Sizing AI Blade width for a 60" wide tank

[hhaase]

I think somebody finally has a light I'm willing to buy for my SCA150 to replace my cobbled together DIY's on my mixed reef, and I'm very strongly looking at the new AI Blades due to their mounting options.

My biggest question, since I've never used a blade style light before, is what width should I go for on my 60" wide tank? Would the hive mind recommend the 48" wide or 57" wide? I'm looking to really cut down on shadowing as much as possible but at the same time I really don't want to spend a few hundred extra dollars (Assuming 3 blades) providing a high PAR number to my carpet.

 

[Sean Clark]

I would go for 3 of the 57" especially if eliminating shadows is your goal.

I was looking at using a bunch of 21" and running them front to back instead of side to side.

 

[14 foot reef]

I think you could do either, going with the 57" will give you a lot more "Bounce/Reflection" off glass and help a lot with shadowing. I'd invest the few hundred extra and then you'll never have to second guess your decision, plus you'll be able to run them at a lower power which will allow them to last longer.

 

[helmsreef]

I just installed a single 57" on my 72" tank which supplements my 6 kessil a360x's, I will be trying to get par numbers very soon on how well a single one helps. Here is a picture of just the blade on preset 2 of their intensity when I was setting it up.

 

[14 foot reef]

Looks really nice
I'm thinking of adding 2 - 66" Blades to my 6 Radion G6's for fill light front and back, my tank is an Island view all sides visible

 

[hhaase]

I think you could do either, going with the 57" will give you a lot more "Bounce/Reflection" off glass and help a lot with shadowing. I'd invest the few hundred extra and then you'll never have to second guess your decision, plus you'll be able to run them at a lower power which will allow them to last longer.

I've gotta say, I'm jealous at how even and smooth that lighting looks on your tank. Sure beats my current "Light Islands". Do you ever wish you went a bit longer? From what I can see, it looks like even the ends of the tank are sufficiently lit and kinda makes me want to steer toward the 48" blades.

I'd show my current setup, but I don't have a current picture since I added the kessil, and right now everything is dark for the night.

 

[14 foot reef]

I've gotta say, I'm jealous at how even and smooth that lighting looks on your tank. Sure beats my current "Light Islands". Do you ever wish you went a bit longer? From what I can see, it looks like even the ends of the tank are sufficiently lit and kinda makes me want to steer toward the 48" blades.

I'd show my current setup, but I don't have a current picture since I added the kessil, and right now everything is dark for the night.

Just to be clear, this 14 foot reef is lit with only XR30 Radion G6 with difusers, I have not added the AI blades yet.

 

[hhaase]

Just to be clear, this 14 foot reef is lit with only XR30 Radion G6 with difusers, I have not added the AI blades yet.

Oops, replied to the wrong tank. Thought I was replying to HelmsReef's 72" tank.

 

[Blake509]

The 57in. Get the biggest one you can fit the whole point of led bar lighting is to get spread and even par by using a smaller one then length of tank defeats this purpose.

 

[Slocke]

I have a 60" and I went with the 48" but that is partially because I keep a elegance coral and I wanted to give them a darker corner. Thus my tank lighting is unbalanced. However when I've moved it around I do like the effect when it is in the middle.

Also last time I checked the prices the 57" was confusingly a lot more expensive then the 48".

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Looks really nice
I'm thinking of adding 2 - 66" Blades to my 6 Radion G6's for fill light front and back, my tank is an Island view all sides visible View attachment 3028320

Wait is this 3 tanks in one?! I have never seen this and love it

 

[14 foot reef]

Wait is this 3 tanks in one?! I have never seen this and love it

Yes, 3 tanks all plumbed together the two end corner bows are non reef safe fish !!!!
850 Gallons total water volume

 

[One Reefing Boi]

Yes, 3 tanks all plumbed together the two end corner bows are non reef safe fish !!!!
850 Gallons total water volume

That’s a dream! Custom tank or have any details I could look this up? How big is the main/side tanks? (Gallons?)

 

[14 foot reef]

That’s a dream! Custom tank or have any details I could look this up? How big is the main/side tanks? (Gallons?)

the reef is almost 14' long the other side is 14' flat panel the living rooom side has the 2 end corner bows.
Middle reef is 90" x 36" by 28" tall The bows are a corner pie shape 36" radius 28" tall.
The total gallons is 850 gallons

 

[One Reefing Boi]

the reef is almost 14' long the other side is 14' flat panel the living rooom side has the 2 end corner bows.
Middle reef is 90" x 36" by 28" tall The bows are a corner pie shape 36" radius 28" tall.
The total gallons is 850 gallons

Custom built or does someone make tanks like these?

 

[hhaase]

I have a 60" and I went with the 48" but that is partially because I keep a elegance coral and I wanted to give them a darker corner. Thus my tank lighting is unbalanced. However when I've moved it around I do like the effect when it is in the middle.

Also last time I checked the prices the 57" was confusingly a lot more expensive then the 48".

Did you opt for the Grow or Glow version? I'm noticing the Glow version is considerably more expensive than the Grow version. $170 difference between the two in the same length. 57" grow is cheaper than a 48" glow. If I go with a mix of 2x grow and 1x glow (or 1 and 1?) it makes 57" blades a lot more viable for me.

 

[Slocke]

Did you opt for the Grow or Glow version? I'm noticing the Glow version is considerably more expensive than the Grow version. $170 difference between the two in the same length. 57" grow is cheaper than a 48" glow. If I go with a mix of 2x grow and 1x glow (or 1 and 1?) it makes 57" blades a lot more viable for me.

I currently have two AI primes and a coral Grow 48". My plan is to add a 48" Glow though I may just go with a Grow as I'm not convinced the Glow is any better than the Grow yet. I believe the 48" is a 100 Watt light (20W per segment) so for me 2 is more than enough for my tank that was previously running on a total of 150W. Sorry no idea what my par is.

 

[14 foot reef]

Custom built or does someone make tanks like these?

I built this myself, its been running for 21 years !!!!!!

 

[hhaase]

I built this myself, its been running for 21 years !!!!!!

Tis a stunner of a setup, no doubt about it.

 

[hhaase]

Decided to go with the 57" blades. You guys had me steering that way already but the final kicker was that I measured my current lighting, and the extreme end-to-end on my DIY's is basically right at 48" and I do have to admit there is some end shading I'm concerned about, particularly after a few things start to grow out a bit more.

I am going to start with 2 of the 57" Grow blades, measure the PAR, and judge if I need a third at that point. There is one video series on youtube with a nearly identical dimension tank running a pair of 57" grows for lighting. His PAR measurements are an all-around improvement over what I have. He has a close match to my peak PAR directly under my main fixtures but everywhere else in the tank I'd see increases. That and I really like the way his tanks look under the Grow blades exclusively.