Ecotech Radion PRO VS. GHL MITRAS (My thoughts and experiences)

[luamada]

Can someone tell me where I can find the mitra for sale?

[reefmutt]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/fo...play.php?f=527

GHL, in the vendor forum

[GatorAlum05]

Clarification. Running the software on vm doesn't make it Mac compatible which is the one reason I chose ecotech over mitras. Not everyone is tech savy.

[unze]

I am happy with my Mitras, great light the corals have really coloured up.

Only issue is the lack of hanging kit to join two units like the Radion.

[luamada]

Ok I was set on Mitra ;/ now i am confused again...;? What should I get... I cannot even findout the price for the mitra.. that may be the deciding factor.... does anyone know the price for mitra where do buy it... and the radion is easier to find the price and from what i have found out i can buy it online... thank you guys for this wonderful information... at least it narrow it down to two LED which for me in confusing enough. I have a lot of Red algae in my tank and from the reading it is caused by the light (old and need replacement) so I am running out of time to keep on the fence.... I appreciate you putting this information out there... I would like just the price of the mitra so I can make up my mind... ;-)
PS. ;-( i am not really knowledge in technology so I may have to get whatever is the easier to work with...
thank you again...
lu

[AQD_ottawa]

Mitras - macna special right now $999 contact us info@ghlna.com

[HurricaneSystem]

Make sure the Mitras has UV LED's in the fixture like the Radion Pro. Trust me, you WANT UV LED's as part of whatever fixture you choose.

[AQD_ottawa]

this will answer many questions, the review by Dr Sanjay Joshi

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2013...#disqus_thread

[luamada]

ok I guess I am sold on the UVs but I was wondering how many do I need for a 36X18X24 tall??? I kind of wanted to get just one ;-/ i have no corals yet... actually I am taking my tank dawn, buying a tamp tank until I restart my tank because of those crazy marjentos... but I need the light now because of my MH is old and so is the T5s.
ok so there is only $100 difference on the lights from the mitra to the radion... ok guys... lighten me up in here... what do you guys say about which one you recomend... and why??

[doggydoc]

Originally Posted by luamada

ok I guess I am sold on the UVs but I was wondering how many do I need for a 36X18X24 tall??? I kind of wanted to get just one ;-/ i have no corals yet... actually I am taking my tank dawn, buying a tamp tank until I restart my tank because of those crazy marjentos... but I need the light now because of my MH is old and so is the T5s.
ok so there is only $100 difference on the lights from the mitra to the radion... ok guys... lighten me up in here... what do you guys say about which one you recomend... and why??

No questions about it. MITRAS ALL IN. I have used AI's, Radions AND MITRAS.
Hands down Mitras.
I am able to grow SPS and the colors are amazing.
I personally can't wait for the wireless card to control the lights via Profilux. That's the icing on the cake. I know Mitras is expensive but light looks BEAUTIFUL and it has the brains to back it up! Not just looks. If there is ONE piece of equipment I call MUST have I will say MITRAS.




Pictures speak louder than words.

[kazam]

Originally Posted by luamada

ok I guess I am sold on the UVs but I was wondering how many do I need for a 36X18X24 tall??? I kind of wanted to get just one ;-/ i have no corals yet... actually I am taking my tank dawn, buying a tamp tank until I restart my tank because of those crazy marjentos... but I need the light now because of my MH is old and so is the T5s.
ok so there is only $100 difference on the lights from the mitra to the radion... ok guys... lighten me up in here... what do you guys say about which one you recomend... and why??

Both lights are nice, but I prefer the Mitras. I run both and I prefer the mitras hands down. The ecotech, I ran into lots of problems with the Ballast and Fans. Mitras are German made and quality is much better and I have not worries at all of them breaking down. Ballast are much smaller than the Radions also.

If your going to buy Radions, don't forget you will need to buy Hanging kit if your going to hang them. Mitras come with it.

Programming, is easier on Ecotech, but the Mitra programming has more tweak and you can do much more with the lights than the Radions. The Rolling Clouds, just that sold me. If I want a storm at 9pm, it goes off at 9pm and it's not all the lights at the same time like the Radions. Each light goes off randomly, like a real lighting storm. You can adjust everything with the programming of the mitras.

Programming Mitras

lighting storm: You can adjust brightness of the flash, darkness of the storm rolling over, time of storm to the exact time.

Clouds: Adjusting the each Mitra from master light + or - Seconds so you can really adjust your liking. You can adjust the darkening of the clouds and how many seconds between clouds. Rolling clouds are soo cool.

Rainy Days: You can adjust the darkening of that day you selected.

For the Extra $100, dude, get the Mitras.

[MSHUR]

I am using Mitras for short time and i switch from MH using them for 12 years..What can i say.. i am glad i did, so far i have only LPS in my new tank and colors i see i never be able to get under MH,. simply amazing.
If you need help with program, i can share mine..I only saw Radions at MACNA and its night and day compare to Mitras..Do yourself a favore spend extra $100 and you will be happy man.
Take advange on discount price now

[Bruce Leroy]

Well... I have seen some awesome SPS Tanks full of Large SPS under Radions. Threads currently on RC as we speak.
Mitras? Seen only Rock tanks, with newly glued tiny Frags. So...... Proof is in the pudding I guess!.

[robnorton]

I would have to agree with Doggydoc..

I love my Mitras, it's footprint is tiny, and produces an incredible amount of light.
It also comes with a top class power supply (Underrated / poor quality power supplies are a bugbear of mine due to the career I'm in!)

I also can't wait for the wireless interface, this will transform the control I have over the equipment in/on the tank at the moment!

[HurricaneSystem]

I don't doubt the Mitras is a very high quality fixture. However, the fact remains, it is missing the UV spectrum which I feel is the main spectrum you should have.

Without UV, you might as well buy any other fixture as that is the same thing they have.

Radion Pro all the way. If you could only see what a difference UV makes in corals.

[AQD_ottawa]

I stay unbiased here as we distribute both but this fact above is wholly wrong, I would defend Ecotech both passionately and equally. Correct info on such threads must be unbiased as well as informative which is paramount.

The spectal graphs show very similar patterns within the outer UV ranges. However neither go below 400nm which is where the true invisible UV spectrum starts.

Below graphs courtesy of Dr Sanjay Joshi.

Pro


Mitras


True UV starts below 400nm neither lamp goes into this area, however both benefit from the higher side of the scale, same as T5 lamps. GHL use the term Hyper Violet, I guess just to be market different.

There is enough component of both lamps equally as well as other brands to state UV as the UV spectrum tales off in the lower sector of 400+nm

Reference

Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, that is, in the range between 400 nm and 10 nm, corresponding to photon energies from 3 eV to 124 eV. It is so-named because the spectrum consists of electromagnetic waves with frequencies higher than those that humans identify as the color violet. These frequencies are invisible to humans, but near UV is visible to a number of insects and birds.
UV light is found in sunlight and is emitted by electric arcs and specialized lights such as mercury lamps and black lights. It can cause chemical reactions, and causes many substances to glow or fluoresce. A large fraction of UV, including all that reaches the surface of the Earth, is classified as non-ionizing radiation. The higher energies of the ultraviolet spectrum from wavelengths about 10 nm to 120 nm ('extreme' ultraviolet) are ionizing, but due to this effect, these wavelengths are absorbed by nitrogen and even more strongly by dioxygen, and thus have an extremely short path length through air.[1] However, the entire spectrum of ultraviolet radiation has some of the biological features of ionizing radiation, in doing far more damage to many molecules in biological systems than is accounted for by simple heating effects (an example is sunburn). These properties derive from the ultraviolet photon's power to alter chemical bonds in molecules, even without having enough energy to ionize atoms.

Electric arcs produce UV light, and arc welders must wear eye protection to prevent welder's flash.
Although ultraviolet radiation is invisible to the human eye, most people are aware of the effects of UV on the skin, called suntan and sunburn. Short-wavelength and mid-wavelength UV can cause much damage to living organisms, such that life on Earth outside of the deep oceans is possible only because the atmosphere, primarily the ozone layer, filters out nearly all short-wavelength and most mid-range UV.[2] A small amount of near-ultraviolet reaches the surface and does not cause sunburn, but is still capable of causing long-term skin damage and cancer. A smaller amount of UV reaches the surface and is responsible for sunburn and also the formation of vitamin D in organisms that make this vitamin (including humans). The UV spectrum thus has many effects, both beneficial and damaging, to human health.

[AQD_ottawa]

Please also read this great article on T5 lamps UV spectrum, you will see the peaks near matching both Radion and Mitras

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2009/3/review

In the review you will see the T5 Violet tubes peak around 435nm The Mitras based on the independant review peak at 425nm closely matching that of the reviewed T5 lamps

[ghostman]

Thank you AQD_ottawa for the clarification on UV light. UV would actually be detrimental to have in a fixture, but True Violet or Hyper Violet LEDS are beneficial in my opinion and do enhance the color and growth of corals under LEDs. I have seen both fixtures in person, and agree that the presence of "UV" LEDs is a must for any fixture that I would consider purchasing. I have another brand of LEDs that has "UV" in them, and have had the greatest success with them over the other brands that I have tried.Since this thread is about Mitras versus Radion Pros, I would rate the Mitras highest on my list of fixtures based on color of the light, quality of build, and extra features. Radions rate lowest on my list due to the software, reliability, and quality of construction.

[ReefRockerLive]

I've owned my Mitras for probably a year now and it is without a doubt the best led that I have ever used and worked with. Colors under the light are beyond outstanding and continue to improve. The growth rates have been excellent as well.

