Radion XR30w Pro G4

Jmunk · 01/25/2017, 09:43 PM

I'm seriously considering (as in picking them up tomorrow) two new radion pros for my 90G mixed. I'm using 6 bulb T5 now, but I've tried Kessils and wasn't impressed. They were too dim and I hated the shadowing.

With the new G4's, it seems they really nailed coverage.

Can anyone with these lights post pictures of your tank/experiences with them? Convince me to join the club - or not!

Rakie · 01/25/2017, 10:40 PM

The best LED lit tanks have T5 supp, the best T5 tanks don't need LED sup, but often have them.

2 lighting sources > 1 lighting source

A local near me is running a 6 bulb T5 with 2 Radion G4 facing towards the back, the T5 are hung directly above.

Radions are cool. It wouldn't be foolish to get them, but it *would* be foolish to replace your T5 with them.

Jmunk · 01/25/2017, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakie

The best LED lit tanks have T5 supp, the best T5 tanks don't need LED sup, but often have them.

2 lighting sources > 1 lighting source

A local near me is running a 6 bulb T5 with 2 Radion G4 facing towards the back, the T5 are hung directly above.

Radions are cool. It wouldn't be foolish to get them, but it *would* be foolish to replace your T5 with them.

I'm not so sure that's true. There have been a ton of tanks recently exclusively lit by LED's that are thriving.

Rakie · 01/26/2017, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmunk

I'm not so sure that's true. There have been a ton of tanks recently exclusively lit by LED's that are thriving.

Most of which have a about 1 Radion per 1x2' section. 4' tank? 4 radions.

I don't think 2 will truly cut it if you're planning SPS mixed, if you mean non SPS like just softies and LPS mixed, than that will be plenty.

Had radion, switched to T5+Radion, saw dramatic improvement, went to T5 only.

TigeBell · 01/26/2017, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakie

Most of which have a about 1 Radion per 1x2' section. 4' tank? 4 radions.

I don't think 2 will truly cut it if you're planning SPS mixed, if you mean non SPS like just softies and LPS mixed, than that will be plenty.

Had radion, switched to T5+Radion, saw dramatic improvement, went to T5 only.

Where are you finding this information about Radions only covering a 1'x2'? Last I checked, Ecotech has stated that a 2'x2' was good along with others on this forum.

I had three Ecotech Radion Pro V3 over a 72x30x30 foot tank. SPS and the Gig were just fine at 60% power.

I can see supplemental lighting and there are a few on this forum with LED's and T5 but LED's will grow coral if that is the only light source someone has.

TigeBell · 01/26/2017, 12:44 AM

gig with Radion's

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2500069

LQT · 01/26/2017, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TigeBell

Where are you finding this information about Radions only covering a 1'x2'? Last I checked, Ecotech has stated that a 2'x2' was good along with others on this forum.

Manufacturers often overstate their coverage claims. Look at the puck layout on an XR30... physically speaking, how can the axis with 2 pucks side by have a 2' length of coverage while on the other axis with one single puck have that same 2' of coverage?

TigeBell · 01/26/2017, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LQT

Manufacturers often overstate their coverage claims. Look at the puck layout on an XR30... physically speaking, how can the axis with 2 pucks side by have a 2' length of coverage while on the other axis with one single puck have that same 2' of coverage?

Ecotech states a 36"x36" coverage (http://radion.ecotechmarine.com/) but 24"x24" is suggested for a SPS dominate tank as a rule of thumb IMO.

I understand that the way the pucks are you are not going to get a true square of light coverage. However, you are going to get more then a 1'x2'.

No, I am not on the Ecotech bandwagon either. I am just stating my previous experience with the product. However, if I were to be in the market to purchase any LED light right now, the Mitras LX7 would be my top contender. $.02

LQT · 01/26/2017, 01:12 AM

Yeah, I'm a big fan of the new Mitras LX7s too. Love the puck layout as well as the fact that they use reflectors for the LED arrays as opposed to lenses. I think the Mitras as well as the Philips CoralCare are best new innovations in LED Reef lighting to date.

