RADION vs Zetlights

[jalisco]

After 12 hours straight of web reading I've narrowed it down to Radion XR30w Pro Generation 3 or the Zetlight ZT 6600.
I'm leaning towards the Radion but does anyone have experience with either?
Right now I am getting ready to set up a used 29 long and just wanted to find supplemental lighting for the existing 150 de w/ electronic ballast. Funny how I set out to spend $85 and 12 hours later $800 seems perfectly reasonable.

[Bergenholtz]

So you want to put pro on a 29g tank? if so, thats too much. you won't be able to crank it up all the way anyways even with regular radions. why go with pro...

[jalisco]

The pro supposedly does a better job at natural lighting programs and if I get a bigger tank or sell it I think the pro is a better option.
As far as too much light, I believe there is no heat issue like HIDs and I saw a gen 3 pro over a 14 gal that looked amazing.

[Notquiterite]

I have a gen 3 pro over my 29g with sps dominant. True, I don't have it turned all the way up, but it definitely provides the light that I need. The reason why I purchased the pro over the regular was that I was planning on upgrading my tank sometime in the near future.

[jalisco]

If you turned it up all the way would it bleach your sps? Can you do clouds and lightning from your phone? I'm guessing Croceas are no problem.

[Bergenholtz]

It can bleach your sps depending on the coral placement and the environment that they have been to. When I had my radions, I never exceeded 50%. It also creates a massive heat, yet not like MH or T5.

[Notquiterite]

Originally Posted by jalisco

If you turned it up all the way would it bleach your sps? Can you do clouds and lightning from your phone? I'm guessing Croceas are no problem.

Just looking at how intense it looked during the time I set it up since it turns on from the factory at 100% intensity, I was definitely sure that it produced much more PAR than the typical halide setup. Once I had everything set up, I had it running at 80% for a while to get a feel of how my corals would react to the light, I noticed some of my acros at the top of the tank turning more pale in color so yes they did start to bleach a little.

I borrowed a PAR meter also knowing that there is a percent error in reading LEDs so I took account of that. Turns out I was right, PAR just below the surface running at 80% with the light hanging about 8-8 1/2 inches above the water was about 8-900. About 5 inches below the surface, it was about 550-650. On the bottom of my tank, it was about 250-300. The penetrating power of LEDs are very impressive so you need to be careful with how strong you have the setting.

Right now, I currently have it at 60% with a peak at 65% and my corals are doing just fine with great coloration. I can grow montis around the edges of the tank and even on the bottom of the tank no problem. So yes, the clam would be fine with this lighting.

[Notquiterite]

I also want to add that your rock placement has a large influence as well, as I created many areas that shade off a portion of the light so I am able to place corals that don't require as intense light in those areas. Otherwise, with this light you may be fine running anywhere from 45-55% intensity.

[Bergenholtz]

I would rather save up few hundred dollars and get better equipment or get bigger tank in my opinion. Pro is good but not worth $800 to spend. I used to have 4 g2 radions and yes they were amazing but there are so many other options do the same trick. If you are buying radions just because it has cool features like thunderstorms, it will just stress out your fish and corals. Sensitive fish may freak out and die.

[jalisco]

Originally Posted by Bergenholtz

I would rather save up few hundred dollars and get better equipment or get bigger tank

Is that a typo? Not sure if you are saying I should save a few hundred more for something better or that there are things out there for a few hundred less that are just as good.
The disposable cash I have now won't be here for long so I can afford what ever I want but might not be able to sell something I don't like to get what I should have bought.
Thank you guys so much for offering your experience, I'm very grateful.
For a reef tank I really don't want something bigger, I know it would allot me a cushion for error and more play room but for sps and the area I want to put it I know I'm going to be doing daily water changes and I don't want to start skipping them or have to move the set up down stairs so I can plumb it to the garage for proper filtration.
I don't want to put fish needlessly under stress but if they can't handle a lightning storm or two they'd probably have gone extinct. I'll be careful not to have deep water fish that don't know wth a lightning storm is.

[jalisco]

Still in the planning stage so the more input the better. I know I like stands & canopies, I've seen beautiful rimless with suspended pendants but they aren't for me. If this tank works out for a year I'll get a starphire with the same footprint. Maybe a bigger stand with a larger sump, skimmer and refugium.

[Bergenholtz]

Its your money you spend on what you feel like to. I am saying if you can't use it 100% why spend extra money on it. I personally do not like leds but cheaper lights like kessil will grow anything or everything and it is a lot cheaper with discounts and such(bought one brand new for less than $300).
If you really want to grow sps nicely, I was suggesting you to have a better equipment such as apex, skimmer, or something to improve your water quality or help you maintain a stable parameter. Lights alone does not do anything. That was my point.
Stressing does not mean going extinct. Don't go too extreme here. In nature, thunderstorm is the most stressful thing to any living things. