Planing on AI Prime HD for 10 gallon - Unless...

[coral reefer tx]

Getting back into the hobby and setting up a IM Nuvo 10 gallon.  Planning on buying a AI Prime HD light - but wondering if there’s another option I should be considering.   Here’s my situation:

-planning on LPS and softies.   Probably no SPS

- Value is important, but willing to pay for a quality light.

-Hoping for minimal fan noise 

-Easy to program lighting schedule and colors.  Using app is OK, just hoping Its fairly intuitive to set up and modify the program.  

-light will be over a 10 gallon cube shaped IM Nuvo

 

Is there another quality light I should be considering?   

Any thoughts would help.  

[falcooo]

AI Prime is great! I have mine over a Nuvo 10 as well. It’s silent and setting it up isn’t difficult. 

[Lugmos12]

2 minutes ago, falcooo said:

AI Prime is great! I have mine over a Nuvo 10 as well. It’s silent and setting it up isn’t difficult. 

how's the growth?

[Clown79]

I have a standard Ai Prime over a 25g lagoon lps and sps tank. Growth is great, coverage is great.

 

An HD on a 10g will be more than plenty of light.

 

 

 

Other lighting options Kessil, Nanobox, aquamaxx, current orbit, orphek. 

[1891Bro]

1 hour ago, coral reefer tx said:

Getting back into the hobby and setting up a IM Nuvo 10 gallon.  Planning on buying a AI Prime HD light - but wondering if there’s another option I should be considering.   Here’s my situation:

-planning on LPS and softies.   Probably no SPS

- Value is important, but willing to pay for a quality light.

-Hoping for minimal fan noise 

-Easy to program lighting schedule and colors.  Using app is OK, just hoping Its fairly intuitive to set up and modify the program.  

-light will be over a 10 gallon cube shaped IM Nuvo

 

Is there another quality light I should be considering?   

Any thoughts would help.  

Welcome to studio 54! Separated colors dancing around the sand for an overpriced light.  

[coral reefer tx]

Thanks for the info.   So I guess specific models of the lights listed above would be:

Kessil A80 Tuna Blue

Nanobox Mini Tide Plus 

Aquamax Nemo Light

Current Orbit

which Orphek?

 

Any thoughts on how the Nanobox compares?

 

[luckie1966]

If you have wifi go with Prime you won't regret it. The price is higher but it has a built in controller.

[mndfreeze]

The built in controller IMO is worth it.  It's a great light. I love mine.  The only issue I have is shadowing and that's something any puck style LED is going to have.  

[1891Bro]

1 hour ago, mndfreeze said:

The built in controller IMO is worth it.  It's a great light. I love mine.  The only issue I have is shadowing and that's something any puck style LED is going to have.  

Why is the controller worth any money at all?

[mndfreeze]

Because the ability to control each individual color is good for not only finding coloration that looks good to you, but can help with growth and stability.  Being able to have lighting that changes over time for proper sunrise and sunset modes, etc, etc.  There is also acclimation considerations as well.

 

[coral reefer tx]

Yes, being able to customize the color and intensity on a schedule is important to me.   A few years ago I had one of AI’s early LED’s with a basic controller-  I definite liked it.  Switching over to moonlight mode for a couple of hours is cool too since you can still see the night critters.  

[Clown79]

I love my Ai Prime. I love the ease of controlling it.

 

I like having control over the spectrum and customizing my schedule.

 

I really like the moonlighting as it follows the real moon phases. Every night it's different.

 

I also use the aquamaxx nemolight and Abi Par38.

 

The Ai is still my favourite for LED units I have used but the best look and growth was t5 lighting

[1891Bro]

26 minutes ago, mndfreeze said:

Because the ability to control each individual color is good for not only finding coloration that looks good to you, but can help with growth and stability.  Being able to have lighting that changes over time for proper sunrise and sunset modes, etc, etc.  There is also acclimation considerations as well.

 

 

3 minutes ago, coral reefer tx said:

Yes, being able to customize the color and intensity on a schedule is important to me.   A few years ago I had one of AI’s early LED’s with a basic controller-  I definite liked it.  Switching over to moonlight mode for a couple of hours is cool too since you can still see the night critters.  

So, Just off and on doesn’t  work? I mean there’s decades of T5 and MH on off fixtures that made some badass tanks. So the controllability is needed? Gimme a break. It’s a novelty that costs more. 