Rakie · 01/26/2017, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TigeBell

Where are you finding this information about Radions only covering a 1'x2'? Last I checked, Ecotech has stated that a 2'x2' was good along with others on this forum.

I had three Ecotech Radion Pro V3 over a 72x30x30 foot tank. SPS and the Gig were just fine at 60% power.

I can see supplemental lighting and there are a few on this forum with LED's and T5 but LED's will grow coral if that is the only light source someone has.

This isn't 'information', this is looking at extremely successful tanks. Radions only light a 36x36 area when they are 4' above the tank, they leave that out of the sentence though. The most successful and colorful tanks that were pure LED seemed to have 1 AI 52 or XR30 every 12-16".

Look at sahin's old thread, he was running 3 XR30 pro G3's on a 40g tank and his SPS were not too happy with the change.

I think LED's are great, but unless you double down on the recommendation you're going to start struggling when SPS get truly large.

luvreefs23 · 01/26/2017, 05:37 AM

I just put a pair of G4 pros on my 120 reef 4x2x2, I also have 2 kessil a360 we and a 36" t5 LET retro fit with coral plus bulbs. Tomorrow my my apogee full spectrum smart par meter arrives cause I don't want to play the guessing game or decide to roll with someone's advice on here cause it was worded intelligently. If you wanna wait a few days I'll post hard evidence with par numbers and depth with a par meter meant for taking readings under LED lighting.

luvreefs23 · 01/26/2017, 05:40 AM

Here's kessils and G4 pro radions at about 40%. Very bright, t5s off

max6297 · 01/26/2017, 06:30 AM

This is my 3" tank with Radion G2 with wide lens and T-5 supplement.

It is about 80% sps.

ktownhero · 01/26/2017, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakie

Most of which have a about 1 Radion per 1x2' section. 4' tank? 4 radions.

I don't think 2 will truly cut it if you're planning SPS mixed, if you mean non SPS like just softies and LPS mixed, than that will be plenty.

Had radion, switched to T5+Radion, saw dramatic improvement, went to T5 only.

That's entirely false. A typical 4' tank would use 2 xr30w pro G4 to keep SPS or 2 xr15w pro G4 for a mixed reef.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

TigeBell · 01/26/2017, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakie

This isn't 'information', this is looking at extremely successful tanks. Radions only light a 36x36 area when they are 4' above the tank, they leave that out of the sentence though. The most successful and colorful tanks that were pure LED seemed to have 1 AI 52 or XR30 every 12-16".

Look at sahin's old thread, he was running 3 XR30 pro G3's on a 40g tank and his SPS were not too happy with the change.

I think LED's are great, but unless you double down on the recommendation you're going to start struggling when SPS get truly large.

My radions where exactly 10" off the water and easily lighting the bottom of my 280 gallon tank (72x30x30) easily and the light rays were bouncing off the glass 1/2 way up the glass. With my experience with Radions and the 1.5 years that they were hanging over my tank, the information that you are providing is inaccurate. Do you have any personal experience with Radions?
Obviously I didn't have to put my Radions 4' above the water level to achieve a 30x30 coverage.

The people that are hanging three lights per 4' of tank are doing so to reduce shading/disco ball affect and definitely don't have the brightness turned up 100%.

I just wish my geometry was better. Last geometry class was over 33 years ago ago. (dang I am old... lol)

Anyways, here is what I can come up with an others can chime in if I am incorrect in my calculations.

Radions have 90 degree lenses and from what I can calculate, a point that is 30" above the base (bottom of the tank) will have a base of 60". so a 4x2x2 tank will place the lights 6" above the water line (not recommended and I believe the suggested height is 9-10 inches) will cover more then the 12"x24" area that is being suggested. Again, someone can check my calculations to verify.

