Radion pro intensity based off height
- Thread starter tassod
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OrionN
Moved on
tassod,
I think you will need at least 1 more light to get good light level for your SPS. You should escalate the light up per EcoTech recommended schedule to 100%.
You will have problem cover light from front to back of your aquarium. Your light is too low to have wide area of coverage.
I think you should treat it as a 250W DE fixture with good reflector. If your coral was under MH before then just use it at 100%.
This is how I use my Radion lights, always at 100% with 2 hrs ram up and 2 hrs ram down. From 5:30 AM to 9:00PM. Over DT light are 14 inches above water. In frag tank light are 8 inches over the water surface.
I had 2 30X30X30 cubes with 400W DE MH on it. I replaced the light with G1 which was not as bright, then add a second G1 after a few week without problem.
The corals/anemones moved from there to my 320 g tank 72X36X32. Ininitally I got 4 Radions on it 3 G2 and 1 G1. Once I got all the corals move over I added 2 more G1 for the total of 6 lights.
I got 4 of my G1 upgrade to G3 pro to have total of 6 lights over my 320 gal DT, G3 proX3 abd G2X3.
Last night I added another G3 pro over the tank for total of 7 light.
I mostly have SPS, anemones (Gigantea X5, HaddoniX3 and MagnificaX1) and all 5 species of Tridacna clams. 3 LPS (frogspawn, gonipora and aveopora) and 2 soft corals (Xenia and a Kenya tree). All the corals are growing very fast in the DT.
2 G1 over my Frag tank 40G breeder with egg crate shelves in it 5 inches and 7 inches under the surface. SPS doing great. I have on green toadstool and a Elegance that are in the shade (Elegande on the sand under the eggcrate shelves and toadstool under the PH shadow. Even in the shade the toadstool have too much light. I think I will need to move him. The Elegance is doing great. SPS frags, in the frag tank, are doing great also.
While under holding tanks, my Gigantea lost their intense dark purple tips and my SPS lost some of their colors. Now in DT, under these light condition, 6 Radion lights over a 72 inches tank, the color of my anemones started to come back, and the SPS's colors are great.. I hope that under the 4 lights side, the anemone's color will fully recover. If this is the case, I will need to add a 4th G3 over the other side to have 8 lights over my DT. The light I have right now is enough for the Haddoni and Magnifica but IME, not enough for my Gigantea.
The one problem I have with LED is that I have difficulty with photograph. I never able to get pictures I take look like what I see in person. That was never a problem under MH. I see nice colors, pictures I took look ugly with screwed up colors. If somehow I can change this then I can post pictures so you all can see.
I think you will need at least 1 more light to get good light level for your SPS. You should escalate the light up per EcoTech recommended schedule to 100%.
You will have problem cover light from front to back of your aquarium. Your light is too low to have wide area of coverage.
I think you should treat it as a 250W DE fixture with good reflector. If your coral was under MH before then just use it at 100%.
This is how I use my Radion lights, always at 100% with 2 hrs ram up and 2 hrs ram down. From 5:30 AM to 9:00PM. Over DT light are 14 inches above water. In frag tank light are 8 inches over the water surface.
I had 2 30X30X30 cubes with 400W DE MH on it. I replaced the light with G1 which was not as bright, then add a second G1 after a few week without problem.
The corals/anemones moved from there to my 320 g tank 72X36X32. Ininitally I got 4 Radions on it 3 G2 and 1 G1. Once I got all the corals move over I added 2 more G1 for the total of 6 lights.
I got 4 of my G1 upgrade to G3 pro to have total of 6 lights over my 320 gal DT, G3 proX3 abd G2X3.
Last night I added another G3 pro over the tank for total of 7 light.
I mostly have SPS, anemones (Gigantea X5, HaddoniX3 and MagnificaX1) and all 5 species of Tridacna clams. 3 LPS (frogspawn, gonipora and aveopora) and 2 soft corals (Xenia and a Kenya tree). All the corals are growing very fast in the DT.
2 G1 over my Frag tank 40G breeder with egg crate shelves in it 5 inches and 7 inches under the surface. SPS doing great. I have on green toadstool and a Elegance that are in the shade (Elegande on the sand under the eggcrate shelves and toadstool under the PH shadow. Even in the shade the toadstool have too much light. I think I will need to move him. The Elegance is doing great. SPS frags, in the frag tank, are doing great also.
While under holding tanks, my Gigantea lost their intense dark purple tips and my SPS lost some of their colors. Now in DT, under these light condition, 6 Radion lights over a 72 inches tank, the color of my anemones started to come back, and the SPS's colors are great.. I hope that under the 4 lights side, the anemone's color will fully recover. If this is the case, I will need to add a 4th G3 over the other side to have 8 lights over my DT. The light I have right now is enough for the Haddoni and Magnifica but IME, not enough for my Gigantea.
The one problem I have with LED is that I have difficulty with photograph. I never able to get pictures I take look like what I see in person. That was never a problem under MH. I see nice colors, pictures I took look ugly with screwed up colors. If somehow I can change this then I can post pictures so you all can see.
Last edited:
mfinn
Active member
Where does EcoTech recommend you run your lights at 100%?
mfinn
Active member
And I agree with you.
I know about the acclimation mode too.
I was just curious where EcoTech made recommendations to use the fixtures at 100% intensity.
tassod
New member
Hi Mihn,
Thanks for your suggestions, you're probably right that i need another light but my specific question that i wanted to know is regarding the height that i have my lights at right now. The highest i can install them above the water is 5". Having said that, what would be the max intensity i should use in order not to bleach the corals?
mfinn
Active member
I saw someone with a shorter canopy that cut holes in the top of it and mounted his Radions on top of the canopy to give himself a couple extra inches.
