Good cheaper alternative to ecotech radion
- Thread starter gjustinj
- Start date
elbowdeep29
New member
I'm happy with my reef breeders. Programmable but not like Kessel or yours now
Ron Reefman
Active member
I have a 125g like yours and mine has eurobraces, so kind of like having glass top. The Reef Breeders Photon V2 is a great fixture. I've had mine for about 5 or 6 months now. And they have a sponsor forum here at RC so they are easy to talk to.
Over a 5' tank (mine's 5') you'd need 3 Radions if you are doing sps corals, $2200 to $2700. Even just 2 would be $1500 to $1800. My single V2 is 50" and only cost $610 when I got mine (on sale when they were new), and now cost $675, less expensive than even one Radion!
It looks better than a couple of Radions to my eye. It's barely 1" thick. It has sunrise/sunset control (24 hourly changes) and 6 channels of color control. It's pretty easy to use and has several 'preset' light settings you can use or modify (sunny, cloudy, moonlight, manual) and custom for the sunrise/sunset. I set the manual for 100% blue and violet to show of fluorescing corals. It runs very cool. I run at 90% blues and 40% white and my fans (thermally controlled) don't even come on. And my sps corals are all healthy and growing. BTW, I have almost 6 year old Photon V1 fixtures that still work but don't fit the new tank. One is still in use over my 65g shallow reef tank.
Oh, I liked it so much I got a small one for the display refugium!
Over a 5' tank (mine's 5') you'd need 3 Radions if you are doing sps corals, $2200 to $2700. Even just 2 would be $1500 to $1800. My single V2 is 50" and only cost $610 when I got mine (on sale when they were new), and now cost $675, less expensive than even one Radion!
It looks better than a couple of Radions to my eye. It's barely 1" thick. It has sunrise/sunset control (24 hourly changes) and 6 channels of color control. It's pretty easy to use and has several 'preset' light settings you can use or modify (sunny, cloudy, moonlight, manual) and custom for the sunrise/sunset. I set the manual for 100% blue and violet to show of fluorescing corals. It runs very cool. I run at 90% blues and 40% white and my fans (thermally controlled) don't even come on. And my sps corals are all healthy and growing. BTW, I have almost 6 year old Photon V1 fixtures that still work but don't fit the new tank. One is still in use over my 65g shallow reef tank.
Oh, I liked it so much I got a small one for the display refugium!
Last edited:
gjustinj
In Memoriam
I have a 125g like yours and mine has eurobraces, so kind of like having glass top. The Reef Breeders Photon V2 is a great fixture. I've had mine for about 5 or 6 months now. And they have a sponsor forum here at RC so they are easy to talk to.
Over a 5' tank (mine's 5') you'd need 3 Radions if you are doing sps corals, $2200 to $2700. Even just 2 would be $1500 to $1800. My single V2 is 50" and only cost $610 when I got mine (on sale when they were new), and now cost $675, less expensive than even one Radion!
It looks better than a couple of Radions to my eye. It's barely 1" thick. It has sunrise/sunset control (24 hourly changes) and 6 channels of color control. It's pretty easy to use and has several 'preset' light settings you can use or modify (sunny, cloudy, moonlight, manual) and custom for the sunrise/sunset. I set the manual for 100% blue and violet to show of fluorescing corals. It runs very cool. I run at 90% blues and 40% white and my fans (thermally controlled) don't even come on. And my sps corals are all healthy and growing. BTW, I have almost 6 year old Photon V1 fixtures that still work but don't fit the new tank. One is still in use over my 65g shallow reef tank.
Oh, I liked it so much I got a small one for the display refugium!
Hi Ron, that looks great! How many different color settings are on that? Do you have to buy the stand separately? Could you provide me a link to where I could purchase that setup? I think for less than 1K for one full strip that will stretch across the 6 foot tank and light it all up would be highly sufficient!
Thank you!
Dale_M
Official Noob
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Thank you good sir.
davehead86
New member
You could also buy used Radion's since they are upgradable.
Thats what I did and spent the same as I would have for new AI or Reefbreaders and then just upgraded them when I had saved the extra.
If you find a G1 or 2 you can upgrade it all the way to the G3 Pro which would be perfectly fine for a reef tank.
If you want a G4 tho, youll have to pay.
gjustinj
In Memoriam
How do you upgrade it? I guess I'm a big confused - I'm not really understanding the LED setups yet. I am trying to however I don't want to break the bank again. I am trying to get a nice set of lighting effects/colors that will mount to the my glass top tank without hanging a fixture from the ceiling that will also be beneficial for anemone and beginner coral.
davehead86
New member
Couple things ...
1. All Ecotech and AquaIllumination Products are upgradable to a certain model or generation. So for example. I found a guy here selling old Radion Lights (Gen 1 and Gen 2). I picked up both lights for $300. Then you can go onto the Ecotech website and buy upgrade kits for the lights (i think i spent another $400) to upgrade both of those lights to Gen 3 lights). So I have almost brand new lights for a fraction of the cost. Not all brands are upgradable tho.
2. You need to figure out what kind of coral you actually want. That determines how much you really need to spend on lighting. If you are just going to have an anemone and some Pulsing Xenia or GSP then a cheaper light will grow those just fine. If you want something like Acans or SPS corals you will need to buy the more expensive lights to grow them.
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Hi Dave,
Here is the thing, the lighting is not only for a few beginner coral and an anemone .. it's also for me (lol) - i like the different colors the tank can look for viewing.
Ron Reefman
Active member
Some people here will tell you I've been saying that for about 6 months now.:hammer: It's better looking, works just as well and costs half as much! I'm sure you'll love it. :love1: Good luck.
heathlindner25
New member
If you want something like Acans or SPS corals you will need to buy the more expensive lights to grow them.
Interesting........
Interesting........
gjustinj
In Memoriam
Thanks for the advice Ron! I am excited
Clowns are still alive kept them alive all morning = baby steps hah
homer1475
New member
Better then the orbit marine, most certainly.
Better then black boxes or reefbreeders, your just paying for a name.
I have no problem growing any corals under my Chinese black boxes.
Ron Reefman
Active member
It's hard to believe that even now some people just refuse to believe leds can grow anything, even very light hungry sps corals. My OceanRevive (just a fancy Chinese black box led) grows great corals. My frags encrust the frag plug plenty fast enough for me.
Yes, t5's may grow them a bit better, but I'll be happy to deal with a 10% slower growth and some darker shadows in order to take advantage of all the extras that leds can bring to the tank.
davehead86
New member
Exactly. That Orbit Marine light bar may get you buy on some weed corals and an anemone but you need more output, which generally costs more.
However, the LED does provide the single light point instead of a spread so there are shading issues with the coral growth. With that being said I do agree that the LED hatred has been a bit exaggerated at some points, but Im not even sure its about growth amounts or coloration anymore, its just discussions of shading now.
Ron Reefman
Active member
And even shadowing is greatly reduced if the leds are spread out in an array like the RB Photon rather than really point source like a Kessil or pucks like a Radion. That array does create more disco effect, but I turn off the few red and green leds and it goes away almost entirely. And I still get pretty good shimmer. Way more than with a t5 fixture.