[1891Bro]

9 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

I love my Ai Prime. I love the ease of controlling it.

 

I like having control over the spectrum and customizing my schedule.

 

I really like the moonlighting as it follows the real moon phases. Every night it's different.

 

I also use the aquamaxx nemolight and Abi Par38.

 

The Ai is still my favourite for LED units I have used but the best look and growth was t5 lighting

Last sentence sums it up. 

[mndfreeze]

It's not about novelty.  There is definite science behind some spectrum of light being better for growth than others and not having a controller with individual spectrum controls limits your ability to do that.  Is it REQUIRED to grow coral? No, but is it useless or just a novelty? No.

 

The reason the AI is such a nice light is because the controller is all built in and DOESN'T cost you an arm and a leg as a separate unit like say, the Kessil lights.  Kessil's are nice but then you have to tack on an additional 100 bucks to get that controller.  

 

As for T5 being better, I think thats highly up for debate and depends far more on specific configuration and setup than LED vs T5.  There are pro's and cons to both, but both grow coral "just fine" which if that's you're only requirement then you might as well bust out that old power compact or flourocent grow bulb.  Might look like shit but hey, it works right?  

 

You should like how your tank looks as well as how well it performs it's function of keeping your pets alive and growing well.  The AI is one of the best bang for buck lights for power and features.  If you just want pure growth then T5 isn't even the way to go, its MH all the way.  

 

 

 

[1891Bro]

24 minutes ago, mndfreeze said:

It's not about novelty.  There is definite science behind some spectrum of light being better for growth than others and not having a controller with individual spectrum controls limits your ability to do that.  Is it REQUIRED to grow coral? No, but is it useless or just a novelty? No.

 

The reason the AI is such a nice light is because the controller is all built in and DOESN'T cost you an arm and a leg as a separate unit like say, the Kessil lights.  Kessil's are nice but then you have to tack on an additional 100 bucks to get that controller.  

 

As for T5 being better, I think thats highly up for debate and depends far more on specific configuration and setup than LED vs T5.  There are pro's and cons to both, but both grow coral "just fine" which if that's you're only requirement then you might as well bust out that old power compact or flourocent grow bulb.  Might look like shit but hey, it works right?  

 

You should like how your tank looks as well as how well it performs it's function of keeping your pets alive and growing well.  The AI is one of the best bang for buck lights for power and features.  If you just want pure growth then T5 isn't even the way to go, its MH all the way.  

 

 

 

Not the spectrum. Hell you can get that with an old fashioned MH. I mean the crontroller. Sunrise sunset blah blah blah. It’s a novelty that people are paying for. AI has been too much money for a long time. Way better options out there. Yes I have used them in the past. 

[mndfreeze]

I'm not sure what you mean by "not the spectrum".  You need a controller to control the individual LED's to change the spectrum....different spectrums of light have definitive differences in their ability to sustain and grow coral, especially at optimum levels, and then there is just having it look how you want it to look.  

 

A beater car with no A/C might get you from your house to the fish store and back again eventually, an average car will do it more comfortably, more reliably and a little quicker, and a luxury car might do it the best while being the most comfortable and looking great.  I'm not sure what your argument is.  What better option with all the same amenities is there?

[coral reefer tx]

I see your point about T5’s.   I guess that’s why some newer full size fixtures combine T5’s with LED’s.   I had T5’s on a large tank a few years ago and liked them, but liked the simplicity and flexibility of LED’s on my old nano better.  But with LED’s, being able to dial in the intensity and spectrum seems pretty important and definitely helps them look better.   

 

All, Thanks for the info!  And the positive reassurance about the AI.   

 

Hope I don’t regret this, but need to ask...

1891Bro, you said there are way better options out there than an AI Prime for a 10 gallon  -   what are they?  

 

Lighting is expensive and important so I’m trying to make a good choice.   

Thanks again.  

[ReefGoat]

For what it's worth. I love my kessil 160 on my Nuvo 10. 

[coral reefer tx]

 Nice setup, ReefGoat!  

[ReefGoat]

Thank you, I appreciate that.

[jdmcbuilt]

12 minutes ago, ReefGoat said:

For what it's worth. I love my kessil 160 on my Nuvo 10. 

Micmol for price. Works great No noise. Looks like Apple made it lol. Keep following my build ill have the light on my tank as soon as it cycles. 

