral--Acans,Porites,and bubblegum monti on the bottom(it's a bare bottom tank), some Red Anacopora, blue eyed and green Leptastrea just off the bottom, purple stylo,rainbow stylo birdsnest , green and purple monti cap mid tank and a few acroporas and green anacropora towards to top. There are different Zoas at all levels. There is one fish in there as well, a 6 line wrasse I call PC for pest control(she is very good at it). EVERYTHING is doing great under the Prime. I'm completely happy with it and get wonderful grow with it.
I have a IM 20 and it has a Current USA Marine IC PRO on it. All I will say about it is it works--just barely. I have most of the same stuff in it as in the Nuvo 10 but it grows about a third as fast under the Current. So I have decided to ungrade to-----2 Prime 16 HDs(remember I love these) or----and that's a big or--I'm also looking at a Reefbreeders 24" Photon V2. The Reefbreeders will cost me about 100 dollars less than 2 Primes(remember I love these)but will it be just as good or at least close the what the Primes will give me? I don't know and at this point am not sure which way I'm going to go.
The one thing about the Current and the Reefbreeders is the leds are spread out so there is no shadowing,corals get light from many different angles where as the prime is all centralized causing some shadowing. Sorry just some food for thought before you buy.
I have a IM 20 and it has a Current USA Marine IC PRO on it. All I will say about it is it works--just barely. I have most of the same stuff in it as in the Nuvo 10 but it grows about a third as fast under the Current. So I have decided to ungrade to-----2 Prime 16 HDs(remember I love these) or----and that's a big or--I'm also looking at a Reefbreeders 24" Photon V2. The Reefbreeders will cost me about 100 dollars less than 2 Primes(remember I love these)but will it be just as good or at least close the what the Primes will give me? I don't know and at this point am not sure which way I'm going to go.
The one thing about the Current and the Reefbreeders is the leds are spread out so there is no shadowing,corals get light from many different angles where as the prime is all centralized causing some shadowing. Sorry just some food for thought before you buy.
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