Questions on AI Prime vs AI Prime HD

[HOTWATER]

Hello everyone to start I used the search function here and on the web to try to see the difference on these led fixtures with not much luck. I plane on using the fixture for an IM fusion 10 for now with using it down the road as part of another setup in the future (larger tank)

 

I do know they both use 7 color channels with 13 leds each. All lighting info from AI's website.

 

Prime ($199) online retailers Prime HD ($225) online retailers

 

(Prime savings vs HD is $26 not allot but hey every little bit of savings helps)

 

(Prime) 4 Cree xp-g2 cool white. (Prime HD) 3 Cree xp-g2 cool white

2 osram deep blue square 3 Cree xt- e royal blue

3 Cree xp-e2 blue 3 same

1 osram deep red 1 Cree 660 nm deep red

1 Cree xp-e2 green. 1 same

1 semi led 415 nm violet. 1 same

1 semi led 405 nm UV. 1 semi led 400 nm UV

 

 

The differences we see between the two fixtures is 1 less cool white in the prime HD

The prime uses 1 less royal blue/ deep blue than the HD (also the different brand led)

The prime HD also uses Cree vs the osram deep red

And finally the HD uses 400nm UV vs 405 nm in the prime

 

This all just may be a little nutty but part of me writing this out helped me see the obvious differences.

 

My question is will these differences cause the light to look much different? I know corals don't care what we visually like in a light as they use spectrums they like. And will the differences in the two justify the price difference?

I know the HD is a little more wattage and you can drive channels higher with the less percentage that is used in other channels.

 

Thanks for listening to me rant. Hopefully some people with more technical led experience can shed some further light on this topic for me. Again thank you and happy reefing everyone!

[MainelyReefer]

I have an AI prime, great light. You should buy the AI Prime HD as I would love to ramp the whites down on mine but they account for so much of the available power I need to have them on a certain amount to achieve the intensity I want which skews the spectrum. My AI grows photosynthetic gorgs and softies I haven't tried it on other corals

[jeffmr4]

I have the hd. I haven't seen the regular one but I think you may not need the extra power as its pretty bright. The white light seems a little yellow to me but it seems like that with all leds I've seen. Maybe they use lower k whites to save money. They have ks that you can set your lights to but it seems like some kind of trickery if your white is not even 10k. Probably the less whites on the hd makes it better.

Be prepared for a challenge if you get the gooseneck. I had to use a pliers to work the bolt in and then every thread work it back and forth to get it to fit. There is a piece of plastic that is supposed to cover one side of the clamp but it doesn't stay on. Once the plastic screw gets through the whole it moves better. I got the 12" for a 14g biocube and I can't set the light lower than 12" and keep it over the center of the tank. The other mount looks like I would not have enough space behind my tank to move it back because there is a wall there.

Terrible customer service. The guy I talked to was uppity and after not being able to help me connect, he lied and said I had gotten the wrong instructions and sent the same ones in an e-mail and told me to e-mail him if I had any questions.

I still don't like the look of leds compared to the power compacts that came with the tank but they are convenient as far as settings, timing, power and size.

[HOTWATER]

Thanks for your input guys.

[jeffmr4]

I might take back what I said about the look. My anemone and coral are loving it.