Aquaillumination SOL LED Fixture Assessments
- Thread starter pesto
- Start date
PrestonBRoth
Non-member
I have the SOL Blue Led in my 45 gallon tank. I will be honest that i am not an expert on fish tanks but i did purchase this light and absolutely love it. The only issue that i did have and you will have with any light upgrade is an huge algae bloom. I highly suggest getting the controller witch will help with the algae. All in all like it and highly recommend getting it.
OP
OP
pesto
Keeping it Simple!
How do you use the hanging kit on a one rail setup?
inverted
Non-member
I know AI says you can mount them parallel and do 2 on a 90, but honestly I think that's complete B.S. SPS may live, but they won't thrive. I would never use less then 3 on a true SPS system. A lot of guys are using 4. On a mixed reef, if your willing to place SPS in the hotspots, then 2 may be okay. However, for good color and growth SPS need a lot of light and the SOLs by themselves just don't have much coverage if your looking for PAR lengthwise or not...
Ruge13
Well-Known Member
I agree with Inverted, I found AI suggestions to be a bit lower than what I actually needed. I started with 2 on a mixed reef. Had trouble with SPS and couldn't go to three fast enough. I have 3 now over 36"... you are going to put 2 over 48". I would get at least 3.
The rail system comes with 2 bars and side plates to connect the bars. The light pods connect to the rail by a loose screw adjusted for the height of the rail system. Nothing says you need to use the second rail. Just use one, and slide both ends of the pod into the single rail. Then you just need to balance the rail so it mounds straight. If you are planning to hang them with wire or some type of line this is not difficult to do.
The rail system comes with 2 bars and side plates to connect the bars. The light pods connect to the rail by a loose screw adjusted for the height of the rail system. Nothing says you need to use the second rail. Just use one, and slide both ends of the pod into the single rail. Then you just need to balance the rail so it mounds straight. If you are planning to hang them with wire or some type of line this is not difficult to do.
OP
OP
pesto
Keeping it Simple!
I can only go by the discussion I had with AI. They were specific ...if you mount the lights in parallel (side to side) at a height of 12" then they recommend two for a 90 gallon. Mounted at the same height but, perpendicular (front to back) then I would need three. The height is the key but, no big deal ...if I get two and need a third I will just add it. I am assuming the company knows what they are talking about with regards to their fixtures.
You can make 3 intensity adjustments with the AI SOL. The intensity adjustments correspond to the 3 different color LEDs.
The AI SOL Blue has a round module with 1 super blue LED, 1 blue LED, and 1 white LED.
The AI SOL controller has a round knob that you spin to go through the different menu options. The controller setup is very simple. You turn the knob to the menu to change the date and time. Gently, push the knob down and then set the date and time. Turn the knob again until you get to the setup timers menu. Gently, push the knob down, choose a timer, set the time you want the light to come on, set the ramp time, set the intensity % for each LED color (Super blue, blue, white), set lunar cycle yes/no, and you are done. Go on to the next timer and so on. You can set up to 14 different timers.
For example, I have something like this set:
Timer 1: 12PM, ramp 60 minutes, Super blue 48%, Blue 48%, white 46%
Timer 2: 10PM, ramp 90 minutes, Super blue 2%, blue 2%, white 2%, lunar cycle yes
Timer 3: 4AM, ramp 60 minutes, Super blue 0%, blue 0%, white 0%
Timer 4: 9AM, ramp 60 minutes, Super blue 2%, blue 2%, white 2%, lunar cycle yes
The AI SOL has very direct light. If you have ever used an LED flashlight, you understand. I have 2 AI SOL Blues on a 45 gal. 1 AI SOL wasn't really enough light. I wasn't interested in lighting only the middle 40-50% of my tank. 2 AI SOLs on a 45 gal is just about right. 3 would be even better. If I could have 1 mounted horizontally and the other 2 mounted on either side at an angle, I feel that would be perfect.
The AI SOL Blue has a round module with 1 super blue LED, 1 blue LED, and 1 white LED.
The AI SOL controller has a round knob that you spin to go through the different menu options. The controller setup is very simple. You turn the knob to the menu to change the date and time. Gently, push the knob down and then set the date and time. Turn the knob again until you get to the setup timers menu. Gently, push the knob down, choose a timer, set the time you want the light to come on, set the ramp time, set the intensity % for each LED color (Super blue, blue, white), set lunar cycle yes/no, and you are done. Go on to the next timer and so on. You can set up to 14 different timers.
For example, I have something like this set:
Timer 1: 12PM, ramp 60 minutes, Super blue 48%, Blue 48%, white 46%
Timer 2: 10PM, ramp 90 minutes, Super blue 2%, blue 2%, white 2%, lunar cycle yes
Timer 3: 4AM, ramp 60 minutes, Super blue 0%, blue 0%, white 0%
Timer 4: 9AM, ramp 60 minutes, Super blue 2%, blue 2%, white 2%, lunar cycle yes
The AI SOL has very direct light. If you have ever used an LED flashlight, you understand. I have 2 AI SOL Blues on a 45 gal. 1 AI SOL wasn't really enough light. I wasn't interested in lighting only the middle 40-50% of my tank. 2 AI SOLs on a 45 gal is just about right. 3 would be even better. If I could have 1 mounted horizontally and the other 2 mounted on either side at an angle, I feel that would be perfect.
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mchartier
Non-member
Thats a lot of light, I run 2 lengthwise on my Deep Blue 57.
Ruge13
Well-Known Member
Its not a lot of light if you want better spread and you keep the % lower. You have to balance spread with the %. % will punch deeper in the water, not throw more light an increase the spread. The only thing you can do to manage spread is raise the lights off the water. Depending on how high, you then start increasing the % to maintain the same par values at the same depths. The blue wavelengths penetrate deeper in the water column. It is easy to send a lot of light deep by accident with AI's. Most who have them learn this lesson if they are used to halides. You end up trying to match the visual light intensity the human eye is used to seeing to that of a halide. This leads to a higher amount of light actually penetrating the water column and most burn corals early on.
I have mine 18" off the water and a tank that is 24" deep. I run them at 80% whites 70% blues 70% Royal Blue during the main part of the day. This is enough that SPS do well directly under the lights. I have an orange plate on the sand that reflects so much light the fish that swim by it show orange. I have to shade most softies so I keep them on a second island of rock out of direct light.
I also found the controller to be very easy to use.
I have mine 18" off the water and a tank that is 24" deep. I run them at 80% whites 70% blues 70% Royal Blue during the main part of the day. This is enough that SPS do well directly under the lights. I have an orange plate on the sand that reflects so much light the fish that swim by it show orange. I have to shade most softies so I keep them on a second island of rock out of direct light.
I also found the controller to be very easy to use.
salthobby
Well-Known Member
It is overkill, I bought 4 for a different tank then things changed, no sense having them sit in storage.
inverted
Non-member
One thing I should have mentioned on the dimming. On my tank, I have the AI as supplemental light to a 250W 14000K Phoenix. To get the AI to blend in, with the Phoenix, I believe the best setting I found was around 50% white,
65% blue and 85% Royal Blue. So, another reason to go with a bit more, is so you can take advantage of the dimming capabilities. CREE white LEDs are very yellow and running the white much more than 50% just isn't pleasing to my eyes. Of course that's a personal preference.