Rakie · 01/26/2017, 09:12 AM

Quote:

The people that are hanging three lights per 4' of tank are doing so to reduce shading/disco ball affect and definitely don't have the brightness turned up 100%.

Pretty much what I was *trying* to say, the shadowing is what becomes the major issue for hard corals.

Jmunk · 01/26/2017, 10:34 AM

See, the reason why I'm interested in the new radions, when I didn't like the Kessils, is particularly because of the dimness and immense shadowing I was having. Now obviously, I don't expect it to be near the coverage of my T5's, but if I can get all the benefits of LED's while having the upgraded coverage of the new radions, than that would be perfect for me.

Rakie · 01/26/2017, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmunk

See, the reason why I'm interested in the new radions, when I didn't like the Kessils, is particularly because of the dimness and immense shadowing I was having. Now obviously, I don't expect it to be near the coverage of my T5's, but if I can get all the benefits of LED's while having the upgraded coverage of the new radions, than that would be perfect for me.

And it would likely be enough for a mixed reef -- But an extremely dense SPS reef would suffer as it becomes grown in.

If you plan to keep SPS, I would just give them placement priority -- And you should be fine.

I would however, urge you to at least keep a 2 bulb T5 retrofit. Just two bulbs alone will have a dramatic impact on your reef.

Jmunk · 01/26/2017, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakie

And it would likely be enough for a mixed reef -- But an extremely dense SPS reef would suffer as it becomes grown in.

If you plan to keep SPS, I would just give them placement priority -- And you should be fine.

I would however, urge you to at least keep a 2 bulb T5 retrofit. Just two bulbs alone will have a dramatic impact on your reef.

I gotcha. Would it be odd to say that I'm honestly not looking for/expecting an extremely dense SPS tank? I'm looking more for something that keeps the corals healthy, but equally as important, keep the tank looking great (coral colors, shimmer, etc).

Coral growth is obviously important, but that's not my main goal.

Rakie · 01/26/2017, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmunk

I gotcha. Would it be odd to say that I'm honestly not looking for/expecting an extremely dense SPS tank? I'm looking more for something that keeps the corals healthy, but equally as important, keep the tank looking great (coral colors, shimmer, etc).

Coral growth is obviously important, but that's not my main goal.

Not at all! But when someone says mixed reef I just want to point out what type of mixed reefs it's suited for, and which ones it would fall short on.

honestly, even a fairly SPS heavy reef should be just fine.. But once it's halfway towards TOTM grown in, you're gonna have issues.

But a few pieces, or even quite a few well placed pieces with room to grow? No problem

Jmunk · 01/26/2017, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rakie

Not at all! But when someone says mixed reef I just want to point out what type of mixed reefs it's suited for, and which ones it would fall short on.

honestly, even a fairly SPS heavy reef should be just fine.. But once it's halfway towards TOTM grown in, you're gonna have issues.

But a few pieces, or even quite a few well placed pieces with room to grow? No problem

Yeah, makes sense. The only thing I'm worried about is the actual way the tank will look. I hope it's not going to be just Kessils all over again, and I won't be impressed at all.

Which definitely COULD happen, so I'm a little weary of making the change.

scuzy · 01/26/2017, 03:06 PM

Go with two Mitras lx7 more pucks even spread of lighting.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

alton · 01/26/2017, 04:12 PM

Not interested in what works but I just want to share a friends 90 gallon tank (36x24x25) with 1 Gen. 1 Radion set at 70% that he has had on this tank for years.

Rakie · 01/26/2017, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alton

Not interested in what works but I just want to share a friends 90 gallon tank (36x24x25) with 1 Gen. 1 Radion set at 70% that he has had on this tank for years.

That's a great example of what I was trying to describe, thanks for posting!!

Crit21 · 03/17/2019, 11:54 PM

According to BRStv Investigates: A complete look at the Ecotech Radion XR30 G4 PRO LED Lights (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA3Z...0&pbjreload=10), when they did measurements 9" above the tank usting the AB+ settings, they got massive PAR readings. They even measured with the lights 2 feet above the tank and still got high readings, but ended up with a more even PAR spread across the tank.

