# Another ask about 75g lighting



## swarley (Apr 12, 2018)

I'd say go T5HO. It's more affordable IMO and gives you great par and spread for the 75. I have one myself. I got an Agrobrite 48" during the blackfriday sale for 60$ (now it's 130$).

I use 3 of the stock bulbs at the moment with 1 4K bulb that I found at Home Depot. I will very likely swap the bulbs out with giesmann superfloras etc, but thats 75-100$ investment. Honestly I really like how it looks even with the cheaper Agrobrite bulbs.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...-Pets-Animal-grow-Freshwater/32831000929.html
Manual dimming, a bit blue and prob 2 = 140W

More than enough for a 75..and equiv to about 4 tubes of t5HO

After that prices escalate but features increase..

Need to correct a bit for the real world..
More than likely you will run the blue channel at about 25%

Actually just IGNORE that one.. watts are kind of funky and sort of senseless and a possibly loudish fan.
Point is you can find useable little black boxes for cheap.
Just watch wattage calcs.. Assume about 1/2 of th listed and also only 1/4 of the blue channel

Example 140 is 70 per channel "colored channel is 35 blue will be used at 9W so really only 44 real useable watts depending on "taste"

You'd want a min of 2 max of 4 (turn em sideways)

Again that is just a starter suggestion... 
There are a number of ways to "fix" them..


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## Agent69 (Oct 9, 2013)

I’m thinking a couple 18” sb reef freshwater basic lights would be more than enough power to go medium to high tech. About $300 for the pair


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

swarley said:


> I'd say go T5HO. It's more affordable IMO and gives you great par and spread for the 75. I have one myself. I got an Agrobrite 48" during the blackfriday sale for 60$ (now it's 130$).
> 
> I use 3 of the stock bulbs at the moment with 1 4K bulb that I found at Home Depot. I will very likely swap the bulbs out with giesmann superfloras etc, but thats 75-100$ investment. Honestly I really like how it looks even with the cheaper Agrobrite bulbs.


At first I was definately thinking of t5ho doing a 4 bulb setup but the more I look into it the more I lean towards LED. 



jeffkrol said:


> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/New...-Pets-Animal-grow-Freshwater/32831000929.html
> Manual dimming, a bit blue and prob 2 = 140W
> 
> More than enough for a 75..and equiv to about 4 tubes of t5HO
> ...


Jeff thanks, yea I'd be open to a good black box, I'm successfully running one on my reef tank today but I did dislike how I ended up mounting it. 1 think the primes or kessils or radions appeal is the simple mounting arms. and 2 the spectrum control also is appealing because it seems like some people say certain plants show better in different spectrums. (something I wish i did for my reef was a light with full spectrum control) instead I run a Euphotica 32" fully programmable by hobby bug. 

So in terms of black box vs the options I mentioned above what all is the difference? I'd be willing to spend the money on good reliable options that look sleek if needed if they provide proper lighting and adjustability. 

You mentioned 2 to 4 of a similar light so I am assuming 2 would be low to medium with shadows where 4 on full would be low to high minimizing shadows. That's part of my worry if I went with an AI prime or xr15 is the shadowing or strength of I only had 2.



Agent69 said:


> I’m thinking a couple 18” sb reef freshwater basic lights would be more than enough power to go medium to high tech. About $300 for the pair


I've looked at those lights and really dont know much about them. I'm not able to find the 18" version you mentioned only see a 16"


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Not sure shadowing would be much w/ 2 
Mentioned 4 for those smaller units I orig. listed

Arguably "the best" is 2 Radion xr15 gen 4's..

Don't really ever consider Kessils for those that want real range control. Thier 6000-9000k adjustability is not up my alley.. And really only 2 ch control again..


You can go cheaper w/ strips lights like 2 Fluval 3.0's or 2 Finnex 24/7(rumored to be producing new model soon so there is that Main difference is in better waterproofing).
Beams works and others work fine esp if you just want useable light..
Not available in freshwater atm but these provide enough punch and power for a 75
Can be modded for at least ramp control, though one color..


> SnakeEyes Quad 36" 3W NON Timer Marine by Green Element
> Includes 56 LEDs
> 6480 Lumen
> 3 watt LEDs


$90...


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

jeffkrol said:


> Not sure shadowing would be much w/ 2
> Mentioned 4 for those smaller units I orig. listed
> 
> Arguably "the best" is 2 Radion xr15 gen 4's..
> ...


Sure so kessils are out that's fine with me. Even if the shimmer is cool I feel like I'd get sick of it. 

You mention for example 2 fluval 3.0s would be cheaper. Well if the prime is $200 and the fluval 3.0 is let's say $180 each for the 48" it would come out to about the same for the prime or the fluval prior to the mounts for the prime. Would the lighting be similar? 

The idea of the lights being above vs right on the tank so I wouldnt need to move for trimming etc sounds appealing but isnt a show stopper.

The beamswork have really been on my radar and a FSPEC DA paired with a DA 6500k 0.5w with dimmers really are my fallback I suppose. I do worry about a disco effect though I have seen people mention or flickering. 

I do have an opportunity to get 1 XR15FW relatively cheap that's really only why they popped into consideration. 2 with mounts would still cost more than 2 primes though all said and done being the bracket mount is like $80.

The light you mention here looks similar the the beamswork one I mentioned above but with a higher output. But as you mentioned ramp control is more important than spectrum adjustments as long as the light is appealing and shows the plants nicely. 

Being able to use the light(s) from a low tech to a high tech is really what I want so that I can adjust my style based on work or other life commitments.

Again thanks for the input thus far!


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Think I'd favor 2 Fluval 3.0's over 2 AI primes..but each would have tradeoffs.. like AI prime has "true" color control on all colors Fluval mixes a pink channel
ai prime is reported to be a tad warm for some (full on believe its like 5000k)
Fluval is a more spread array and color is cooler at full

If you can get radions cheapish well like 600 range (lesser is better) I'd go for it.
Personal opinion, really can't get much better of a "system"..

Your money though, not mine..


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

Well now I am all over the place. I will just have to sit down and think about it. I will be seeing if I can still get the XR15FW cheap if not the Fluval does sound pretty appealing, it looks pretty nice and does have a good amount of options that come along with it.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Fluval 48-60" is 59W
Ai Prime is 55W 
Radion is 95W (close)

Fluval lensed at 120 degrees
Ai Prime standard 80 degrees
Radion had a choice but believe current is 80 degrees. Optional diffusers (lose about 25% PAR, not much of an issue in fw really. "need " is based on user)


Point is the lenses help to punch at bit more at depth..so another consideration.

to "guarantee" adequate HIGH light for a 75.. shoot for 150 (more or less) watts ...
I know watts aren't "in vogue" and the PAR charts are out there to verify it..










IF I understand this correctly 86PAR at 24" includes mounting height..So figure depth of tank plus mounting height..
Your real height might be like 30"..........

Fluval


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

The thing about the AI Prime is that is has so few diodes. Am I correct to assume they are 3W diodes? The PAR readings are at the center; it seems that there would be less overall light.

Like comparing a laser to a floodlight. The Laser has much higher energy at one spot, but overall its providing much less energy.

I would go with teh Fluval. Mounted low, one of them should grow many plants on a 75g. Add another one for high light plants.

With the AI Prime, you definitely will need two, can't get away with just one.


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

I always find that AI Prime graphic on spread hilarious. In the real world that's not happening. Always take what manufacturer recommends and multiply by 2. That's the real number you need for the coverage you want.


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

jeffkrol said:


> Fluval 48-60" is 59W
> Ai Prime is 55W
> Radion is 95W (close)
> 
> ...


So I understand you mention Watts doesn't mean a whole lot but you mention roughly 150 for the 75 meaning that would be 3 for the prime and fluval, and 2 for the radion. Now again that depends on spread etc so I am assuming that isn't completely true. Maybe for the prime? But not the Fluval? All of my lighting knowledge is based on a reef which seems to be different things you end up valuing. Like you mention optional diffusers whereas most reefers tend to believe that they make a huge difference but you do lose par which people also don't like. For the Radion in FW par to my understanding is overkill already so the 25% wouldn't matter. 

For the Radion I would be able to get one about at half price from a friend that is getting out of the hobby but that would leave me with another at full price + mounts which I have heard may not mount well to a rimmed tank. Either way the one from my friend would shave off about $200 overall if I went that route. 



ChrisX said:


> The thing about the AI Prime is that is has so few diodes. Am I correct to assume they are 3W diodes? The PAR readings are at the center; it seems that there would be less overall light.
> 
> Like comparing a laser to a floodlight. The Laser has much higher energy at one spot, but overall its providing much less energy.
> 
> ...


