Setting up the AquaMaxx Prism II Reef Tank Led Couldn’t Be Easier!

Aquamaxx Prism II LED light is a thin profile panel style LED designed to support shallow mixed reef or freshwater planted aquariums. There are two versions based on the included blend of LEDs and the resulting spectrum. The "Marine" version delivers a blue-dominated spectrum that supports photosynthesis among corals while the "Planted" Prisms deliver a natural sunlight spectrum for freshwater plants. 

Both versions are available in four different sizes that will fit aquariums measuring anywhere from 12" to 60" long. The stylish brushed aluminum body is passively cooled and the easy-to-use controller can be set up and programmed in a matter of minutes. All Prism II LEDs include mounting legs which can rest on the ends of your rimmed or rimless aquarium. There is also the Pro Stand available separately if you wish to clamp the light to the back of your tank and adjust the mounting height. 

How to Setup the AquaMaxx Prism II LED 

1. Mount onto your aquarium using the included legs or the Pro Stand. 
2. Attach the controller to the light fixture and power supply. Plugin the light fixture
3. Set the clock using the controller
   1. Unlock the controller by holding the back button for 3 seconds
   2. Use the +/- buttons to scroll through the menu and select "Settings", Click OK
   3. Select "Set Clock", click OK
   4. Set hour and minute using the +/- buttons
   5. Click OK to exit and save time settings
4. Create a Lighting Schedule using Presets (Quick Sets)
   1. Unlock the controller by holding the back button for 3 seconds
   2. Press the +/- button to enter the menu and select "Quick Set", Click OK
   3. Use the +/- buttons to scroll through and select your desired preset, Click OK (preset details are outlined in the user manual)
   4. Click OK to overwrite which saves the selected preset.
5. Your light is ready to grow! 

The included controller does give you the option to create a custom DIY light schedule with 4 color channels and 6 intensity set points. It also has a 2.4 G broadcaster to connect and control multiple Prism II LED lights using the same controller. We would only recommend the use of a DIY spectrum and schedule for tank owners who are confident in their ability to select a successful spectrum and of course, always use a PAR meter to dial in the appropriate intensity for your aquarium.  

How to Pair Multiple AquaMaxx Prism II LEDs

Pairing multiple Prism II LEDs together means you can apply the same settings across multiple light fixtures without having to individually program each one. This is great for using more than one fixture over the same tank and when you want to make changes, those changes apply to all fixtures in the series.

After setting the desired spectrum and photoperiod on your primary Prism II fixture. You want to first set the primary controller as the "broadcaster". This is the main controller where you will make changes. 

1. Press and hold BACK button for 3 seconds to unlock the controller.
2. Press the + button to enter the menu and select "Broadcaster", click OK button
3. Select desired broadcast channel, click OK button
4. Press + button and select "Pairing", change to "Yes"
5. Click OK to save and the controller will now be in "pairing" mode, ready for additional fixtures.

Set the secondary controllers as "receivers" to adopt the same settings you have already programmed on the primary controller.

1. Press and hold the BACK and OK buttons together for 3 seconds.
2. LCD screen should display "Receiver Paired Ch XX" when complete. 
3. Once you have connected all the secondary fixtures, return to the primary broadcasting controller and click BACK button to sync all the controllers.

Why are there 9 separate broadcasting channels and how do I use them?

The Prism controllers feature 9 individual broadcasting channels which allow you to have multiple banks of lights.  This is most opportune for households with multiple light aquariums, all using Aquamaxx Prism II LEDs on different schedules. For example tank#1 would have broadcasting/receiving controllers on channel 1 and tank #2 would be using channel 2.  This way the signals don't get mixed up and you can isolate different tanks. 

How do you change channels, stop broadcasting or stop receiving?

To change the broadcasting channel, use the primary broadcasting controller and select a new channel under the "Broadcast" menu. You will then need to put the primary controller into pairing mode and reconnect all of the secondary Prism fixtures on the new channel. 

To stop broadcasting, use the primary controller and turn OFF pairing under the "Broadcast" menu. For receiving fixtures, just hold the BACK button for 3 seconds to unlock the controller and remove it from pairing mode. 

Can you pair MARINE and PLANTED Freshwater Prism II LED fixtures?

Yes, you can pair a MARINE fixture with a PLANTED tank fixture but this would be incredibly uncommon because the fixtures have different applications that probably won't mirror each other.  The color channels below refer to each of the various LED colors the fixtures have.

How To Create a Custom Schedule

The Prism II light controller comes with the ability to create a custom schedule that would be used instead of selecting a preset.  When creating a custom scheduled or a reef tank or planted aquarium, it is important to provide the appropriate spectrum and intensity of light for your tank so be sure to have a solid understanding of this requirement before deciding to customize your schedule. 

First, you want to put the controller in manual mode and experiment with the color channels to find the right intensity and spectrum for your tank. Using a PAR meter is recommended to verify you are providing sufficient light to support coral or plant growth. Find the maximum intensity and color-channel mixing you want for the peak photoperiod.

Put controller into Manual Mode

1. 1. Press the OK or SELECT button for 3 seconds until you see an M on the screen.
   2. Press the OK button to wake up the controller
   3. Press OK again to access the 4 color channels.
   4. Use the +/- buttons to select the color channels and change each intensity
   5. Measure performance using a PAR meter under the Prism II LEDs and decide the peak intensity setting for each color channel, and write it down. 

Create Custom Schedule - Save 5 setpoints (dawn, sunrise, midday, dusk, and night) for all four color channels. The fixture automatically ramps the LEDs between each setpoint allowing you to create a natural photoperiod using only four setpoints.   

1. 1. Unlock the controller by holding the BACK button for 3 seconds
   2. Press the + button to access the menu and select "Auto Mode", click OK
   3. Press the + button to highlight "Channel A", click OK
   4. Use the +/- buttons to set the "Dawn" time which is the time of day the light will start turning ON, Click OK to save.
   5. Use the +/- buttons to set the "Intensity" which is most likely going to be 0% to create a soft ramping period in the morning, click OK to save.
   6. Use the +/- buttons to set the "Sunrise" time and intensity which is the next setpoint in your schedule.  If sunrise is set to 50%, the light will ramp from 0% at dawn time to 50% at sunrise time.
   7. Use the +/- buttons to set the "Midday" setpoint which should be your peak output, and click OK to save. The light will continue to ramp from the sunrise setpoint to the midday setpoint.
   8. Use the +/- buttons to set the "Dusk" setpoint which would be similar to your sunrise in terms of intensity.  The fixture will ramp down from your midday setpoint to the dusk setpoint.
   9. Finally, use the +/- buttons to set the "Night" setpoint to 0% which is when the lights will turn OFF.*
   10. Repeat the process for each color channel using the peak intensity settings you decided previously using a PAR meter. You should set the time of day at each setpoint to be the same for each color channel. In other words if dawn is at 6am on Channel A, dawn on Channel B should also be at 6 am. 

*You can create a lunar light by setting the "night" setpoint to a very low percentage intensity on one channel only. That channel will continue to run throughout the night at the low percentage and slowly ramp down to the dawn setpoint.