AI Sol Spread, A DIY kit, and a 65 Cube

1. Could someone tell me please if one AI would cover a 24x24x24 cube with easy SPS near the top?
2. Do these look good? Or do you think they'd overheat, even with the heatsink they come with?
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Would this cover a 24X24X24 area?
Thanks

 

If you hang it high enough maybe. Other than that 2 at the most.

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1. I don't believe the AI will cover it alone, as the fixture wouldn't allow enough spread. I could be wrong however. Like Bruh said, with some height, one could do fine.
2.) The DIY are great...same chips as the SOL's too. I'd set it 12" up, with 80* optics. 2 RB/3RB-CW mix should give you a nice 14-20K look.

 

This won't compromise PAR?

 

Im curious about the AI SOL's coverage as well. My cube is 20x18

 

It shouldn't lose too much...and I am trying to answer your original question. I understand you are hunting for a LED fixture for your build. If you want a good fixture, you'll have to pay for one. If you want something that doesn't compromise on PAR/PUR, go with a fixture that has 40* optics...and just load up on LEDs. The CREE chip is pretty powerful. I have 14 over a 29 gallon with 65* optics and have SPS in the middle/top. The lights are 11" from the water.

 

Yeah, realize I have to pay for quality. I think the 30 LED kit with 70* optics is where I'm going. Dimmable or not?

 

A bit, but crank up the unit, and it should be fine. These things are super strong.

 

Okay thanks, still, dimmable or not?

 

Take a look at these photos of my AI Sol Blue installation in my existing canopy. I removed 2x250w MH and 2x140w VHO and replaced them with 2x AI Sol Blues with their controller which has awesome control capabilities by the way. Full dimming, storms, 12 seperate timers so you can ramp up just like natural sunlight, the ability to control each color LED seperately 1% at a time etc.

The canopy is 18" front to back and 60" long. The LED fixtures are mounted using T Track so I can move them individually front to back or side to side. The bottom of the fixtures is exactly 12" above the water line.



Notice in the photo the light hitting the sides and back of the canopy. Along the back the light spread is hitting the canopy only about 8" below the fixtures and on the sides which are further away its about 10" below the LEDs so the spread is very good.

Here is the amazing part. In the first photo the tank is lit by 2x250w XM 15k MH



In this photo it is lit by the two AI Sol Blues running at 45% on each bulb.



The color look a little blue but my point and shoot camera does not capture the true colors well. I am still playing with the adjustments on each color LED to get what i am happy with.

This photo is my Kill A Watt meter with all three colors at 50%!



Thats the amazing part, I went from 500 watts with MH only or 800 watts with the MH and VHO (ballasts are about 90% efficient thus the extra few watts over the bulbs listed 2x140 watts) down to an amazing 62 actual watts and I have as good a coverage as before and I'm only at less than 50% of what these bulbs can do!

I have already realized a large savings on my electric bills, between $35 and $50 a month, and that does not even take into account the savings on the AC due to lower heat or the reduced evaporation rate since I was able to shut all my fans off, I sold my 1/4HP chiller 2 years ago and went to fans because of its electrical consumption.

I am hooked on LEDs and even converted my nano from a 96w Powerquad PC to 2x12w Panorama strips.

I think AI is very conservative on their light spread numbers and they cover much more than they say. In my mind a single AI Sol would easily cover your tank at 12-16" above the water line without too much spillage into the room. They said I would need three or four over my 5 foot tank but I am thrilled with the performance of two fixtures and think any more would be overkill.