Best lighting for reef? Ecotech Radion's?

[NikeLV]

Hi RC! I have a 100 gallon with SPS, LPS, and softies. All my coral seem to be lacking or losing color so a lot of them look faded. I currently use 2x CadLights 120w LED pendants but I have been thinking about replacing them with Ecotech Radion's OR Metal Halides. Does the type of light even have an effect on the coloration of coral?

I am leaning more towards the Ecotech Radion's because LED's are less bulky and produce less heat, but the price.. the price of those radion's.. 2x for $1500!
I see a lot of people using Ecotech Radion's on their tanks now but are they worth the $$? Can they be compared to MH's? better?

Thankyou!

[shaginwagon13]

Does the type of light even have an effect on the coloration of coral?

Yes absolutely, if you don't have strong enough lighting, especially with SPS corals you ill most definitely see a reduction in color, stunt in growth and even bleaching or death. That's not to say that lighting is the only thing that will cause corals to loose coloration.... stable water parameters, proper nutrition, and water maintenance all have an affect as well.



I see a lot of people using Ecotech Radion's on their tanks now but are they worth the $$? Can they be compared to MH's? better?

This is the million dollar question, and you won't find one correct answer. The answer all depends on what application works best for you tank, your budget and your preference. Some will swear by the Radion fixtures and some are not so eager to drop the money until LED units have had more of a time to prove themselves. I have a mix of halide and LED and love the results. But the Radions are simply an addition to the 400W halides I already had and since they are the very first LED units I have owned I cannot say if they are in fact better in quality, growth and performance when compared to some of the cheaper units out there like the AI SOL BLue which run around $300 a unit and people have loved the results from those fixtures.

[NikeLV]

have there been any complaints on the Ecotech Radion's then? anybody who has noticed less growth or faded coloration when switching from the MH to radion?

i would like to see some cons of the Radions to help me evaluate my decision.
thankyou!

[karsseboom]

You will need at least 3 radions for a tank that size. I would go with the ai sol since the radion dont have a deep punch. You won't get the par your looking for with the radions.