New lighting for 50 gallon breeder

quickreefer · Jan 30, 2017

I was wondering if two ai prime hds would be enough to lighting? I currently have a led system just looking for more programmability

Ty Hamatake · Jan 30, 2017

It mostly depends on what you are planning on keeping. I think that would be sufficient for a mixed reef. I have two old school Hydra 26s over my 75 and they work well. Are the 50 breeders 36" wide?

quickreefer · Jan 30, 2017

No 24

quickreefer · Jan 30, 2017

quickreefer · Jan 30, 2017

I have a 200 watt led now and have a full tank full of coral... i just want the programmability of the ai primes

mcarroll · Jan 30, 2017

quickreefer said:
I was wondering if two ai prime hds would be enough to lighting? I currently have a led system just looking for more programmability

Hypothetically yes it's enough...you will grow corals with two.

But it's going to be slightly skimpy coverage and intensity on the lower side of things. Potentially lots of shadows at the corners and a big dim section through the center-top.

I also run a 50 Breeder – but does yours have a center brace (technically a 50 Gallon) or not (50 Breeder)?

Mine is old as heck and 3/8" glass so it has no center brace (50 Breeder). So I run a Maxspect Razor (3 pucks) without much issue. It's only 160 watts total and I peak out at 80% around 50,000 lux.

That would be more or less like three Prime HD's.

I think if you are limited to running only two primes because of a center brace, you might end up wishing for more intensity and/or coverage.

But trying it to find out isn't a horrible strategy because the Primes will work on some level and upgrading is always possible – to three or even four Primes. (I'd actually like to have more coverage than I have with three "pucks".)

mcarroll · Jan 30, 2017

quickreefer said:
I have a 200 watt led now and have a full tank full of coral... i just want the programmability of the ai primes

Nice!

Get a light meter if you're going to try to switch an established tank.

At least a lux meter (an "LX-1010B like mine is $15 or less usually) or if you can swing it, a PAR meter is nice.

But don't try to do the switch without a light meter.

You have to do whatever you can to match the new and old light intensities so you don't shock your corals more than necessary.

If things are going really well, why do you need more or less of anything? Just curious what you want the controllability for? Lots of folks with unhappy corals under lights with "too much" controllability....obviously you have proof that your corals don't need it...and you have to remember that corals really don't like lighting changes. So control can really be a double-edge sword. There's a good reason the major brands have been putting corporate energy into getting people to use "known" lighting profiles.

If you have a pretty concrete plan for the controls on the other hand, then you are probably a different story than most folks.

quickreefer · Jan 30, 2017

Yes mine has a center brace it's a newer tank like 7 years old and iv always gone by watts and its the same wattage as my current one.. the reason I want to change is because 1 I want more control ability and 2 I just don't like the color of light on my current light and the way my current light sits you can only look down into the tank from a small portion... yes I have had no problem growing coral of any kind so most would say don't switch but it's more for me and the look i want