Yea, for the AI Prime and the Radion I knew I would need 2 based on the 4ft length of the tank and the puck design of the lights. My original worry for example was if I was to use Primes or Kessils (like let's say the 160w) was that even two wouldn't be sufficient. Then it would lead you to 3 in which case you lose out because of the center brace or you have to offset the middle one which then doesn't lend itself to 1 symmetry and dispersion across the whole tank. I have seen and read some journals with people using 2 fluval 3.0s successfully but I see a lot of people using the 2.0s compared to the 3.0s. 



gus6464 said:


> I always find that AI Prime graphic on spread hilarious. In the real world that's not happening. Always take what manufacturer recommends and multiply by 2. That's the real number you need for the coverage you want.


What do you mean always take what the manufacturer recommends and multiply it by two? Which part of what they recommend? You are saying if it covers 24 inches according to the manufacturer it really only sufficiently covers 12?


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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

Some info regarding my Radion setup. At 52% intensity the PAR reading is closer to 110 PAR at substrate while retaining 63% PUR


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

You get what you pay for, apparently...

According to this review, the Fluval only has 30 PAR at substrate, which means even with two of them, still only medium light.






Based on the par in this review, I would do some more research on the Fluval. Because spending $400 for 60 PAR seems a bit much.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

ChrisX said:


> You get what you pay for, apparently...
> 
> According to this review, the Fluval only has 30 PAR at substrate, which means even with two of them, still only medium light.
> 
> ...



His results in THAT test have always been questionable and even tests here using the "old" model were nowhere near as low.
There is little evidence that the new model was any weaker, though by maybe a percent or 2..I'd consider it statistical error more than likely.


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

jeffkrol said:


> His results in THAT test have always been questionable and even tests here using the "old" model were nowhere near as low.
> There is little evidence that the new model was any weaker, though by maybe a percent or 2..I'd consider it statistical error more than likely.


Who else has tested it?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

> I tried the Fluval F&P 2.0 on several different tanks and recorded the PAR readings; this is what I found:
> 
> On my 45 Gallon (tall – 36.3" x 12.7" x 23.8" high) 20” rim to substrate
> w/dirty VersaTop [email protected]
> ...


https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/...omparison-fluval-fresh-plant-2-0-fixture.html




> According to this review, the Fluval only has 30 PAR at substrate


funny. Cory recommends Fluval 3.0 for 110gal deep tank..





ONE last thing regarding 2.0 vs 3.0


> You mean Aquarium Coop? That’s a really poor sensor he’s using. I’ve tested it with a Licor and the output is the same as a 3.0. Which correlates nicely with what the guy using the Seneye got as well.


sorry , don't have any of the referenced tests..
https://guppy-fish.com/reviews-fluval-3-0-led/


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

Thanks for the info, I am leaning more towards these now because I found out the Radion my friend had was not a G4, which I've seen you mention in other threads @jeffkrol that the earlier gens weren't really worth the price point for a more reef-centric light. If I was to get a more reef centric light I would just go with the normal xr15s and most likely just end up using them on my reef eventually or when I upgrade that to a 75 as well.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

G3 and 4 come in both reef and planted.
g3 wasn't as good in spectrum (well a bit arguable and prob dealt more w/ look)
Not that is was BAD, by any means..




2014 so assume "old" radions


Then the lens upgrade in the G4


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

jeffkrol said:


> G3 and 4 come in both reef and planted.
> g3 wasn't as good in spectrum (well a bit arguable and prob dealt more w/ look)
> Not that is was BAD, by any means..
> https://youtu.be/_Y0VR4s_hmg
> ...


Well I believe you said they upgraded the lens as well as the number of colors which would change spectrum. If it was a 2014 radion isn't it possible to upgrade the lens? I may still go that route if I get that and a new G4 or would the two different gens cause problems?

Also the above tank looks as if it was just planted a few days prior to the video. I was not able to listen to it because I am at work so if he mentioned that in the video sorry.

@Immortal1 what generation of radions are you using?


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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

money88 said:


> Well I believe you said they upgraded the lens as well as the number of colors which would change spectrum. If it was a 2014 radion isn't it possible to upgrade the lens? I may still go that route if I get that and a new G4 or would the two different gens cause problems?
> 
> Also the above tank looks as if it was just planted a few days prior to the video. I was not able to listen to it because I am at work so if he mentioned that in the video sorry.
> 
> @*Immortal1* what generation of radions are you using?



