Fixture · Aqua Illumination · LED puck
AI Hydra 32 HD
Workhorse SPS-capable puck. Hits high PAR with even spread thanks to TIR optics. Most-cloned design in the hobby.
At a glance
- Max draw
- 90 W
- Coverage
- 24″ × 24″ at 8″
- Mounting height
- 8″
- Street price
- $475
PAR at depth (μmol/m²/s)
| Depth | Center | Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 600 | 220 | |
| 12″ | 380 | 140 | Typical SPS-top zone |
| 18″ | 230 | 90 | |
| 24″ | 150 | 55 |
All readings corrected for underwater use. Center = directly under fixture; edge = at the 24″ × 24″ footprint edge. PAR varies by individual fixture setup, mount type, and tank glass — use these as a sizing baseline, then measure with your own meter.
Spectrum channels
- uv
- violet
- royal blue
- blue
- cyan
- green
- red
- cool white
Best for
- SPS
- Mixed reef
- Large frags
Pros
- + Excellent spread without supplemental T5
- + myAI app (also Mobius-compatible)
- + Replaceable LED clusters
Cons
- − Pricey vs Chinese clones
- − Shimmer is moderate vs HEI / metal halide
Where to buy
Affiliate links
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PAR data source
BRS Hydra HD lighting test video (2021); manufacturer spec.
Next steps
- Correct your PAR meter reading using the PAR underwater calculator — uncorrected, the Apogee MQ-500 reads about 24 % low underwater (×1.32) and the older MQ-200 about 7 % low (×1.08); the MQ-510 corrects itself.
- Convert peak PAR to DLI with the DLI calculator — that's the metric corals actually care about.
- Reference the lighting guide for PAR targets by coral type.
Last reviewed