AI SOL leds quetion

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bdf

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I am in the final stages of getting pieces together for the 425g lighted area will be 84"lx30"wx35"d. I have a guy I can get 4 of the older SOL super blues and the controller for $800 for all of it with the 48" rail.

One, is this a good deal for the older lights?

Two, will this even begin to light this tank?

I have a reefKeeper Elite net I will control them with I guess.

Thanks!
 
You will need more like 8-10 to properly light a tank that size for a full reef tank.

I don't think that is a good price as sols are no longer going to be made anymore as the ai hydras came out to replace them


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Part of the equation as to how many lights you need for proper coverage will be the height of the lights above the water line. Even with the lights high up, I think you'd need around 5 to get good coverage. My tank has the same footprint as yours and I am running 5 AI Vega fixtures to cover it. You can take a look at my build log to get an idea of coverage and mounting height.
 
thanks guys.

mike ive seen your awsome tank. mine is much deeper, also, dont the sol lights have more lights, more output?
 
Thanks! Yes and no. While the Vega only has 4 pucks and fewer LEDs, the center white "bulb" is a 5 watt LED. I originally tried to match PAR levels between my Sols and Vega (Sols were at 80% all around) but that didn't work out so well. I ended up bleaching everything with the Vega even though the PAR levels were matched-up all around. I bumped the white LEDs down to about 60% and was still getting some slow bleaching so now I am at 40% (just recently up from 35%) and things are coloring back up nicely. I don't know what it is about those 5w LEDs but in my case, the PAR measurements did not correlate to what my corals were doing. I also recently looked around on some threads on RC and saw there were others having similar experiences and were running the white LEDs at about 50% too.

So, to answer you question, I think the Vega would work fine for deeper tanks considering I really can't run them anywhere close to their full potential output without bleaching stuff out.
 
so the general consensus is that these are not a good value even for less than $200 a piece
 
It all depends on what you want to do. The newer AI lights have other spectrums and features but will cost you a lot more. The nice thing is you can upgrade later if you decide you want those features.
 
Looks like the Hydra upgrade is $175 if you can use the existing Sol power supply (depending on which generation Sol and power supply you have) and the upgrade is $200 if you need a new power supply so you may want to factor that in to your decision. Here's the link to the upgrade page with pictures of the power supplies that are compatible:

http://shop.aquaillumination.com/collections/all-products/products/sol-to-hydra-upgrade-kit
 
Wonder if you can do partial upgrades? Iv have no idea what potter supply they have, being I could get equivalents cheaper if needed.

This is all If I ferl I need an upgrade of course.

Just sucks yuo blow 800 and still not have enough light.

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@bdf wrote:
Wonder if you can do partial upgrades? Iv have no idea what potter supply they have said:
The AI Sol's are good light's. It does Suck to drop $200 for used, Upgrade and have $400 invested. You can buy new Hydras for $400 each. How old and what Percentage did he run the lights at would be another factor.
Marineandreeef.com has the Sol's for $379. So the prices are starting to drop on the Sol's
http://www.marineandreef.com/Aqua_Illumination_AI_Sol_White_LED_Light_Whi_p/RSS19051.htm?gclid=CLry4rCPkbgCFbNj7AodzxUARA
I'd go back to the Bargaining table if you plan on upgrading. Or get these…..use them for awhile and upgrade them six months to a year from now with custom pucks…
Click to expand...
 
Looks like the upgrade requires a new main board so my guess is you'd have to upgrade the whole fixture. At least with LEDs you don't have to worry about the cost of bulb changes, get reduced heat, etc. That was one of the reasons I made the switch . . . I was looking at buying 8 x T5 bulbs once or twice a year on my old tank which would have been at least $200 each time and it helped keep my tank cooler. You could also just sell the the Sols later if you decide to upgrade to something else which is the route I went. Quality lights should always sell . . . it is just a matter of price point but at least a lot of folks are jumping on the LED bandwagon.

If it makes you feel better, it costs even more to be on the bleeding edge to keep up with the newest stuff. If you bought 5 Hydras you'd be looking at $2000 or 5 Vegas at $2500. Now that they have additional colors, I'm looking at getting new Power Pucks to add violet LEDs and I want the new style Hyrda lenses with the diffusers. Problem is, the new style lenses do not work with the original Vega white LED (the LED is too large and the Hydra lens would crush it) so I'm considering upgrading (i.e. replacing) all 20 pucks at $50 ea = another $1000 to make my Super Color Vega fixtures. At least with used Sols, you can get in at a lower price point, see how things go, and then decide if you really do want to upgrade. If you do decide to upgrade, you still have some value with the Sols in that they can be either upgraded or sold.
 
I agree, other option is cheap chinese crap. its about worthless once I get it.
 
I'm runnig 3 Sol's and 1 Vega on my 210g. I would say 4 fixtures is the minimum for a 6ft tank, so you will probably have to add another one. The Vega will cover a 24x24 area without any problem. I had to switch to the wider optics to get the same 24x24 coverage from my Sol's. $800 with the controller is not a bad price, but probably on the high end. The Sol's are modular so if a part dies, you can get another one. Plus with all of the upgrades used parts are getting easier to find.

I have seen no difference in growth between the Vega and the Sol. But you do see a noticeable difference in color since you can adjust the Vega to whatever spectrum you like. That being said, it would be hard for me to justify the extra $800-$1200 to someone for a used Sol setup vs. a new Hydra/Vega setup.
 
Just some more food for thought: I just figured out you can get a Hydra for $300 if you don't mind putting the pieces together.

Order up the Hydra upgrade kit with power supply for $200, then order a Sol Black conversion kit (includes the heatsink and fan you'll need) for $100 and you have all the parts to put together a Hydra for $300 plus shipping. You could probably sell off the spare Sol black trim to someone on e-bay to help with shipping costs.
 
@Mike wrote:
Just some more food for thought: I just figured out you can get a Hydra for $300 if you don't mind putting the pieces together. Order up the Hydra upgrade kit with power supply for $200 said:
For extra $99 you get a hydra with a 1 yr warranty... And if you pay by Amex an extra 1 year warranty
Click to expand...
 
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