Electrokate Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Won the AI Sol at the meeting yesterday and hung it temporarily. It is indeed quite a bit brighter than my current lighting but has a very pronounced spotlight effect even if I hang it very high. I see only 70 degree optics available on the AI site but wondering if there are any others available I can use to spread the light more? Really can't use it as it is on either of the displays because I can't move the corals that would be negatively affected by the spots. Thanks, Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Can you remove the optics all together. Typical spread of an LED without optics is 120 degree which will eliminate that spot light effect all together. I run a few of my fixtures that way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted May 20, 2012 Share Posted May 20, 2012 Yous should have 70 degree optics on the outside 4 pucks, and 40 degrees on the inside 4. Thats how they come new. You can order new optics from AI and they are very simple to replace. But I think 70 and 40 are the only options at this point. Hung at 12" off the water line should cover a 24X24 area and be pretty close to a 250W MH as far as PAR goes. I can confirm this having done the tests when I switched mine out and I only tested the Sol at 75%. The LED looked dimmer, but had the same PAR readings, or better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted May 20, 2012 Author Share Posted May 20, 2012 I guess I am used to t5ho, the spotlight bothers me. I don't see it on the Reefstar par lamp either. Will try removing the center optic first, then experiment with the others. Thanks for the tips! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted May 21, 2012 Author Share Posted May 21, 2012 How long do you guys leave yours on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted May 21, 2012 Share Posted May 21, 2012 Mine starts ramping up at 8am to a max of 30%/40%/40% W/B/RY from 12-3, then ramps back down until 9pm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 am already seeing improved sps color in frags it's over. I don't have the controller yet so hung it high and used screen over the tank. The frags show the new color even when the LED light is off, so either that's a fast change or they were already changing and it's coincidence. Previously they were under a 175 watt Phoenix 14K halide. If I can get the light to spread out more this is going to be great over the display, til then I guess it's a good idea to color up what I am trying to sell (: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Yah its a pretty quick change. I am noticing SPS coloring up already as well, and I have only had it over my tank for 8 days now. I am going to up the output tonight to a max of 35/45/45. I plan to up it 5% every week until i get to 60%. By the way, i picked up the AI controller thru hello lights for $74 its pretty sweet and really easy to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Yah its a pretty quick change. I am noticing SPS coloring up already as well, and I have only had it over my tank for 8 days now. I am going to up the output tonight to a max of 35/45/45. I plan to up it 5% every week until i get to 60%. By the way, i picked up the AI controller thru hello lights for $74 its pretty sweet and really easy to use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 am already seeing improved sps color in frags it's over. I don't have the controller yet so hung it high and used screen over the tank. The frags show the new color even when the LED light is off' date=' so either that's a fast change or they were already changing and it's coincidence. Previously they were under a 175 watt Phoenix 14K halide. If I can get the light to spread out more this is going to be great over the display, til then I guess it's a good idea to color up what I am trying to sell (:[/quote'] If you can I would try it without optics as I mentioned' it will blend better, reduce the spot light effect, decreas the intensity or in other words, do what you want(naughty) Please dont spread rumors about LEDs, corals really dont like them-(whistle) Or at least wait until I sell my last MH fixture PLEEEEEEZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barelycuda Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 Kate, doesn't the Sol have the dimming adjustments slides on the front of the fixture like the nano has? I know it is not the full controller effect but you should be able to dim them down and then just turn them off and on until you get the controller. I got the controller for my new cube with the nano sol and love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barelycuda Posted May 22, 2012 Share Posted May 22, 2012 After looking at the AI site it doesn't look like the AI Sol has the dimming feature the nano has. In that case you will have to buy the controller. IMO you will love the effects and controllability the controller brings. You can have up to 14 different timers if I remember correctly and control all 3 colors indepently on time and intensity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted May 22, 2012 Author Share Posted May 22, 2012 I am waiting to get a quote from World of Wet Pets on a 2nd unit, controller and hanging gear... the owner is apparently at Interzoo (jealous) right now. Generally he has been able to beat most online prices and I know he was going to order a set of them for the new shop as well as his display tank. He showed me the nano, pretty cool. Halides definitely still have their place, but I still love T5HO. Using these LED units will raise my electric bill not lower it (: Still got 4 years of warranty on the T5 unit over my main display so I have plenty of time to save up for or watch the price come down on LEDs for that. Not real keen to spend over a grand to light it for some reason. But if the LED's can do the frags such favors then they probably belong over the frag tank. Need to put them on the 55 too, which is lit by 2 54 watt T5HO's presently. Works but I would like a little more so I can take pictures. Kate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electrokate Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 I see how this works... they donate the one unit to get me to win it so I can get hooked. First one's always free. Now I want to replace all my lights with em (: Can't quite afford to do that right now, but am definitely very happy with this unit. Check out coral colors now. This was blue without the green under T5HO, it appears to be going back to the colors it had when I got the original frag at Upscales. "][/url] The Joe the Corals that were paler under the Phoenix 14K I was using are getting green where they were pale. Cats paws also going back to the color they had at Upscales. It's kind of fun having different lights on the same tank so I can see how frags of the same colony are affected, and the LED's (also have a Reefstar) are definitely coloring up the corals nicely. My frag system has a section with AI Sol, another with ATI T5HO bulbs (only 2), the Reefstar Par 38 section and for a joke a section with a screw in PC bulb from Fred Meyer. Which does grow coral but their color is terrible. I think the LED's are too much for the zoanthids though. Here is a shot of the frags, one side Sol and other 2 T5HO bulbs "][/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramy Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 The zoas will get used to it eventually. Now your already awesome corals are even more awesomer =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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