Prime HD worth it?

[Fishninja]

I am looking for a light for my future jbj 30 gallon rl and am looking for a light that has great shimmer. I love kessils but not the price tag. Are the new prime hd leds even comparable to kessils? Thanks.

 

[Fishninja]

Bump

 

[Fishninja]

Also forgot to ask what is even the difference between a prime and a prime hd?

 

[Bdog4u2]

With the hyper drive it allows you to adjust your spectrum without losing the lights power which gives you more control over the spectrum.
The kessils have probably the most even light coverage of all the less.
Brs has a video where they measure par all over the tank comparing all the major led light brands

 

[Frop]

The Prime HD looks like it is more effience too (more par per watt). Plus it puts out a higher par.

Specs on the kessil seem really low.... I never used one. But at least looking at the par/watt/price tag it seems like a very uneffiencent choice imo. Unless money isn't an issue and shimmer is I guess.

You can compare 2 AI prime models side by side on their website. Or compare a prime to a kessil
http://www.aquaillumination.com/science/par.html

 

[Salty1962]

I watched the Marine Depot video of the Prime HD and as long as you are only going with softies and LPS you should be ok. With a PAR of 100 @ 24" you should be ok with them. SPS corals aren't going to do well with these lights. The features are very good if you like to really dial in a certain light frequency. You won't have the Kessil controllability unless you have a separate controller.

 

[donnievaz]

In my opinion the AI Hydra 26HD would be a much better option for that size tank.

 

[Reefrookie220]

It all boils down to this- you can move power between channels, say your deep reds are at 80%, you can use the unused 20%on a different color channel up to 120% draws same power from the wall.... All this from a rep and a 20 minute call.


To me, no it's not worth it, even with the boost its not going to make some one buy these for a big tank(180+). But now the taller cube users have a viable option for cheap.

 

[uhgster1]

If it improves on the regular Prime it is worth it. I have an AI Prime that I was using over my JBJ 28 gallon and it's worth it's weight in gold! Right now it sits over my 55 gallon until I buy the AI 26. I have acros, a clam and all kinds of stuff. Remember, it's not the intensity to your eyes that's important, it's the right spectrum for the coral that matters the most. I can't wait to get my new lights and even then I'm keeping my AI Prime to enhance a special corner or nook in the tank.