Hot on the heels of the Sole dosing pump launch is a new, separate component to the Hydros control and monitoring system – a dedicated LED aquarium light.
Named the Hydros XHO, the new light comprises a 300x66mm long PCB populated with a total of 77 unlensed diodes – 28 white, 28 blue, and 21 violet. The blue has the rich pop of the original XHO light bars that ReefBrite is famous for, while the violet strives to add the actinic glow and coloration to corals that metal halides users crave.
The white channel is made up of two different white diodes which, according to ReefBrite owner Tullio Dellaquila provide a fuller, broader spectrum, and going by the graphics being shown off by Hydros owners CoralVue, they all combine to provide a very broad spectrum indeed.
It is white light that grows corals according to Tullio, and a recent trip to the Florida Keys and readings taken at 15 feet down confirm that. It is anything but blue light at that depth, he says in a recent CoralVue podcast, and we know that will make Reef Builders’ resident biologist Salem Clemens very happy to hear that, as he champions full spectrum lighting in his latest article.
Hydros Control
The three spectrums are divided into seven individually controllable channels, which will be controllable via the Hydros app. However, you don’t have to be running a Hydros controller to control the Hydros XHO; it can be used as a standalone unit. Hydros provides not one but three moonlight channels and ReefBrite already has years of working with captive coral spawning programs so know the type of moonlight and the programs necessary to trigger them to spawn in aquaria.
We don’t know the total power consumption, par readings, or the price of the Hydros XHO yet, though we know that it is passively cooled and will come in six sizes from 12″ – 71″ long, made up of one or multiples of that 300mm array. We like that CoralVue chose to separate their product from others in the market, not compete toe to toe on like-for-like features, total power, and design.
We are very much looking forward to playing with that fuller white spectrum as well as the multiple moonlight settings, and we think the Hydros XHO is a fitting lighting component for what is already a unique and constantly evolving product ecosystem.
