AI SOl Blue success stories...

[tylersarah]

Before the switch I didn't have SPS. All are new additions.

Not only is it frustrating but I am killing living things. That is a bummer.

I am really beginning to think that OneReef and NatureNerd are correct, my corals aren't bleaching from too much light but completely dying from not enough light. I think the birdsnest probably did bleach because it was directly under a 40 degree puck about 4" below the surface and not acclimated properly.

As for operator errors or firmware issues, it's possible. In my defense I did re-install the most current update from AI to try and correct some controller issues but it didn't fix my problems. Instead AI sent me a new controller with the highest software level.

I'd also like to report that I have a toadstool leather and it hasn't shown polyp extension for about two weeks until yesterday after I increased my lighting intensity.

[BlueFyre]

I like this thread. Whenever my ecoxotic panoramas give out, I will most likely get a AI sol.

[Harriscli]

Agree, I've been looking at the AIs. It's really interesting that too little light is just as big of a problem as too much with these units. I don't think there is any such thing as plug and play in the reef world.

[NatureNerd]

Originally Posted by tylersarah

Before the switch I didn't have SPS. All are new additions.

Not only is it frustrating but I am killing living things. That is a bummer.

I am really beginning to think that OneReef and NatureNerd are correct, my corals aren't bleaching from too much light but completely dying from not enough light. I think the birdsnest probably did bleach because it was directly under a 40 degree puck about 4" below the surface and not acclimated properly.

As for operator errors or firmware issues, it's possible. In my defense I did re-install the most current update from AI to try and correct some controller issues but it didn't fix my problems. Instead AI sent me a new controller with the highest software level.

I'd also like to report that I have a toadstool leather and it hasn't shown polyp extension for about two weeks until yesterday after I increased my lighting intensity.

The leather looking better is a good sign. I am convinced that it is not the controller if you got sent a new one. I am still with you thinking not enough light.

[OneReef]

Just out of curiosity, are you running biopellets , or did you recently change or add GFO?

[beachbreak]

My experience falls kind of in between. The first week I got them I loved them. For the next month I hated them. Now that I'm through with the problems I experienced I love them again! I'm roughly 3 months in at this point and really like the product.

Here's how my problems went:
At roughly the second week in I had major browning of 3 colonies. Like poop brown. Then one of the colonies started getting STN from the base up. I was doing everything like I had been under T5s and I couldn't figure out what the deal was. I tested my water at the end of that second week and found the problem. My ALK was near 14. All my corals had stopped calcifying (or slowed way down) yet I had kept dosing like I was under T5s. Once I got that under control it was all a waiting game for the corals to get accustomed to the new lighting. I started off my lighting at 25% across all channels and moved up from there. Once I hit about 45% I started noticing 90% of my corals reacting in a positive way and had increased color and my CA/ALK usage started taking off. I'm currently at 55/65/65 and am going to hold here for another few weeks and see what happens. I may go ahead and bump up 5 points on each channel and hold it there permanently.

Two of the three corals are getting color back (one of them being the colony that got STN and had to be fragged [14 large frags off of colony]). The coloration that is returning is nothing like they were originally but still nice and one is still a nasty brown (see colonies in upper corners of tank).

I bought the AI as a test as I am setting up a 180 and wanted to see if I liked the Sol before committing to an entire 6' set-up. Will I use them? Probably. I'm going to wait and see what the "phoenix" looks like before I go forward with them. I will say that if I go Sol I will be adding 2 (2) bulb T5 retrofit kits to supplement and help bring in some reds and add a little more punch throughout the tank.

Tank is a 30 cube - 18x18x20
1 Sol blue mounted vertically 12" above water line

All these pics were taken today (12/24)

FTS


A little closer with a lot of the stonies


The baby blue tips are new growth. This coral was greenish under T5

[NaturalReef]

Son of a beach, that is one beautiful tank!

[Harriscli]

How many did you think you were going to go with for the 6 foot tank? I've seen some people suggest 4 and some all the way up to 6. I'm setting up a 6 foot 180g now and I was thinking of going with 5.

[beachbreak]

Thanks NaturalReef!

My 180 is a 6' tank as well and I'm going to start with 3 but design the support structure in the canopy for 4. I am also going to mix in 4 bulbs of T5; two on either side of the units. If this doesn't get me the coverage/power I want I'll add another. Units will be mounted horizontally.

[chadfarmer]

[jumplittlechloe]

1.What size tank? 34g, 20x20x20

2.How many units? 1

3.How high above the water line are you? 5"

4.What were your initial settings on the lights along with your schedule? 45, 45, 45 (W,B,RB) and I had the stock optics in. My schedule was gradually raised from 8:00am until peaking for 1hr and then gradually dropped until 10:00pm.

5.Did you over estimate and have to dial your lights back? Yes, around 60% however this was a problem because the middle had too much light and the corals toward the side would brown out. I spend several months trying to dial this light in and could not do it.

