AI Prime or AI Hydra 26

[BlindZide]

Trying to weigh my options for tanks. Get the RSM Reefer Deluxe 350 with the Hydra 26s OR get an SCA 90 or CAD Lights 70 and add my own lights. Trying to decide between these 2 lights. Interesting enough the Prime says is covers a 24" x 24" area while the Hydra 26s cover 18" x 18".

That said, wouldn't the Primes cover all 3 tanks better than the Hydra 26s? I'm confused as to why the RSM comes with 2 Hydra 26s when the tank is 47" wide. 18 x 18 = 36? Right?

 

[DaveK]

Well, when it comes to LED lighting, there is coverage and there is "coverage". If you look at the AI light distribution from a Prime, while it goes out to 24" those outer areas are actually quite dim. Compare that to the Hydra 26 and you can see it does about the same thing, but the hydra puts out a lot more light. Manufacturers tend to overstate the performance of their products quite a bit. In short, a Prime is not going to come close to a Hydra 26, but the Prime costs a lot less.

When you deal with LED pendant lighting like this, you can reasonably expect to get about 18 to 24 inches of coverage per fixture. Personally, I think 24 inches is stretching it a bit but doable.

Ideally, on a 48" tank 3 fixtures would be better, but it's a question of cost. A Hydra retails for about $350. If you did nothing else, that would add $350 to the total price. When you sell an all in one package, you need to put together a good all around package and at the same time keep it at a marketable price level. In other words, it's always going to be a compromise between performance and price.

Just to give you an idea of haw far you can go, on my 125 gal reef, I have 4 Hydra 52 fixtures on it, Fantastic light, but I still hate to think about what I paid for them.

This all comes down to what do you want to keep in the tank and how fussy you are about the lighting.

 

[Pat24601]

Well, when it comes to LED lighting, there is coverage and there is "coverage". If you look at the AI light distribution from a Prime, while it goes out to 24" those outer areas are actually quite dim. Compare that to the Hydra 26 and you can see it does about the same thing, but the hydra puts out a lot more light. Manufacturers tend to overstate the performance of their products quite a bit. In short, a Prime is not going to come close to a Hydra 26, but the Prime costs a lot less.

When you deal with LED pendant lighting like this, you can reasonably expect to get about 18 to 24 inches of coverage per fixture. Personally, I think 24 inches is stretching it a bit but doable.

Ideally, on a 48" tank 3 fixtures would be better, but it's a question of cost. A Hydra retails for about $350. If you did nothing else, that would add $350 to the total price. When you sell an all in one package, you need to put together a good all around package and at the same time keep it at a marketable price level. In other words, it's always going to be a compromise between performance and price.

Just to give you an idea of haw far you can go, on my 125 gal reef, I have 4 Hydra 52 fixtures on it, Fantastic light, but I still hate to think about what I paid for them.

This all comes down to what do you want to keep in the tank and how fussy you are about the lighting.

I have no idea what this forum would be without @DaveK . His breadth of knowledge is crazy!

 

[DaveK]

I have no idea what this forum would be without @DaveK . His breadth of knowledge is crazy!

The only reason I can answer many of the questions here is that over the years I have made just about every possible mistake over the years, and tried a lot of different methods and techniques. Chances are that if I tell someone they are doing something wrong, it's because I did that same wrong thing at some point.

I'm getting old though, and don't know how many more years I can keep the tanks going. At some point I'm going to have to give it up. I dread that day, but hopefully its long off.

 

[Pat24601]

The only reason I can answer many of the questions here is that over the years I have made just about every possible mistake over the years, and tried a lot of different methods and techniques. Chances are that if I tell someone they are doing something wrong, it's because I did that same wrong thing at some point.

I'm getting old though, and don't know how many more years I can keep the tanks going. At some point I'm going to have to give it up. I dread that day, but hopefully its long off.

I hear ya about having to give it up at some. Life definitely sucks like that.

That said, you don't have to have tanks to keep helping everyone like you do here. If you include all the people that lurk and read advice from this website, you have probably helped thousands if not 10s of thousands of people with their tanks with your intelligent and knowledgeable information.

 

[BlindZide]

Well, when it comes to LED lighting, there is coverage and there is "coverage". If you look at the AI light distribution from a Prime, while it goes out to 24" those outer areas are actually quite dim. Compare that to the Hydra 26 and you can see it does about the same thing, but the hydra puts out a lot more light. Manufacturers tend to overstate the performance of their products quite a bit. In short, a Prime is not going to come close to a Hydra 26, but the Prime costs a lot less.

When you deal with LED pendant lighting like this, you can reasonably expect to get about 18 to 24 inches of coverage per fixture. Personally, I think 24 inches is stretching it a bit but doable.

Ideally, on a 48" tank 3 fixtures would be better, but it's a question of cost. A Hydra retails for about $350. If you did nothing else, that would add $350 to the total price. When you sell an all in one package, you need to put together a good all around package and at the same time keep it at a marketable price level. In other words, it's always going to be a compromise between performance and price.

Just to give you an idea of haw far you can go, on my 125 gal reef, I have 4 Hydra 52 fixtures on it, Fantastic light, but I still hate to think about what I paid for them.

This all comes down to what do you want to keep in the tank and how fussy you are about the lighting.

I'm keeping mostly LPS. I love the motion they make with water flow. I have begun dipping into the SPS family. Only have 1 ATM. A Blue Digitata. Being that eventually I can add to it, the only issue I have is that the RSM I am looking at has the custom mount for the 2 that come with it. They are not movable. Would popping it right in the middle be sufficient?

 

[BlindZide]

I have no idea what this forum would be without @DaveK . His breadth of knowledge is crazy!

He certainly gave a simple, easy to understand answer. Well said!

 

[DaveK]

I'm keeping mostly LPS. I love the motion they make with water flow. I have begun dipping into the SPS family. Only have 1 ATM. A Blue Digitata. Being that eventually I can add to it, the only issue I have is that the RSM I am looking at has the custom mount for the 2 that come with it. They are not movable. Would popping it right in the middle be sufficient?

I think you could place the coral just about anyplace. It's light requirements are not as high as some of the other SPS corals.

 

[BlindZide]

I think you could place the coral just about anyplace. It's light requirements are not as high as some of the other SPS corals.

True, thanks!