 

Orphek is pricey but a hell of a light.

 

Alot of these unknown brands to us in the states are being used overseas while we continue to use. AI, kessils, radions, nanobox(great usa made).

 

But the "Luxury" of having an app on your phone to control the spectrum sunrise and sunset and scheduling is more of a novelty especially when you start to add the lighting lol. 

 

But your choice. On and off scheduling is all you need. 

 

Consider how many times people re sale the led lights. If you see them up for sale constantly theres usually a reason. 

 

6 hours ago, mndfreeze said:

I'm not sure what you mean by "not the spectrum".  You need a controller to control the individual LED's to change the spectrum....different spectrums of light have definitive differences in their ability to sustain and grow coral, especially at optimum levels, and then there is just having it look how you want it to look.  

 

A beater car with no A/C might get you from your house to the fish store and back again eventually, an average car will do it more comfortably, more reliably and a little quicker, and a luxury car might do it the best while being the most comfortable and looking great.  I'm not sure what your argument is.  What better option with all the same amenities is there?

Nanobox goes toe to toe with AI prime. 

 

Radions do great and look great. But everyone is considering price. 

 

Micmol great light used overseas a lot but not known in the states.

 

Kessil Great on and off option with some adjustability. 

 

Aquamaxx great on and off options.

 

Wavepoint on and off and its grows lps and softies. 

 

Lol all these light can grow anything. It come down to what your willing to pay for. 

 

I wont pay for over priced cars when all of them are similar and made by the same company. 

Jetta/audi a4 same cars. Tiguan/audi Q3. 

Acura luxury/ honda average. Same company same platforms. 

Chevy/gmc same trucks and suvs lol GMC OVERPRICED. 

Maserati made by farrari but car is worthless once driven off the lot. 

 

Great car analogy but i still believe we as consumers pay way to much for LUXURY not considering other options or quality out there due to popularity or media marketing. 

 

We as people buy the BEST to show off the best. You buy a bad ass car to show off. You buy a badass light to show off and tell evryone you did the same as evrryone else lol. 

 

It boils down the to how deep are your pockets for some LUXURY and novelty. 

 

 

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

I use the current marine orbit and I love it. It didn't break the bank but my corals are looking beautiful and they are growing very well. I have a standard 20g. I have programmed it and I run red and green at 5% blues 100% whites at 15%. I like the blue look thought.

[DSFIRSTSLTWATER]

I have a few lps and some softies.

[ReefGoat]

13 minutes ago, jdmcbuilt said:

Micmol for price. Works great No noise. Looks like Apple made it lol. Keep following my build ill have the light on my tank as soon as it cycles. 

 

Orphek is pricey but a hell of a light.

 

Alot of these unknown brands to us in the states are being used overseas while we continue to use. AI, kessils, radions, nanobox(great usa made).

 

But the "Luxury" of having an app on your phone to control the spectrum sunrise and sunset and scheduling is more of a novelty especially when you start to add the lighting lol. 

 

But your choice. On and off scheduling is all you need. 

 

Consider how many times people re sale the led lights. If you see them up for sale constantly theres usually a reason. 

 

Nanobox goes toe to toe with AI prime. 

 

Radions do great and look great. But everyone is considering price. 

 

Micmol great light used overseas a lot but not known in the states.

 

Kessil Great on and off option with some adjustability. 

 

Aquamaxx great on and off options.

 

Wavepoint on and off and its grows lps and softies. 

 

Lol all these light can grow anything. It come down to what your willing to pay for. 

 

I wont pay for over priced cars when all of them are similar and made by the same company. 

Jetta/audi a4 same cars. Tiguan/audi Q3. 

Acura luxury/ honda average. Same company same platforms. 

Chevy/gmc same trucks and suvs lol GMC OVERPRICED. 

Maserati made by farrari but car is worthless once driven off the lot. 

 

Great car analogy but i still believe we as consumers pay way to much for LUXURY not considering other options or quality out there due to popularity or media marketing. 

 

We as people buy the BEST to show off the best. You buy a bad ass car to show off. You buy a badass light to show off and tell evryone you did the same as evrryone else lol. 

 

It boils down the to how deep are your pockets for some LUXURY and novelty. 

 

 

F*** it.............I'm getting the Orphek Atlantik V4 Compact Aquarium LED Lighting lol

 

 

EDIT: Just kidding