Anyone Thinking of Dumping LEDS and going back to Halides

[Wazzel]

Originally Posted by b7fig

Torn on what to do. I have a 180 g 72"x24x24 tank with 3 Radion Gen 3 LED lights on a SPS tank. I absolutely love the looks, no heat, controllablity and actually the colors. However, I really don't feel I'm getting the growth out of the corals like I used to. Also as the corals grow, I really feel I'm going to have to add another light to help with shadowing.

What do people think about removing my center Radion LED and replace it with a 250w 20k Radium bulb and keeping the LED's on the sides? Give me some good light in the middle and spread a little to the sides and give me prized corals in the center an extra boost. Would it work okay and look good together? I run at 15k to 20k with my LED's currently.

How are you running them power wise? I suspect they are like the AI hydra52's in that if you are not running them at near full power on all channels they will not hold up to 250W Mh.

[power boat jim]

Originally Posted by b7fig

Torn on what to do. I have a 180 g 72"x24x24 tank with 3 Radion Gen 3 LED lights on a SPS tank. I absolutely love the looks, no heat, controllablity and actually the colors. However, I really don't feel I'm getting the growth out of the corals like I used to. Also as the corals grow, I really feel I'm going to have to add another light to help with shadowing.

What do people think about removing my center Radion LED and replace it with a 250w 20k Radium bulb and keeping the LED's on the sides? Give me some good light in the middle and spread a little to the sides and give me prized corals in the center an extra boost. Would it work okay and look good together? I run at 15k to 20k with my LED's currently.

I have the same tank with the same lights.I run 3 radions and put a MH light over the rear center of the tank. I run it a few hours a day. I also use the 120 deg lenses. The tank is doing very well with this set up. I will probably get a 4th radion to replace the MH in the summer when it gets hot out.

[b7fig]

Originally Posted by Wazzel

How are you running them power wise? I suspect they are like the AI hydra52's in that if you are not running them at near full power on all channels they will not hold up to 250W Mh.

I'm run the fixture itself at 80% total, but the whites are only at 50% and the greens and reds at 20%. The blues and UV's are at 100% of the 80% total.

[b7fig]

Originally Posted by power boat jim

I have the same tank with the same lights.I run 3 radions and put a MH light over the rear center of the tank. I run it a few hours a day. I also use the 120 deg lenses. The tank is doing very well with this set up. I will probably get a 4th radion to replace the MH in the summer when it gets hot out.

Interesting, so you left the three and added the MH behind the center one? How do you think it would look if i just replaced the middle one with a MH? (I was hoping to sell the Radion to pay for the MH to keep the wife off my ***! I promised her I would stop spending money on the tank )

[calistyle]

If I had a Radion setup, I'd put 2 T5s in front of them and 2 in the back.

That would be a great setup, not an issue with heat, and greatly help with shadowing.

[Wazzel]

Originally Posted by b7fig

I'm run the fixture itself at 80% total, but the whites are only at 50% and the greens and reds at 20%. The blues and UV's are at 100% of the 80% total.

The regular G3 or pro? If it is the regular G3 you are getting about 60% of the total power of the fixture, not 80%. I think you need to turn things up, slowly.

[b7fig]

Originally Posted by calistyle

If I had a Radion setup, I'd put 2 T5s in front of them and 2 in the back.

That would be a great setup, not an issue with heat, and greatly help with shadowing.

Hmm, never really thought about going that route. That also may be a good option. Any body sale a Nice looking T5 fixture that is 6' long that is only two bulbs wide? The three radion pendants look nice and want to keep a clean look (no canopy)

[power boat jim]

Originally Posted by b7fig

Interesting, so you left the three and added the MH behind the center one? How do you think it would look if i just replaced the middle one with a MH? (I was hoping to sell the Radion to pay for the MH to keep the wife off my ***! I promised her I would stop spending money on the tank )

You could do that if you dont mind the tank looking a little unbalanced. also you have a dark center in the evening if the halide goes off before the radions fade out. You can adjust the radions to match the MH look during the day, you just ned to play with the sliders and intensity.

[calistyle]

Originally Posted by b7fig

Hmm, never really thought about going that route. That also may be a good option. Any body sale a Nice looking T5 fixture that is 6' long that is only two bulbs wide? The three radion pendants look nice and want to keep a clean look (no canopy)

My buddy did two of these: (one in front and one in back of radions)

http://www.marinedepot.com/Hamilton_...RTRFTF-vi.html

[mhucasey]

Originally Posted by calistyle

if i had a radion setup, i'd put 2 t5s in front of them and 2 in the back.

That would be a great setup, not an issue with heat, and greatly help with shadowing.

