[aquascapechicago]

what are the thoughts on using a AI sol white for a planted tank? i know the price is high but with being able to control output would this allow for whatever you want to grow in the tank?

 

[Craigthor]

They are PAR monsters by what I hear but having full control over each LEDs intensity would allow you to dial in the right color spectrum. Also the MaxSpect Mazzara was jsut released which should give the AI a bit of a challenge. The nice thing about the Mazzara is it has 5 Nuetral Whites to help balance out the blue coloring. Pricing is similar between the 2 the AI is a white fixture where as the Mazzara is in black.

Craig

 

[whiptail]

A friend of mine has 1 over his saltwater tank and they look fantastic over the coral. He is very pleased with them. So I bought 2 for over my planted 75gal. Long story short I went from having lush plants, including the red ones to plants that are just hanging on. They look washed out. The hairgrass is growing well, but that's all. Expensive mistake. I would like to go back to the CF lights but don't want to eat the price of the AI.
That is my experience for what it's worth.

 

[wastedtime]

IME a lot of commercial LED fixtures are high on the blue spectrum, hence washing out colors. Red plants need the right amount of peak red wavelengths to stay red.
My DIY LED fixture was 50% cool whites and 50% neutral whites, and the reds were completely washed out. I switched the cool whites to warm whites and the reds started coming back.

I've seen several reef tanks with the AI Sol's and they look spectacular. Havent seen a planted tank with the AI SOL's yet.

 

[whiptail]

The sol white LED is 6500K. I'm not sure which white it is considered. I have used 6500K CF and they look completely different. The plants looked much greener, and of corse did better. I'll see if they make something that I can change out the blue with.

 

[IWANNAGOFAST]

the problem with the AI's on a planted tank, even the AI white, is that it's 2 cool white xp-g and the 1 blue. It doesn't have the right spectrum due to the 2 cool whites.

 

[pwolfe]

It would sure be nice if someone would make a planted led light that offered a feature set like ai's or radion's. I hate that we are so limited.