Money88 - I am using the current version of the Radion Freshwater lights. By there designation, I have XR15FW Pro, Generation 2 lights which incorporate the Advanced HEI Optics G4 lenses.
I have seen the previous model of lights which had the G3 lenses and the beam angle or footprint was smaller. Now the real question would be could you get the G4 lenses for the older version of the lights? Honestly, from what I can tell the overall housing has not changed in many years. 



Also, if you could add the G4 lens to the older light I believe you would end up with a light that is a little heavier to the blue end of the spectrum which oddly enough would be the one complaint I have about the newer lights. They simply won't generate a 7,000K look (according to my Seneye). A strong 4,000k look is very doable though.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

money88 said:


> . If it was a 2014 radion isn't it possible to upgrade the lens?


Believe availability is drying up..




> I may still go that route if I get that and a new G4 or would the two different gens cause problems?


Yes "look" is totally different (different diode colors)


as to the vid.. just for showing the "look"....no more no less.

Bump:


Immortal1 said:


> Also, if you could add the G4 lens to the older light I believe you would end up with a light that is a little heavier to the blue end of the spectrum which oddly enough would be the one complaint I have about the newer lights. They simply won't generate a 7,000K look (according to my Seneye). A strong 4,000k look is very doable though.


my Seneye RARELY reports anything over 4000K for some reason..
Easier to see the temp on a white wall...or w/ a photograph.. 


Believe the old style incorporated some violets unlike the new style..
Gus has/had one..

Can't (quickly) find the diode list atm..


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

You listed the diodes here: https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/...uggestions-radion-fw-lights.html#post10192642


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

money88 said:


> You listed the diodes here: https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/...uggestions-radion-fw-lights.html#post10192642



Thanks, yea they tired to balance old w/ new.. ended up buying another new one.. 

and the Apex fiasco... Pretty sure they are still ignoring fw............
OR, as Gus stated Radion is ignoring Apex...


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

Ecotech wants to sell more reeflinks so you can guess why they stopped supporting Apex until enough people complained about it for the G4 reef version.

Also you cannot use g4 optic disc on g3 because the puck mount is different for the lens. You can guess why they decided to do that 

I used to like ecotech until I actually bought a Radion. Most overpriced junk there is.


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

gus6464 said:


> Ecotech wants to sell more reeflinks so you can guess why they stopped supporting Apex until enough people complained about it for the G4 reef version.
> 
> Also you cannot use g4 optic disc on g3 because the puck mount is different for the lens. You can guess why they decided to do that
> 
> I used to like ecotech until I actually bought a Radion. Most overpriced junk there is.



Woudn't hurt to be more specific...............


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

I'd also be interested in specifics as to why you think it's junk. The reefing community swears by XR 30s so I think they are doing that right


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

1. Gets hot, and I mean hot if you are running it over 50%.
2. Because of #1 the fan runs at high speed all the time and it's not quiet.
3. Plastic all over the place. If you ever popped one open the heatsink is not very big which is why it gets very hot.
4. Cree diodes.
5. It is basically useless without a reeflink unless you love to lug your laptop by your tank.
6. The reeflink itself is another piece of junk. Super sensitive to interference. I had mine in the same room just across it next to my modem and the signal was super spotty. Tons of complaints about this online.
7. The price is absolutely insane for what you are actually getting in the box. Diode lifespan is not going to last very long because of the heat.

As for the reefing community there are basically two communities, the US market and then everyone else. Europeans do not buy radions. The Asia and Aussie market the same. Radions are popular in the US, that's it. The rest of the world has access to better lighting products. I will give you an example, the Philips CoralCare.

I was able to acquire a CoralCare in the US because I got in contact with the engineer from Philips, Luc Vogels who designed it. He put me in contact with a shop in Holland that facilitated the purchase. The CoralCare is an over-engineered, fantastic piece of equipment. It has over double the amount of diodes a Radion has, and not just any diodes but all Luxeon diodes including the ridiculously expensive Luxeon UV. Just the Luxeon UV diodes alone on the CC cost more than what all the diodes on a radion cost wholesale. The housing was taken from their commercial gentlespace gen 2 unit so it is once again over-engineered to last. Philips warranties the CC at 90% output after 25000 hours. No one else in the industry does that. Not to mention the CC has ZERO fans. After 10 hours at 80% power my cc would barely be warm to the touch.

Why is the CC never coming to the US? Because the first thing people complained about was the size and the comparison was done with the radion. The next was the price. Mind you I paid $800 shipped to my door for the CC. A radion is $50 more. Which is the overpriced unit?


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## ChrisX (May 28, 2017)

Why don't you tell us how you really feel?


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## Immortal1 (Feb 18, 2015)

gus6464 said:


> 1. Gets hot, and I mean hot if you are running it over 50%.
> 2. Because of #1 the fan runs at high speed all the time and it's not quiet.
> 3. Plastic all over the place. If you ever popped one open the heatsink is not very big which is why it gets very hot.
> 4. Cree diodes.
> ...



As an actual user of these lights I am going to have to chime in a bit...
1. My lights are running around 52% according to the software. With that said, my over priced Fluke 16X949 Infared Thermometer shows the inside of the light around 86 degrees and the lense at 102 degrees.
2. Where I sit in the living room is roughly 6' away from 3 of the XR15FR lights. The bubbles from the various airs stones make more noise than the lights. Honestly the only time I really realize the fans are running is when I am standing at the tank and the warm air is blowing on my face.
3. No real comment. Have never opened one of the lights. Honestly have never needed to do this.
4. No real comment. Is this bad???
5. For the first few months I used an 8' long USB cable to connect the lights to the laptop which is sitting on the table in front of me. Not a big deal. Really did not have a need to access the lights on a daily basis to make a change.
6. Gift card from work allowed my to get a Reef Link - figured why not, no more cord. Very happy with the purchase. The lights, router and Reef link are all located in the same room - never had a connection issue with the Reef link. Router needs a re-boot ever so often - Reef link, never.
7. Hard to comment on this one. Yes they are expensive. Personally I am willing to spend the money on them as opposed to having an air craft carrier with glass tubes hanging above my fish tank from holes drilled into my ceiling. Regarding lifespan of the diodes, hard to say. 102 degrees does not seem that hot to me while generating 115 PAR at the substrate.


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

gus6464 said:


> 1. Gets hot, and I mean hot if you are running it over 50%.
> 2. Because of #1 the fan runs at high speed all the time and it's not quiet.
> 3. Plastic all over the place. If you ever popped one open the heatsink is not very big which is why it gets very hot.
> 4. Cree diodes.
> ...


So out of curiosity what are your opinions on the Kessil A360WE in comparison to the similarly priced XR15? As they are different schools of thought imo. Also, for a "puck" or "can" design what light would you choose?



Immortal1 said:


> As an actual user of these lights I am going to have to chime in a bit...
> 1. My lights are running around 52% according to the software. With that said, my over priced Fluke 16X949 Infared Thermometer shows the inside of the light around 86 degrees and the lense at 102 degrees.
> 2. Where I sit in the living room is roughly 6' away from 3 of the XR15FR lights. The bubbles from the various airs stones make more noise than the lights. Honestly the only time I really realize the fans are running is when I am standing at the tank and the warm air is blowing on my face.
> 3. No real comment. Have never opened one of the lights. Honestly have never needed to do this.
> ...


Thanks for the additional input based on your experience


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

money88 said:


> So out of curiosity what are your opinions on the Kessil A360WE in comparison to the similarly priced XR15? As they are different schools of thought imo. Also, for a "puck" or "can" design what light would you choose?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the additional input based on your experience


Depends on what you looking for in lights. I personally do not like lights with a zillion channels. I enjoy the Kessil way more.

IMO if you are looking for a light that has a zillion channels and wifi the AI Prime fresh is a better value proposition than radions. You can put a Prime every 12 inches in your tank and still come out cheaper than radions with a reeflink without needing a reeflink in the first place. Plus you get better coverage with more Primes. Ask most radion users here at what % they run their lights and you will find most of not all never exceed past 60% at most. Why pay more for power that you are not even going to use?


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

gus6464 said:


> Depends on what you looking for in lights. I personally do not like lights with a zillion channels. I enjoy the Kessil way more.
> 
> IMO if you are looking for a light that has a zillion channels and wifi the AI Prime fresh is a better value proposition than radions. You can put a Prime every 12 inches in your tank and still come out cheaper than radions with a reeflink without needing a reeflink in the first place. Plus you get better coverage with more Primes. Ask most radion users here at what % they run their lights and you will find most of not all never exceed past 60% at most. Why pay more for power that you are not even going to use?


True I do think the Radions are a bit overkill but definitely allows for a deeper tank in the future. The big issue with the Aqueon standard 75 is that really you need more than 2 primes as mentioned earlier in the thread but 3 isn't practical because of the center brace unless you offset and have one side of the tank more lit. Leaving you with the requirement of getting 4 as you mentioned every 12". The same would hold true for the Kessil a160 I would think. 

Whereas 2 Radions or 2 Kessil a360s (which seem to come out to roughly the same price point) would be needed compared to 3+. Personally I do like the Kessils shimmer myself and that was actually my original thought until I realized I would need 2 360s or 4 160s and mounts. Then I thought AI prime but some images of tanks I have seen it almost looks like a spotlight if there were only 2 over a 75 unless that person just didn't have it appropriately tuned. 

I've recently been thinking about strip lights a little but personally would like to steer away from that. I guess aside from the previously mentioned options that would leave black boxes or like sbreef as an alternative. Because I have a black box over my reef I did want to go for a bigger box name to test another brand out as I plan to eventually update that light and if I find a brand I like it at least may give me brand loyalty (with research of course). The black box grows corals well for me and I have no doubt that same light would be able to grow plants extremely well (although I would most likely want to swap out some of the diodes for violets and a few more red / greens). 

My initial thought really was two beamsworks but after some initial research I noticed some see flickering, disco effect sometimes, and moisture really causing problems in the light. Then that led to think about these other lights and thinking that a puck style light looks pretty slick. 

Then if I did decide to go with Kessil 360s WE or X? It's really a crap shoot. I understand its my decision and everyone else has different preference than I might. Out of the options listed throughout the thread I am just trying to create pros and cons of each and rank them to make a purchase I will be happy with. I will spend the money if necessary but if I do I definitely don't want to be disappointed in what I get. 

Thanks

So based on that information what are peoples thoughts as to what sort of light options do I have?

*Kessil*
_Pros:_
- Shimmer
- Aesthetically pleasing 
- Brand known for quality
_Cons:_
- Less channels for control
- Requires controller for configuration $
- Cost based on # of 160 (4) or 360 (2)

*Radion*
_Pros:_
- Way more light that I would need
- Aesthetically pleasing
- Brand known by many as quality
- Configurable
- Lots of channels
_Cons:_
- Gets hot? 
- Too much light?
- Quick control requires reeflink ($)
- Mounts are quite expensive (used would help) ($)

*AI Prime*
_Pros:_
- Configurable
- Lots of channels
- Aesthetically pleasing
_Cons:_
- Would need 3+ (4 because of tank style)
- Some say its a tad warm

*Fluval 3.0*
_Pros:_
- Slim and low to the top of the tank
- "waterproof" / resistant
_Cons:_
- Less overall par / purr?
- Need 2 
- Don't get color control (pink mix)
- easily would move on top of tank so can easily shift light changing angles for the plants


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## gus6464 (Dec 19, 2011)

The dome optics on the radions are good but not magic. 2 primes will deliver a better spread with less hotspot than a single radion. If I had to choose a 360x vs a radion I'd go kessil but based on your budget 4 primes is better than either because of the superior spread 4 lights will give.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Analysis paralysis.. Why I built my own... 

https://www.plantedtank.net/forums/10-lighting/701049-ecotech-radion-xr15fw-freshwater.html

since you considered Kessils I noticed you were mostly referring to the old model (one I'd personally not endorse due to the 6000-9000k restriction"
nothing wrong w/ it per se but one needs to def like the look.. )
To be honest I believe there was an unannounced upgrade of the old lights. Orig spectrum appears to be different than the more current spectrum but only "hearsay" on my part..

NOW THE MOST current light is another story..
https://www.kessil.com/products/freshwater_A360X.php


> 6,000K to 9,000K + RY


Everyone needs an "edge"..but does address the 2 most often cited issues.. No true sunset, low red
content
finally got out of dark ages.. snicker..
There is an ongoing "discussion" on whether it IS 25% stronger than the old one..Data points to no. a least on a PAR basis.

Still the same old tight lipped company though...

Of course at $450 each and competitive power wise to a Radion.. well..

The 130 degree spread angle helps..
Can get light plus arm for slightly under $500 each

blink and something new appears..


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## money88 (Apr 27, 2016)

Yea i am at the point where I will most likely end up impulse buying an option that isn't exactly cheap. $600 imo would be completely reasonable for me but its either 3-4 or 8-1k. And the difference between the sides are pretty drastic


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