AI Prime or Hydra 32

[Sharkbait13]

Hello!
Right now I’m setting up an innovative marine 14 fusion, which I want to run as a mixed reef but more emphasis on sps corals. I know with the smaller size usually the primes 16hd are the go to, however I was doing some research and saw that primes are great for a 12x12 area where the hydras 32 he are 24x24. The peninsula display dimensions is 16.70 inches front to back and 11.32 wide. And about 13 inches deep. I really want the corals to pop with color. I’m so back and fourth and got different answers from different companies and wanted reach out and see if any of you amazing reef tank enthusiasts had any ideas.

thank you all for your time and help, it’s greatly appreciated.

 

[Clown2020]

The primes are surprisingly powerful I run 2 my 31long 15 wide flex, mostly lps, some sps mixed reef and I’m not running at max power either.

Personally I would choose to start with a prime 16 and add another later if required and this gives you addd flexibility over the positioning of each group of 16 and the ability to angle each light separately

 

[aSaltyKlown]

This is the Prime 16HD on a 12x12 cube.

You may lose some on the edges, but should be ok with a Prime.

Have you seen this video?

 

[Sharkbait13]

The primes are surprisingly powerful I run 2 my 31long 15 wide flex, mostly lps, some sps mixed reef and I’m not running at max power either.

Personally I would choose to start with a prime 16 and add another later if required and this gives you addd flexibility over the positioning of each group of 16 and the ability to angle each light separately

The thing is, there isn’t a lot of room to add another so I was just unsure! I’ve used primes before, but the ones with the horrible WiFi issues I was happy with them but I definitely want a more blue look

 

[Doctor Derp]

Another thing you can do with two primes vs a single hydra is mount them more to the edges and angle them inwards a bit. You can even out your par hotspots and decrease shadowing that way.

 

[X-37B]

The 16 HD should work well for your 14.
I am setting up a 18" AIO nano cube for full sps.
I have purchased the 16 HD and will run it at 8". This should be more than enough light.
It will be a nano stag system.
Bare bottom, no skimmer, live rock from my frag system.
I currently have 7 stags from my 120.
My inside tank dims are 17x14x15.
I did alot of research and decided the 16 HD was the right choice for the price.

 

[MichaelReefer]

I have had both a Prime and have Hydra 32s now. If you're planning on doing an SPS I would mount a Hydra 32, long ways over the tank. But thats just my opinion. If money is an issue, I would say a prime would do fine but make sure you put your SPS closer to the center of the light.

 

[Clown2020]

The thing is, there isn’t a lot of room to add another so I was just unsure! I’ve used primes before, but the ones with the horrible WiFi issues I was happy with them but I definitely want a more blue look

if wanting to mount to the back of the tank and space is a concern then the hydra 32 may work out better

with a ceiling mount for example you shouldn’t have any issues with two or could attach the arm to the sides of the tank rather than the back, but that being said that’s not to everyone’s liking.

with the new HD models Bluetooth connectivity is really good I was surprised that I could connect a couple of rooms away

 

[Clown2020]

I have had both a Prime and have Hydra 32s now. If you're planning on doing an SPS I would mount a Hydra 32, long ways over the tank. But thats just my opinion. If money is an issue, I would say a prime would do fine but make sure you put your SPS closer to the center of the light.

You make a good point to look at cost


in the short run a single prime will be cheaper that a hydra 32 but two primes will be more expensive in the long run compared to a single hydra 32