As far as how high, this is what many others are doing.
Not a lot of people are using the full intensity.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2346704
Squidmotron
New member
5 inches above a 2 foot deep tank? Mixed reef? I wouldn't get close to 100%. Try ramping up to 50% maybe. Maybe less.
erndog1001
Premium Member
Perhaps if you take a very long time (like months) to acclimate. You could get up to 100% But there's no need to run them that high.
IMO you're at a good starting point using 35%. And being that low I'd stop at like 60-70% and see how it goes.
I have 4 maxed at 80% 16.5" AWL over a mixed SPS LPS tank. That puts my SPS a minimum of 18-20" away. Some of my LPS are up to 24" and more away and all my corals are happy.
IMO you're at a good starting point using 35%. And being that low I'd stop at like 60-70% and see how it goes.
I have 4 maxed at 80% 16.5" AWL over a mixed SPS LPS tank. That puts my SPS a minimum of 18-20" away. Some of my LPS are up to 24" and more away and all my corals are happy.
OrionN
Moved on
Here are two pictures of my Frag tank. 40 g breeder RR lighted by 2 Radions, 1 G1 and 1 G2. Lights are on from 5:30 AM to 9:00 PM 100% with 2 hrs ram up and two hrs ram down. These lights are 6 inches above water and the SPS (AquaSD Tropical Rainbow Milli) in 6 inches right under the G2. the other coral, an Elegance, is in the middle of the tank between the two lights. There is a eggcrate shelf between the light and the Elegance coral. Both corals are doing very well with exceptional color. The SPS is really growing at a rapid rate. I am fraging this coral multiple times already.
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tassod
New member
Yes, the tank is acrylic so i have 3 opening on top and i have 1 Radion on top of each opening so the next Radion would be in middle of cross bar like this picture
OrionN
Moved on
You are out of luck my friend. All I can suggest is to crank the Radion up to the max then go from there.
For drastic measures if you find that 100% G3 Pro not enough, you can put in 3 braces then cut the two you have right now. Then you have 4 openings for 4 lights. Put in additional braces is relatively easy in a acrylic tank even if it often does not looks as beautiful as the original. If you do this becareful about placement of some of your LPS in your Mix reef. I only have very few LPS in my reef.
From personal experiences, your Blue Gigantea will not retains his bright blue unless he gets more light. Try to situate him right under one of the Radion and crank this to the max.
Gigantea Carpets require the highest light of all the animals that I keep, ever. They will live and do well with less light but will not retain their color with anything less than full surface tropical sun. This is only natural because they are found right on the surface often exposed to air during low tide. Some of the SPS's are the same IME.
For drastic measures if you find that 100% G3 Pro not enough, you can put in 3 braces then cut the two you have right now. Then you have 4 openings for 4 lights. Put in additional braces is relatively easy in a acrylic tank even if it often does not looks as beautiful as the original. If you do this becareful about placement of some of your LPS in your Mix reef. I only have very few LPS in my reef.
From personal experiences, your Blue Gigantea will not retains his bright blue unless he gets more light. Try to situate him right under one of the Radion and crank this to the max.
Gigantea Carpets require the highest light of all the animals that I keep, ever. They will live and do well with less light but will not retain their color with anything less than full surface tropical sun. This is only natural because they are found right on the surface often exposed to air during low tide. Some of the SPS's are the same IME.
OrionN
Moved on
Can you fit two light over one of the opening?
My tank is 72 inches with a stainless cross brace right in the middle. One side I fit 4 Radions all side by side (touching each other, while on the other side I have 3 lights.
Here are the pictures of my light set. I use aluminum corner rails from HomeDepo to male the light rails. for the frag tank I routed out a .5 inches ledge to set the light on so they don't fall into the tank. My lights are in the fish room and nobody but me ever go into it so accidents and light fallen into the tank is not a (large) risk.
The wood for the top of my Frag tank is 1X6 so the lights are about 6 inches above the water line. The lights in the DT are 14 inches above the water line.
My tank is 72 inches with a stainless cross brace right in the middle. One side I fit 4 Radions all side by side (touching each other, while on the other side I have 3 lights.
Here are the pictures of my light set. I use aluminum corner rails from HomeDepo to male the light rails. for the frag tank I routed out a .5 inches ledge to set the light on so they don't fall into the tank. My lights are in the fish room and nobody but me ever go into it so accidents and light fallen into the tank is not a (large) risk.
The wood for the top of my Frag tank is 1X6 so the lights are about 6 inches above the water line. The lights in the DT are 14 inches above the water line.
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OrionN
Moved on
Picture of my tank, the side of the tank under the 4 lights. The Gigantea in the back strated out brown now is light green. Blue Haddoni and the Red Haddoni color pu perfectly. The blue have been there for a while the Red only there since about a few days before the picture taken. I hope he will be more intense red in a month or two.
There is a Colt coral on the side of the Gigas. There is no adverse effect on this solf coral from the intense light.
There is a Colt coral on the side of the Gigas. There is no adverse effect on this solf coral from the intense light.
tassod
New member
Minh, thanks for your help. I may be able to put 2 lights over one opening..i have to check when i get home but from what i remember...probably not. So you think i should run these at 100%? My blue gig actually is right at the top of one of the light and is fully open under it..he seems to like it. Here is a video and picture of the tank:
http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/tassod/media/IMG_1534_zpsda3285c0.mp4.html
http://s1273.photobucket.com/user/tassod/media/IMG_1534_zpsda3285c0.mp4.html
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