Blade Refugium LED Light - 12" - Aqua Illumination
Blade Refugium LED Light - 12" - Aqua Illumination
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The AI Blade Refugium is a purpose-built LED strip light for hobbyists who take their nutrient export seriously. Where most refugium lights are afterthoughts, the Blade was designed from the ground up with a horticultural spectrum — 6x Red, 6x Royal Blue, 6x Cool White, and 6x 430nm diodes per cluster — calibrated to drive macroalgae growth rather than coral photosynthesis. Suspend it over a chaeto or caulerpa refugium in your sump and it functions as an active biological filter, pulling nutrients out of the water column through plant growth rather than chemical means.
What separates the Blade platform from generic strip LEDs is AquaIllumination's EdgeField optics system. The modular cluster layout and 95-degree spread allow light to wrap around tank structures and rockwork, producing a smooth, even blanket of illumination with minimal hotspots or hard shadows. The optics also generate a natural shimmer effect without the need for water movement over a glass lens — a subtle but noticeable quality-of-life improvement in any display area.
For larger refugiums or sumps requiring broader coverage, multiple Blade strips can be linked together. Three or more units run in parallel approach the evenness of a T5 bank, without the heat output or bulb replacement cost. The Blade can also serve as supplemental fill lighting alongside existing pendant fixtures, making it a flexible addition to almost any system configuration. Mounting options include the included Tank Rest, as well as separately available Elevated Tank Rest, Hanging Kit, Hybrid Mount, and HMS Adapter Arm — plus M8 threads at each end for fully custom solutions.
Control is handled through AquaIllumination's myAI or Mobius apps on iOS and Android, where you can set spectrum intensity, build custom schedules, or pull from preset templates. For reef keepers already running a Neptune Apex controller, MXM compatibility brings the Blade under Apex Fusion control alongside EcoTech Marine equipment — no additional hub or app switching required. Onboard controls allow basic spectrum cycling without any app at all. The unit is passively cooled, fully silent, and IP66-rated for water resistance — a meaningful spec in the splash-prone refugium environment.
Overview
Grow. Filter. Control.
The Blade Refugium is built around one goal: optimizing macroalgae growth for natural nutrient export. Here is what makes it the right tool for the job.
Refugium Spectrum
- Horticultural red and blue blend tuned for macroalgae, not coral
- 24 diodes per cluster: 6x Red, 6x Royal Blue, 6x Cool White, 6x 430nm
- Drives chaeto, caulerpa, and other nutrient-exporting macroalgae
EdgeField Optics
- 95-degree spread wraps light around rockwork and baffles
- Even PAR distribution reduces hotspots and shadowing
- Natural shimmer effect without additional hardware
- Scales to T5-level evenness when three or more units are combined
Flexible Control
- Wireless control via myAI or Mobius apps on iOS and Android
- MXM-compatible for Neptune Apex and Apex Fusion integration
- Onboard controls for spectrum cycling without an app
- IP66 water resistance and passive, noiseless cooling
Features
Four-Channel LED Cluster Layout
Each cluster group contains 24 diodes split equally across Cool White, Royal Blue, 430nm UV, and Red channels. The balanced diode arrangement within each cluster is central to the Blade's even color mixing and shimmer output.
Refugium Baseline Spectrum, 360–750nm
The spectral output chart shows the Blade Refugium's energy distribution across the full 360–750nm range, with peaks in the red and blue wavelengths most useful for macroalgae photosynthesis. The profile is distinct from AI's coral-oriented Blade variants.
3, 4, and 6-Unit Array Configurations
Multiple Blade strips can be suspended in parallel using the optional Hanging Kit, with 3, 4, or 6-bar arrays supported. Running three or more units together produces light evenness comparable to a T5 bank while maintaining greater efficiency.
Tank Rest Mount, In Situ
The included low-profile Tank Rest mounts directly on the aquarium rim and extends up to 4.5 inches on either side of the fixture. The slim housing keeps the Blade close to the water surface without obstructing access to the tank.
Specifications
BLADE REFUGIUM LED — 12"
- Dimensions
- 12.1"L x 2.8"W x 0.7"H (Tank Rest adds up to 9" additional length)
- LEDs per Cluster
- 6x Royal Blue, 6x 430nm, 6x Red, 6x Cool White
- Power Consumption
- 20W at full power
- Input Voltage
- 100–240V AC / 50–60Hz
- Cable Length
- 9.8 ft (3m)
- Water Resistance
- IP66
- Cooling
- Passive (fanless)
- PSU Compliance
- UL, CE, RoHS
- Wireless Control
- myAI app, Mobius app (iOS & Android)
- Third-Party Integration
- MXM — Neptune Apex / Apex Fusion compatible
- What's Included
- 1x 12" AI Blade Refugium, 1x Power Adapter, 1x Blade Tank Rest