Fixture · Aqua Illumination · LED puck
AI Hydra 64 HD
Double the Hydra 32's output, twice the price. Right answer for tanks over 30″ wide or deeper than 24″.
At a glance
- Max draw
- 160 W
- Coverage
- 30″ × 30″ at 9″
- Mounting height
- 9″
- Street price
- $690
PAR at depth (μmol/m²/s)
| Depth | Center | Edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6″ | 850 | 320 | |
| 12″ | 540 | 210 | |
| 18″ | 340 | 130 | |
| 24″ | 220 | 85 |
All readings corrected for underwater use. Center = directly under fixture; edge = at the 30″ × 30″ 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
- High-light SPS
- Tall tanks
- Mixed reef
Pros
- + Penetrates 30″+ deep tanks
- + Cluster-replaceable LEDs
- + Same myAI app as Hydra 32
Cons
- − Heat in cabinet without good ventilation
- − Overkill for ≤ 24″ tanks
Where to buy
Affiliate links
AI Hydra 64HDRoughly double the Hydra 32's output for tanks over 30 in wide or deep.View on Amazon →
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, reefcalcs earns from qualifying purchases.
PAR data source
Manufacturer + Reef2Reef PAR database aggregate.
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