6.How long have you been running the lights? Over a year

7.New setup tank or previously set up (if previously set up, what were you running?) I have had this tank for 2yrs. It was previously lighted by a metal halide 150w.

8. 70 degree optics or 40 degree? Went to all 70* optics and this is when the magic happened

9.Any other information that may be vital. I have watched my corals show their best color and growth when I moved to the 70* optics. I got great results in my tank when I locked the light in at 95% (W,B,RB) for 6hrs a day. This was done over several months moving both the time and intensity up each week (5% intensity / 15min time)

[tylersarah]

The more and more I read about other experiences, the more I feel that my corals were not bleaching from too much light. They were actually dying from not enough light. Seems like the minimum starting point should be around 35-45% and increased from there. My initial settings were in the 20% range and I slowly increased over 3 months to 35% at the highest. With only two fixtures over a 48x24x24 120Gal. that just doesn't seem to be enough. I have bumped things up and will monitor progress as I slowly increase intensity / time per week. I should have seen this and figured it out on my own but such is life. Live and learn.

Although this thread was started with the mindset that I have too much light and I feel a little silly about not realizing this on my own. I am really happy that it shed some light on my situation and has possibly solved the problems I am having.

As for your question "Onereef" I don't run bio pellets or GFO. I have been running a Carbon reactor for two weeks on / two weeks off. I change out the carbon whenever I re-start the two week on cycle. I use BRS Rox 0.8 Carbon. I typically use a 1 Cup measurement which is a little less than is recommended for my size setup. (Total of 140 Gallons of water volume). I run that from a manifold that tees off of my return pump then runs back into my sump. I rinse the carbon in a filter sock that I have designated for that only with tap water before adding it to the reactor. I also use a JBJ ATO with a 10 Gallon food safe reservior. I use BRS Kalkwasser powder and add that to my top off RO. I use 12 tsp per 10 Gallons. It has kept my levels stable. I had to scale back on how much Kalk I was using becuase I added two PC fans to my canopy to prevent humidity buildup and that seems to evaporate water much more quickly. I saw my Alk. levels jump to 10 dKH
on one weeks tests. This is a little higher than I like. So I played with the Kalk mix until I got things right. We test water weekly using Salifert kits. Typically we have to supplement our Mg. weekly. Our RO filters are about a year old and our water tests out at 001-002 ppm.

[OneReef]

Alk swings can cause bleaching.

The reason that I asked about the biopellets is that some people running them don't feed coral enough since the pellets strips down the water of a lot of nutrients. Also, too much GFO too fast can have a negative effect on coral. Since neither are the case with you, I guess light is the issue, although I would keep those alk swings in check if possible. Glad you are figuring things out and it turns around for you soon.

[tylersarah]

Thanks again for the replies and info to everyone and especially "OneReef" And "NatureNerd".

I really feel confident about the low lighting being my problem and the insight received in this thread has led me to that conclusion.

I'm doing water tests again tonight to see if my Alk. is back in line.

I hope i'm posting pictures in a month or two of my corals with some color returning. I'm fairly certain that the Montis are completely gone but I still have a couple pieces that are hanging on. Hopefully I can reverse their condition. Also I hope this thread offers insight to others that may be having problems dialing things in with their AI's

[Scizzle]

I'm starting up a 110 oceanic 60"L build. I've been trying to consider what LEDs to get. I'm liking the ai sols. My question is how many units to buy? Would 2 be enough or 3? Do I run them SxS or parallel to the length?

[Harriscli]

Scizzle, I'm in the sae boat. I have a 72" length that I'm looking at. I was thinking 4-5 though.

[cap032]

I'm glad to see this thread. Im in the process of setting up a 72" 125g......moving up from a 75g. I have been considering my options on lighting and have pretty much decided on starting with 3 sol blue fixtures mounted parallel to the water. Settings however, is something Im clueless about so this info is very helpful.

[38bill]

I just added four AI Blues to my 72" 215G mixed reef that had been running 8 48" T5's. I ran them parallel to the front glass. After I decided where to locate them I routed holes through the hood top and made a mount to fasten them on top of the existing light hood. This placed the bottom of the lights 9.5" above the water. I must confess to cheating a little. I also kept a staggered row of 48" T5's at the rear and a double row at the very front. The rear row runs two Blue+ (helps fill in the shade created by the tall gorgs) and the front row runs two 48" Purple+. I'm running the Purple+ just a few hours in the evening to make the red in the fish really pop. I have always run my lights too long per day because I want to see the tank. I really like the way I can control the AI's, turning them down but still being able to see everything. So far everything is looking great. Better than before. At this time I am ramping up to 30-35-60 (I like the color) for 12 hours.