+ 1

[b7fig]

I really liked the idea of keeping the radion's and adding the T5's. However, after I showed my wife what it would look like, it was a definite no! And being I'm not a carpenter to make some amazing set up, I'm screwed. She laid down the law, either keep it as it is, or a 1 long fixture, period.
So now I'm looking at the new Hamilton 250w Radium Cebu Sun. Its like their other model except it comes standard with the M80 ballast and Radium bulbs. 1 fixture, 72" long.

What do you think?

[d2mini]

Originally Posted by b7fig

I really liked the idea of keeping the radion's and adding the T5's. However, after I showed my wife what it would look like, it was a definite no! And being I'm not a carpenter to make some amazing set up, I'm screwed. She laid down the law, either keep it as it is, or a 1 long fixture, period.
So now I'm looking at the new Hamilton 250w Radium Cebu Sun. Its like their other model except it comes standard with the M80 ballast and Radium bulbs. 1 fixture, 72" long.

What do you think?

That's the one I run, but shoe-horned into my canopy.

[mhucasey]

Originally Posted by b7fig

I really liked the idea of keeping the radion's and adding the T5's. However, after I showed my wife what it would look like, it was a definite no! And being I'm not a carpenter to make some amazing set up, I'm screwed. She laid down the law, either keep it as it is, or a 1 long fixture, period.
So now I'm looking at the new Hamilton 250w Radium Cebu Sun. Its like their other model except it comes standard with the M80 ballast and Radium bulbs. 1 fixture, 72" long.

What do you think?

I personally like a nice, clean looking light fixture, so if I had to choose I'd go with an integrated setup like the Cebu Sun or an ATI Sunpower(Im a fan of T5). With either of those two options you may be able to sell the Radions to offset the cost of the fixture.

[calistyle]

I would get CEBU prior to selling anything. Give yourself a chance to go into it gracefully, and if you don't like it, you can always go back.

CEBU has I think 5 power cables and that's without LED strips, which you might be adding (coming from Radions and all).

[b7fig]

Thanks for the help guys. The Cebu with the Radiums has been ordered. I would like to keep the Radions to make sure, but I need the cash to pay for the new lights. Wife's orders. One of those not spend anymore money on the tank thing....

Needless to say I have 3 Radion Gen 3's for sale with hanging kits.... 3 months old. I'll post these later today FS

[david76]

Originally Posted by calistyle

If I had a Radion setup, I'd put 2 T5s in front of them and 2 in the back.

That would be a great setup, not an issue with heat, and greatly help with shadowing.

I,ve this setup...really nice colors and no shadowing. My tank is 36x28x22 (semi-cube). However, i,m thinking in changing to a 3 radion setup...testing new configurations....

[1fishkeeper]

Well I just got my Cebu today. Well just having it on the floor I fired it up. Wow I forgot how bright MH really is. I think I will be seeing spots for a week. Well now all I need to do is get my extra EB8 hooked up to my APEX and get it mounted in my canopy. I'm all smiles with this fixture well worth the cost.

[biecacka]

Yeah to our eye halides are MUCH brighter looking.

Corey

[cnewsome]

I just switched from leds to the 4ft cebu last night. Really like the fixture, running the m80 with radiums. Curious to see if this will improve sps growth and eliminate the shadowing. Will be taking some par readings and adjust the fixtures height off the water today.

[dadummy]

Yup. Not going back to halide, I was a T5 user before the epic LED fail. Picked up some reef optics 3 pendants and blue wave M80 ballasts, was undecided about bulbs so bought three inexpensive ones off ebay to get going. Will use the RB/Blue LED for supplement, the cool whites will go in the boneyard.

[b7fig]

Sidebar: Since a few of you have the same fixture, the Cebu MH lights I just ordered, maybe you could answer this question. Since these things have like 7 plugs, can you get an adapter and say plug 2 of the MH plugs into one apex outlet?(They all come on at the same time anyway) This would say me from purchasing another Apex bar. (I only have 5 spots available)

[overexposed]

Originally Posted by b7fig

Sidebar: Since a few of you have the same fixture, the Cebu MH lights I just ordered, maybe you could answer this question. Since these things have like 7 plugs, can you get an adapter and say plug 2 of the MH plugs into one apex outlet?(They all come on at the same time anyway) This would say me from purchasing another Apex bar. (I only have 5 spots available)

Just plug a regular power bar into the EB8 and hang them next to each other

[1fishkeeper]

What was I ever thinking. Now since I have my Cube up and running all I can say is WOW what a difference. So much more light and the colors just look so much better. No shading or anything like that or spots or red or green from the LED chips. Best think I have done for my tank in a long time.

[b7fig]

LET THERE BE LIGHT! Holy cow, the Cebu MH system is much brighter and pleasing to the eye than the Radion. My wife came home and said wow, that looks much better then the LED's, I'm glad you switched back. With just the 4 actinic T5's on, its brighter with more spread then my LED's.

Very happy with the switch. Kicking myself for ever changing from MH.

[overexposed]

Congrats on the switch guys

Here's a shot of my fixture completed with the VHOs installed: