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Eco Tech Radions

Sharkey18

By Sharkey18,
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Sharkey18 Legendary Reefer

Sharkey18

Finally getting close to finishing the 250 deep build, but I still need lighting.

 

I am totally on the fence. Do I go with tried and true metal halides or bite the bullet with LEDS. If I go with LEDS I would go with the EcoTech radions (3) despite the ridiculous price.

 

So if you were me what would YOU get?

 

Any body in the club using the radions? If so, for how long and how is your growth and color?

Please help. I need to be pushed in one direction or the other!

 

Laura

Ryan S

Ryan S

Laura, I have 2 Radions over my 150g marineland deep dimension. Do you have the stock marineland canopy, or your own canopy, or is in the tank in-wall? If I didn't have the extremely shallow stock canopy, I probably would've gone with 400w MHs instead of the radions because of the depth of the tank.

Jon Lazar Oracle Reefer

Jon Lazar

Laura, are there any other important factors that would help you decide? For example, our new tank is going to be in the room that receives the most sunlight and is the low 80s throughout the summer. A kilowatt of metal halides will make our room crazy hot.

Swimboy123

Swimboy123

Hey Laura, hope you are doing well. I can't speak for the Radions, but I am a huge fan of LEDs in general. Great coloration, NO HEAT!, and the option of intensity have made me a true believer. I have four of the 60w Cree SWC fixtures, and although I will be selling them soon (tank breakdown) I will be going LED (DIY) in the future! Good luck!

Guest

Guest

Laura, Radions are nice but there are better cheaper options. If I had a tank that big I would put 4 Radions on and maybe 5. Depends what you are trying to grow. You will have some shadowed areas in the tank with 3 radions.

Sharkey18 Legendary Reefer

Sharkey18

  • Author

Well heat is a concern. The tank is in wall and all the equipment is in a back room. There are two windows but they will have blackout shades on them. I am trying to avoid running a chiller.

 

Ryan I have been following your build and I really appreciate all the info you have posted. It's been great to follow along.

 

Byrnes: there is no way I can afford 5 of those radians. The AI's are less expensive, but I don't think they have the same level of customization. What would you suggest?

hlem

hlem

Are you all excited about the sunrise/sunset/storm/random clouds/changing color frequently, ie changing color from 10000k, 15000k, 20000k and back and forward and so on? if so, then radions...

 

if not, then a simple custom DIY LED with various strings of different colors will be save you a lot, a whole lot...

londonloco

londonloco

I've been on the fence also for the 60g Adam is building me. I'd love to purchase 2 Radion's, but the cost is killing me. Adam found this site:

 

http://shop.stevesleds.com/SPS-Grade-LED-Retrofit-Kit-Package-34-44-tanks-SPS-Retrofit-Kit-34-48.htm;jsessionid=E9602B92E3898F0B239BC4B17201A646.qscstrfrnt02

 

and offered to build me an acrylic canopy to house the LED's in. I haven't had the chance to email Steve yet, so I have no other info but what can be seen on his website. I also haven't googled reviews of his work. You wouldn't have the kewl software like with the Radions, but the price is less than half, they are dimmable, and from what I can gather from his website, Steve will customize any setup. He'll even build them for you for an extra charge (click all the way down, he offers a plug and play build and extra heat sinks). Just thought I'd throw this your way also....

DaveS

DaveS

I just finished building an LED fixture (finally!). I have it running next to my 400W MH Radiums. You can come over and take a look to compare if you want.

Integral9

Integral9

I would get LEDs, but for me, the Radions are like the Mercedes SL500. You only buy that if you want that. You can go just as fast and look just as good with much cheaper options.

DaveS

DaveS

I would get LEDs, but for me, the Radions are like the Mercedes SL500. You only buy that if you want that. You can go just as fast and look just as good with much cheaper options.

 

Haha, I wasn't able to find a car with the same combination of speed and looks!

zygote2k

zygote2k

Radions are fancy set ups but are ridiculously expensive. No one can tell you growth or color specs because they've only been on the market for less than 6 months. I can tell you that LED's do in fact grow corals as well or better than halides. This is true with just blue and white emitters. If you're looking for something nice in the LED category, ask Robert Chu (chucelli on WAMAS) to build you one. I have a 3 channel model that he built and I can't complain about anything to do with the fixture. Neat, Clean, Grows Corals.

Integral9

Integral9

Haha, I wasn't able to find a car with the same combination of speed and looks!

Does your wife know you are driving her car? :tongue:

 

seriously though. Let's get back on subject. Back to LEDs....

Sharkey18 Legendary Reefer

Sharkey18

  • Author

OK, So looking for something a little less pricey cause I do not care about thunderstorm mode, I'd probably have a seizure.

 

Any opinion on the ecoray 60d's or the sunbright F series?

 

Laura

Ryan S

Ryan S

(edited)

Laura, there are other advantages to the radions than thunderstorms :) like red and green channels, future puck replacements/upgrades, the best customer service in the industry, amazing software, wireless control, wireless communication to vortech pumps, etc.

 

for the ecoray 60d, you'd need like 10 of them for your tank. that's $3000. i think the ecoray 112d would be better for a 27" deep tank. 6 of those would run $3000 as well. for radions, you'd need 6 which would run $4500. all 3 of these options are big bucks!

Edited by Ryan S
Ryan S

Ryan S

Or you can go with Photon cannons, also a very good light and IMO very close look to MH. Also much cheaper than Radions.

 

Novi would be able to provide further information on these. But they are another option. I think you'd need 6 of them, which would run $3300.

DaveS

DaveS

The LED I just finished replaced a 400w mh lumenbrite dant. It cost about $350 in parts including an over sized heatsink that was $100. Its fully swimmable on blue and white channels.

 

The point being that depending on you tank dimensions, you could do LED lighting for about $1000 in parts. Rob would probably assemble it for you for a few bucks if you wanted to avoid the work.

chucelli

chucelli

(edited)

I would get LEDs, but for me, the Radions are like the Mercedes SL500. You only buy that if you want that. You can go just as fast and look just as good with much cheaper options.

being a Benz enthusiast, I could not disagree more with the analogy.

:tongue:

Edited by chucelli
Sharkey18 Legendary Reefer

Sharkey18

  • Author

Thanks for all the info. I have researching lights for days and for everyone that says something good, there is also something not so good. I am NOT a DIYer so that is not a route I am going to take.

 

Since I can't make a decision i'm just going to work on something else....

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