Beginner Light Settings for Nano Reefs Using the AI Prime 16 HD

Reef lighting can feel super intimidating at first—especially with all those sliders in the MyAI app for the Prime 16 HD. But don't worry—you don’t need to be a lighting expert to get started. Here's a simple breakdown to help you light your tank with confidence.

Basic Beginner Light Schedule

For most soft corals and beginner LPS (like zoas, mushrooms, green star polyps), you can use this safe and effective starting point:

Basic AI Prime 16 HD Settings (Acclimation Mode ON):

• UV: 20%
• Violet: 30%
• Royal Blue: 60%
• Blue: 80%
• Green: 0–5% (Optional—some keep them off)
• Red: 0–5% (Optional—some keep them off)
• Moonlight: 5%
• Cool White: 10%
• Intensity: Start at 30–40% overall and increase slowly over weeks

Photoperiod:

• Ramp up from 9:00 AM
• Peak lighting from 11:00 AM–6:00 PM
• Ramp down until 8:00 PM
  (Use the Acclimation Mode for the first 3–4 weeks to gradually increase intensity)

Acclimating Your Tank to Light

If you're just adding corals or starting a new tank, always acclimate your reef to light—too much too soon can bleach or shock corals. AI Prime has a built-in Acclimation Mode (in the app):

• Set duration: 3–4 weeks
• Start intensity: Lower than your goal (e.g., 30%)
• Let it ramp up slowly over time

This helps your corals ease into their new environment and reduces stress.

Signs of Too Much Light

• Coral looks bleached (faded or white)
• Polyps stay retracted or closed most of the day
• Algae blooms (if paired with high nutrients)
• Coral tissue may burn or peel back from skeletons (in LPS)

Signs of Too Little Light

• Corals become dull, browned out, or stop growing
• Zoas stay closed and don’t spread
• Mushrooms shrink or stretch upward (called “reaching” or “melting”)
• GSP may not open at all

How to Adjust Safely

• Adjust in small increments (5–10%) once a week
• Use PAR meters (if available) to shoot for safe ranges:
  • Soft corals: 50–100 PAR
  • LPS: 80–150 PAR
  • SPS (advanced): 200+ PAR

Don’t crank everything to 100%. More light isn’t always better—stability and balance matter more.

What About Feeding Time?

It’s totally fine to leave lights on during feeding, especially if your corals are photosynthetic (most are). But you can:

• Turn down flow + leave lights on for coral feeding
• Feed fish anytime during your lighting window
• If you do target feed at night, lower lights or use blues only for a calmer experience

Quick Tips

• Keep your spectrum blue-heavy—corals love it, and it helps reduce algae
• Set and forget—don’t tweak daily
• Take photos once a week to track coral color/growth under your current lighting
• Don’t compare your tank to Instagram tanks running 100% intensity!

Final Thought

The AI Prime 16 HD is an amazing light for nano reefs—but start slow, watch your corals, and trust the process. You can always increase intensity later, but it’s a lot harder to reverse damage from too much too soon.

Let your reef grow at its own pace—and enjoy the glow.