1 AI Sol or 2 Nanos for 65g?

Ok just wanted to update, I talked to Mike at RapidLED and I have to commend their excellent, excellent customer service and getting me set up with a nice little kit.

But, I couldn't talk myself into trusting to get it right and was too worried about messing up and needing to buy a new fixture anyway. So, I ordered 2 Sol units, hopefully they'll be here soon I can't wait!

 

Don't want to hijack the thread, but how controllable are the AIs? Once you get the color you want/percentage, etc, will they stay that way after you turn them off and then back on? Also, do they have to be hung from the ceiling or do they have a tank bracket?

 

They will stay the color you want. They are fully adjustable, and have ramp up times so it can slowly adjust from actinic lighting to daylight. 16 timer settings so you can fully control it throughout the day. I believe there are leg attaching brackets through some dealers (I think ReefGeek.com is where I saw them). Other than that, they have mounting rails that attach the units. These can be hung, or placed into canopies with a few DIY components (search threads here).

 

Wow I don't even know where to start on that one. You can set 14 individual transition point timers. Each of those you can set intensity of each channel and how long it takes for it to fade to those settings. You can also set a timer to run on the lunar cycle. It does store all settings even if the controller is unplugged or power goes out. For the price ai is second to none.

Michael Rice
Marine Engineers Aquarium Blog
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Wow--that's crazy! I would love to get one of those. If I knew for sure I could mount them with legs or a bracket I'd seriously consider it. With my 65g (and center brace) I would probably need two of the 18 inch ones? Or would one 24 fixture be enough? Tank is 35x18x24.

 

The Sol only come in one size...12" long. The Nano's are smaller, but would be less effective. ReefGeek.com has mounting legs that you can use, but I know nothing about them. Call or E-Mail them and ask your questions about size and fit.

 

OK--so I'd be looking at two of them for a 36in long tank I'm assuming? What degree are the LEDs? 40, 60?

 

Mix of 40 and 70. However, lenses can be replaced with all 40 or all 70 I believe.

 

Since my thread got a bump anyways, just wanted to update that I got my AI sols in the mail today

@mulder32, After advice from this thread and doing some other research, I went with 2 Sols for my 36" 65g. Everything all together was $900 and some change shipped- 2 Sols, mounting rails and controller.

 

Oh cool--let me know how you like them and post some pics. I'm excited to see how they work and look on a 65g!