After working with Radions and hearing about the numerous fan failure, program issues, esl problems, I'm not a big fan of them, but that's just me!

FWIW, here's what my Mitras has helped me grow:









That's just a few.

[d2mini]

Either light can grow amazing sps with amazing color.
You should see the red planet growing under my Radion Pros with the deep green base and burgundy red polyps. I have no idea what spectrums are in Mitra, but I can tell you when i switched from Gen 1 Radions to Radion Pro with the UV, it was an OMG moment. Talk about POP! And over the next week the color of some of my spa changed drastically and for the better.

For me it would come down to programming ease and how many of either fixture you need for your tank. I can tell you the radion programming is real easy, works great on a mac, it's really stable now, and if you run into any problems they are a quick phone call away and can even remotely log into your computer to fix the issue. And ReefLink, which I've been running for the last month is pretty amazing as well.

I can also attest to the build quality of other GHL products. I don't have mitra experience, but I think I can safely assume the mitras are built equally as well. Anyone should be happy with either fixture. If you coral aren't doing well, it's not the fixture's fault.

[doggydoc]

Originally Posted by Bruce Leroy

Well... I have seen some awesome SPS Tanks full of Large SPS under Radions. Threads currently on RC as we speak.
Mitras? Seen only Rock tanks, with newly glued tiny Frags. So...... Proof is in the pudding I guess!.

Sorry but did you happen to look at my post?
My pics?







Any other proof?
Feel free to ask!

[HurricaneSystem]

Yea,

For some reason or the other, not many people believe me. UV will make your LFS corals look like show bought corals.

UV is THE secret for corals & LEDs

[nikon187]

Originally Posted by HurricaneSystem

Yea,

For some reason or the other, not many people believe me. UV will make your LFS corals look like show bought corals.

UV is THE secret for corals & LEDs

Because UV is invisible and dangerous, the colour you are describing , as mentioned above, is VIOLET. Neither fixture uses a true uv led, but both use one above 400nm

[AQD_ottawa]

Nikon is correct on all points. Many seem to confuse the term UV with violets. This may come from the fact T5 lamps use UV to excite phosphors within the tube.

Ultraviolet Radiation Output in T5 tubes -
Since ultraviolet radiation is generated to excite the phosphors contained within the glass tube of fluorescent lamps, it would be logical to conclude that these lights produce ultraviolet radiation. In fact, almost all UV radiation is absorbed by the internal phosphors or the glass tube. Hence, concerns about UV with these particular lamps are non-issues (but be aware that some T5 lamps - such as those marketed for use with reptiles and transmitting UV-A and UV-B - will generate significant amounts of potentially harmful radiation).

The UV light is absorbed by the lamp's fluorescent coating, which re-radiates the energy at longer wavelengths to emit visible light. Not all the UV energy striking the phosphor gets converted into visible light. In a modern lamp, for every 100 incident photons of UV impacting the phosphor, only 86 visible light photons are emitted (a quantum efficiency of 86%). The largest single loss in modern lamps is due to the lower energy of each photon of visible light, compared to the energy of the UV photons that generated them (a phenomenon called Stokes shift). Incident photons have an energy of 5.5 electron volts but produce visible light photons with energy around 2.5 electron volts, so only 45% of the UV energy is used; the rest is dissipated as heat.



340-400 Near Ultraviolet (UV; Invisible)
400-430 Violet
430-500 Blue
500-560 Green
560-620 Yellow to Orange
620-700 Orange to Red
Over 700 Near Infrared (IR; Invisible)


UV light effects on coral tissue
In nature, ultraviolet light waves (UV-A and UV-B) penetrate the ocean's surface but are filtered out as the light travels through the water. Both UV-A and UV-B light waves have been found to cause destruction of DNA and RNA within coral tissue. In response, many corals have made adaptations to reduce the effects of these harmful rays. These corals developed protective pigments that are often blue, purple, or pink in color. Most corals that contain these pigments come from shallow waters where the amount of UV-A and UV-B light is higher than in deeper areas of the reef.

In home reef aquariums that rely on metal halide lighting, it is important to protect corals from UV light. Coral without these protective pigments as well as shallow water corals that may have lost their pigments during transportation are especially susceptible to the effects of UV light. Fortunately, preventing any UV light from entering the aquarium is as simple as employing glass aquarium canopies and making sure the protective glass lens on the metal halide fixture is properly installed.

It is not uncommon for corals with these bright colors to adjust to the lower UV-A and UV-B conditions found within home aquariums. The loss of colorful pigmentation is not necessarily a sign of an unhealthy coral - it is simply a normal coral adjusting to its new environment.

So in conclusion - Do LED lamps for the aquarium world actually produce UV? (which is invisible)? The correct answer they produce the visible colour effects (violets) you would get in a T5 tube from mixing UV and different phosphor coatings depending on the final required colour output.

[AQD_ottawa]

Double post sorry