![]() The light comes in two colors- black or white- and two, sold separately, mounting options. ![]() ![]() One of the three biggest selling points (the other two being its price and controllability) is AI Prime’s compact size. The maximum power consumption is rated at 50 W. Aquaillumination advertises Prime as having a 30” x 30” total light spread at 12 “ with an effective range of 24” at 12” from the lenses. Prime comes with only one choice of lens angle of light spread, which is understandable given the fact this light is aimed for shallow nano tanks and aquariums not deeper than 20” (when combining several Primes together). A single-mold acrylic cover, complete with 80 degree lenses, sits on top of the LED cluster. It’s safe to assume Aquaillumination chooses Blue instead of Royal Blue to bump up brightness, as Blue LEDs look significantly brighter to the human eye. It’s worth mentioning that AI Prime LED array is very similar to the one used in the company’s flagship Hydra panels, with the exception of 3 CREE XP-E2 Blue emitters as opposed to Hydra’s Cree Royal Blue. The LED array consists of:Īs you see in the above diagram, taken from the AI Prime spec sheet, emitters are wisely spread around the cluster, with four cool white LEDs on the outside “corners”, three Cree XP-E2 Blue across the middle and the rest of the colors arranged tightly in a hexagon shape. The LED arrangement was designed for a maximum light efficiency and optimized color blending, which means that AI tried their best to squeeze out high PAR and PUR numbers while avoiding the so-called “disco effect” where individual colors overlap each other rather than blend together, creating an unpleasant “rainbow” look to the tank. There are 13 LEDs arranged in a star shaped cluster and divided into seven 7 independent channels. ![]() I simply bought the light to install it on my nano tank and was then inspired to write an article about its performance.ĪI Prime is a very compact light featuring a single cluster of LEDs mounted on a PCB board with individual lenses for each emitter. I should mention before I start that I have no relation to Aquaillumination and I do not receive any financial compensation from the company for writing this review. Let’s see how these claims turn out in real life, starting with the hard facts. AI advertises the light as being the most affordable, smallest, and brightest LED panel with full control over the color spectrum. Designed after the merger of the two largest US aquarium LED lights manufacturers – Aquaillumination and Ecotech Marine, the combined forces of engineers from these two companies allowed for the creation of a product the aquarium scene has not seen before. Until now …Įnter Aquaillumination Prime, one of the very few LED lights with built-in controller readily available in North American markets. Fish tank lighting manufacturers, trying to keep up with the trend, implemented at least some level of automation into their fixtures, most often through auxiliary controllers and wireless hubs that consumer had to pay extra for. Moreover, the technology changes so quickly, it drives prices down to the point that nowadays, an LED is a common technology most people come into contact with it in everyday life . These days, a cellphone-controlled light bulb or an advanced smoke detector that sends text messages to home owners whenever it detects carbon monoxide are a reality within reach of the average consumer. While the aquarium and horticulture industries were among the first to adapt this new source of artificial light, home improvement businesses quickly followed, and went over and beyond with the introduction of home automation systems, where electronic devices are connected to a central hub and can be remotely accessed and controlled through an interface installed on computers and mobile devices. Being involved with high-end residential construction business, I’ve witnessed LEDs “rise to dominance” in a relatively short period of time. Aquarium lighting has undergone a revolution in recent years, overwhelmingly because of the introduction of high power light emitting diodes, or LEDs.
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