[aquaregia]

Couple of quick suggestions from one who switched from halide/T5 combo to AI Sol Blues--two mounted parallel on 36 " tank. Buy lux-meter(fairly cheap) and get a reading prior to making the switch. I know this doesn't measure PAR or PUR, but it does tell you how many lumens your current lights produce. In making switch, I found that to produce equivalent light output to my existing MH/T5, the Sol Blues needed to be set in the 75/65/75 range. You can, of course adjust light coloration to suit personal preference, but I think quite a few people are starting with settings too low on the led's. This is at 10" AWL. I chose this location based on rx of Roberto Lopes in Brazil(Reef Central thread) whose tank is spectacular. He runs main lighting cycle for 8 hrs @90/70/100, so obviously these can gradually be ramped up to high levels. Also, I agree with others on this thread that bleaching is not always light related. Sudden changes in nutrient levels, high alkalinity levels, and insufficient light can all bleach or kill corals pretty quickly. I think as reefkeepers, we are sometimes too quick to blame problems on lighting alone. There seem to be incredibly successful sps tanks using MH, T5, leds, or combos of all of them.

[O3reefer]

I just hung up my (1) AI sol blue on my 24x24x28h cube on Dec 27. The leds replaced a 250w MH with T5 unit. The leds are hung about 8" AWL due to canopy and they still have the stock lens. As of today I have noticed that the tri color acro frag, that is 7" below water line and a little bit off center is bleaching at the base and on a couple of tips. The purple haze monti is also loosing color and its 12.5" below water line and in the back. The acans that I have at the bottom also have not puffed up as much as they did when the MH fixture was on. they are about half as big now. And the last bit info that tells me something is wrong is my neon toadstool frag that is in my frag rack on the side at mid level front has not had PE in a week. My water params are fine.

Here is the schedule that has been on:
1. 8am 0/15/20 120min ramp
2. 10am 20/30/35 60min ramp
3. 11am 35/40/45 120min ramp
4. 2pm 20/30/35 120min ramp
5. 5pm 10/20/30 120min ramp
6. 7pm 5/10/15 90min ramp
7. 8:30pm 0/4/4 45min ramp lunar on

I know my timers are weird but I felt like I was going in circles trying to figure out a schedule while researching on here. I thought about just doing 3 timers with longer ramp times. At first I thought I should start really low at 20% or lower but switching from a 250w MH seemed like everything should be fine at a little higher and then slowly increase over time. So do you think my lights are too strong for the corals and causing bleaching or not strong since some corals aren't opening as big? I can take a picture tomorrow if that helps more.

[bif24701]

If I bought 2 Sol Whites and Two Sol Super Blues, for my 120 could I swap the pucks between them to get a bit more spectrum from these lights?

[shelby_cos]

Just read the whole thing and don't have time to answer all the questions, but I can say AI's work, this is 3 sol blues run lengthwise on my 110 at 45W 45B 45RB with 3 T5 supplement tubes.

[Jcohen9999]

Originally Posted by O3reefer

I just hung up my (1) AI sol blue on my 24x24x28h cube on Dec 27. The leds replaced a 250w MH with T5 unit. The leds are hung about 8" AWL due to canopy and they still have the stock lens. As of today I have noticed that the tri color acro frag, that is 7" below water line and a little bit off center is bleaching at the base and on a couple of tips. The purple haze monti is also loosing color and its 12.5" below water line and in the back. The acans that I have at the bottom also have not puffed up as much as they did when the MH fixture was on. they are about half as big now. And the last bit info that tells me something is wrong is my neon toadstool frag that is in my frag rack on the side at mid level front has not had PE in a week. My water params are fine.

Here is the schedule that has been on:
1. 8am 0/15/20 120min ramp
2. 10am 20/30/35 60min ramp
3. 11am 35/40/45 120min ramp
4. 2pm 20/30/35 120min ramp
5. 5pm 10/20/30 120min ramp
6. 7pm 5/10/15 90min ramp
7. 8:30pm 0/4/4 45min ramp lunar on

I know my timers are weird but I felt like I was going in circles trying to figure out a schedule while researching on here. I thought about just doing 3 timers with longer ramp times. At first I thought I should start really low at 20% or lower but switching from a 250w MH seemed like everything should be fine at a little higher and then slowly increase over time. So do you think my lights are too strong for the corals and causing bleaching or not strong since some corals aren't opening as big? I can take a picture tomorrow if that helps more.

I'm not expert as I too are just ramping up my own AI Sol Blue configuration but with those ramp up times you may be under lighting your tank as you are barely running any of the time slots.

Jeff

[aquaregia]

O3 reefer--You are not providing enough light to your tank!!!!

[O3reefer]

Thanks for responding. So I have adjusted my lights. please tell me your opinion on if this might help my tank.

1. 8am 10/15/20 120m
2. 10am 35/40/45 30m
3. 4pm 15/20/25 180m
4. 7:30pm 5/10/15 45m
5. 8:30pm 0/4/4 45m Lunar ON


What do you think?