01/25/2017, 09:43 PM	#1
Jmunk Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 686	Radion XR30w Pro G4 I'm seriously considering (as in picking them up tomorrow) two new radion pros for my 90G mixed. I'm using 6 bulb T5 now, but I've tried Kessils and wasn't impressed. They were too dim and I hated the shadowing. With the new G4's, it seems they really nailed coverage. Can anyone with these lights post pictures of your tank/experiences with them? Convince me to join the club - or not! __________________ 90G \| Eshopps S-120 Skimmer \| RS200 Sump \| 5 fish \| Mixed Reef \| Up and running ~ 18 months \| MP40/MP10 \| 8 bulb T5 Fixture

01/26/2017, 12:44 AM	#6
TigeBell Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Fair Oaks, CA Posts: 974	gig with Radion's http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2500069 __________________ David B. Red Sea Reefer 350 \| Hydra TwentySix HD http://www.aquaticlog.com/aquariums/tigebell/1

01/26/2017, 01:12 AM	#9
LQT Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Fairfield, CT Posts: 1,516	Yeah, I'm a big fan of the new Mitras LX7s too. Love the puck layout as well as the fact that they use reflectors for the LED arrays as opposed to lenses. I think the Mitras as well as the Philips CoralCare are best new innovations in LED Reef lighting to date. __________________ - Leon (aka - Water Dog) Deep Blue 57 Edge ATI Acro Garden Build Thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=25573384#post25573384 Current Tank Info: DeepBlue 57 Edge

01/26/2017, 10:34 AM	#17
Jmunk Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 686	See, the reason why I'm interested in the new radions, when I didn't like the Kessils, is particularly because of the dimness and immense shadowing I was having. Now obviously, I don't expect it to be near the coverage of my T5's, but if I can get all the benefits of LED's while having the upgraded coverage of the new radions, than that would be perfect for me. __________________ 90G \| Eshopps S-120 Skimmer \| RS200 Sump \| 5 fish \| Mixed Reef \| Up and running ~ 18 months \| MP40/MP10 \| 8 bulb T5 Fixture

01/25/2017, 10:40 PM	#2
Rakie In Memoriam Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 3,059	The best LED lit tanks have T5 supp, the best T5 tanks don't need LED sup, but often have them. 2 lighting sources > 1 lighting source A local near me is running a 6 bulb T5 with 2 Radion G4 facing towards the back, the T5 are hung directly above. Radions are cool. It wouldn't be foolish to get them, but it would be foolish to replace your T5 with them.

01/26/2017, 05:37 AM	#11
luvreefs23 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 758	I just put a pair of G4 pros on my 120 reef 4x2x2, I also have 2 kessil a360 we and a 36" t5 LET retro fit with coral plus bulbs. Tomorrow my my apogee full spectrum smart par meter arrives cause I don't want to play the guessing game or decide to roll with someone's advice on here cause it was worded intelligently. If you wanna wait a few days I'll post hard evidence with par numbers and depth with a par meter meant for taking readings under LED lighting.

01/26/2017, 05:40 AM	#12
luvreefs23 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 758	Here's kessils and G4 pro radions at about 40%. Very bright, t5s off

01/26/2017, 03:06 PM	#22
scuzy Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 6,499	Go with two Mitras lx7 more pucks even spread of lighting. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

03/17/2019, 11:54 PM	#25
Crit21 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Fairbanks, AK Posts: 1,429	According to BRStv Investigates: A complete look at the Ecotech Radion XR30 G4 PRO LED Lights (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA3Z...0&pbjreload=10), when they did measurements 9" above the tank usting the AB+ settings, they got massive PAR readings. They even measured with the lights 2 feet above the tank and still got high readings, but ended up with a more even PAR spread across the tank.