AI Vega review

Good to hear things are looking better.
I'm planning on upgrading all mine, but still deciding between the Hydra and the Vega. Maybe I'll get 2 of each and do a side by side comparison....

 

It would be interesting to see a side by side comparison. Rated output is the same at 95w, and I have heard this rumor of the hydra not being as powerful as the Vega. But how much of that is due to the frosted optics, or just the different arrangement of LEDs. I think the vega runs a higher wattage on the white channel, or at least the LED is capable of more output depending on how hard they have it pushed. The hydra really favors the blue down into the UV spectrum though. Less, but more efficient royal blue LEDs, 4 Very deep blue emitters on the hydra as opposed to the 2 deep blue on the vega, plus the violet and the UV that are not in the vega. Well violet is in the sol upgrade option, but not in the regular vega fixture it looks like.
I'm wondering if the "lack of power" talk is more of a visual thing because it doesn't look as bright. Kind of like how you thought the vega looked dim compared to the sol white. But the corals seemed to respond better to your new lighting.

Damnit, now I'm worse off than before and want to try them both.

 

yea, but that adds an additional cost of the pucks at $50/each. The Vegas supposedly have 20 channels of control vs. the 7 on the hydra, but is that actually functional? I think controlling each color string is plenty of control. Unless you want to use your lights at a rave or something.