Reef @ Nite / Lighting and RO/DI advice

[tokingthereefer]

Let’s see your lighting after sundown!

For those using the AI Prime 16HD, what settings do you run?

I have mine mounted about 8.5 inches off the water, with roughly 3% from violet to blue and 5% on moonlight—otherwise, I can’t see much. I also have my lighting set to follow the lunar phase.

I’m still getting familiar with the AI lighting UI, so if I’m making any mistakes, feel free to share your insights! I know there are a lot of different opinions on this, and I understand that setups can vary based on individual needs.

If you’ve found a lighting setup that works well for you, I’d love to see pictures!

I’ve heard of some commercial operations running lights 24/7, but personally, I prefer to mimic a natural 12-hour daylight cycle.

Sump & Fish-Only Tank Below (plus a condy nem that surprisingly seems to thrive down there )

Looking for Advice on an RO/DI System

I have chloramine-treated water and have been considering an RO/DI system, as I suspect my local LFS provides low-quality water. I don’t see much value in testing theirs, and I plan to T off for drinking water since we already have a Culligan drinking faucet.

From my research:

• BRS systems seem like a solid choice with clear advantages.
• Aquatic Life looks great for beginners.
• Liquigen is a budget-friendly option that makes a lot of sense.
• Spectrapure and AquaFX are excellent but come at a steep price—almost half a mortgage payment.

I’ve read countless threads, and since most of these systems use standard 10” universal cartridges (except for some Aquatic Life models), it seems like you could use refills across different brands. A digital TDS readout also looks like a useful feature.

I’m on a budget, but I’d rather invest in quality upfront than regret a cheaper option later. The BRS 7-stage system seems like a great deal at $349–$399 compared to others.

Hoping for an active discussion, thanks!

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Hi! So I used to have cyano algae issues and low nutrients for a very very long time. I did absolutely everything I could but nothing worked it was extremely stressful.
I work swing shift so I had my light schedule 15 hours a day. I dropped it down to 10 and aleverything was solved. So I suggest stay writhing the 8-12 hour range. Corals conly need 5-7 hours for photosynthesis. I believe they require a resting period as well:)

As far as ai prime I have one in my sump for coral growth. I have it at 100% intensity on the a+b schedule mounted at 10” I get around 300 par 6 inches below the water surface

 

[p1u5h13r4m24]

Oh and for rodi the rodi buddy works great. I’ve used it for 10 years on a 120g system.

 

[Kazumi]

For the RODI, I would only buy a system that uses the standard 10" filters. That way you can buy any different combinations of filters from whomever you want to. I also wouldn't get caught up in a name brand. All the housings are basically the same. Just replace the filters with quality ones, if needed. Also someone just posted a 7 stage BRS on the dry goods forum for sale.

 

[tokingthereefer]

I ended up going with a liquigen 6 stage, and some upgrades. Probably will eventually add a second incline canister for a second mixed di bed. Or a third for separate di beds. Don’t forsee myself installing water saver kit. Went with aquaticlife booster pump. Liked the features and pricepoint. Aquatec seemed too expensive.

Pressure gauges, dual inline tds, 6 stage rodi/drinking. And I plan to tie in the tank and spout from my previous culligan system.

Purchased spectrapure chloraguard kit.

I think it will be a pretty sweet setup. Although, I am assuming I might get sick of those smaller inline canister filters with time, this seems more than sufficient to start.