Ecotech Radions

[flowerseller]

Who has them?

What do you have?

How do you like them?

[epleeds]

I have 3 Gen 3 Pro’s that replaces my T5 fixture 8x80. I have run T5 for 10+ years and never thought I would make the switch.

 

Now that I have, it’s been over 6 months, I can say why the $/@$: did I wait so long.

 

There is less heat, better color and so easy to adjust via the reeflink.

 

Granted I bought them used, couldn’t justify buying 3 brand new units but so worth it in my opinion. Worth every penny.

[Viktoriia]

I have 2 gen 4 pros. Since you are close by let me know if you want to stop by and take a look.

[miggs76]

I like my radion, gen 2. I switched to t5s though and I can say that I have slightly better colors now.

[Mattiejay6]

I have been researching the crap out of the ecotech lights since I never used them before. I follow alot of the BRS episodes and have seen WWC uses the radions for their tanks. I am sold on them now and going to be getting the xr15's for my new build, to more evenly spread the lights out.

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Don't have them, but I've seen them and considered them.  

 

Some people say that Radion is the best LED. Other people say that LEDs are nowhere near as good (IIRC for SPS) as T5s and metal halides.   

 

They're quite pricey and big, IMO.   That being said, I'm a Kessil user and if you use an appropriate number of Kessils (e.g. 1 360W for each 18" to get 200+ PAR in the main part of the tank, , ref: BRS's review of the 360).   If you're looking for softies or sps, especially in smaller tanks, you don't need so much light.

 

Radion's app apparently lets you play with the spectrum as you like.   Kessil is much simpler: you get a certain intensity of blue light, and you can add green/red by turning a dial.    

 

I think that you need the wxm module to use the radions with an apex.   You can just plug the kessils directly into the port in the apex, IIRC.  (I'm researching this now, but don't have an apex yet).    

[YHSublime]

Radions are good if you like the bells and whistles. 

 

IMO you can do the same for cheaper, like the Ocean Revives. If you can afford Radions, go crazy! I ran 3 Gen 3's on my old 150, probably should have run 4 instead, but see price point. 

[Ryan S]

I used to have 2 radions over a 150g 3x3 tank with SPS. 1 400w MH dominated them in both color (20k bulb) and growth rate. radions produced less heat, used less electric, and had fancy setting ability, but the 400w MH and annual bulb cost was cheap compared to the cost of 2 new radions.  I think if I were to go non-sps, i would be fine with LEDs like the radions, but having had radions and a 400w MH over SPS and seeing the vast (not even close) growth rate difference, MH all the way.

[KingOfAll_Tyrants]

Don't have them, but I've seen them and considered them.  

 

Some people say that Radion is the best LED. Other people say that LEDs are nowhere near as good (IIRC for SPS) as T5s and metal halides.   

 

They're quite pricey and big, IMO.   That being said, I'm a Kessil user and if you use an appropriate number of Kessils (e.g. 1 360W for each 18" to get 200+ PAR in the main part of the tank, , ref: BRS's review of the 360), IT'S ABOUT AS EXPENSIVE.   If you're looking for softies or sps, especially in smaller tanks, you don't need so much light.

 

Radion's app apparently lets you play with the spectrum as you like.   Kessil is much simpler: you get a certain intensity of blue light, and you can add green/red by turning a dial.    

 

I think that you need the wxm module to use the radions with an apex.   You can just plug the kessils directly into the port in the apex, IIRC.  (I'm researching this now, but don't have an apex yet).    

 

Sorry for the typo, fixed in caps.  

Edited July 10, 2018 by KingOfAll_Tyrants

[YHSublime]

Just to clarify, the OP was asking about Ecotech LED's. Something tells me Chip is well versed in the pros and cons of Halides and T5's. 

[Mattiejay6]

the nice thing about Ecotech is their coral lab results and the fact they have proven spectrum settings you can use.. love it!

[going deep]

i have two gen4 pros with diffusers over my sps 100 gal tank.  Adding the diffusers made a huge difference for me.  Dont have t5 or halide experience so can't compare coloration and growth.  Adjustability of intensity and spectrum and low power and heat is why I went with LEDs.

[gmerek2]

Based on my experience acros can take more par with T5. If I turn my ocean revive up passed 250 par I see problems. My Kessil tank grow acros just as fast but I lost a lot of time fine tuning them (run them full blast) So my opinion wrapped up into a quick sentence: LEDs have a learning curve with all the adjustability but can be just as good as T5, where as T5 is a set it and forget it. Now I have never owned radion and there is a lot of info out there on them so that will be the way to get out of the adjustability learning curve.

[madweazl]

Darkseeker has some nice looking acroporas and he's running the AB+ profile I believe. I believe he is using about 350-375 PAR over most of them.

[CK Reef]

Who has them?

What do you have?

How do you like them?

I started with G3 Pros, and now is G4 Pros. I'd say it's well worth the switch, the new lens on G4 Pros make a huge difference. In short, G4 Pros solve the LED's hot spots problem, but the shimmering look is still a pain to some people (which can be solve by a diffuser, but you will have to sacrifice the intensity).

 

Darkseeker has some nice looking acroporas and he's running the AB+ profile I believe. I believe he is using about 350-375 PAR over most of them.

Yes sir, I'm running AB+ and ramp it up to 100% brightness. My highest spot is around 450-475 and the other spots are around 350, even my sand bed has over 200 (my LPS didn't like it, lol). Honestly, it depends on what corals you're keeping and the placement. 

 

IME, T5s alone don't give me a satisfying result, G4 Pros are good enough but I'm thinking about adding some T5s supplement to see how it looks. 

[Origami]

I have three Gen 3 XR30W Pro's over my main display and like them just fine (for similar reasons to Epleeds). I've even contemplated adding 2 more to the frag tank, but have continued to run cheaper Chinese LEDs over that tank. Mine are wirelessly controlled via my Apex through their WXM module.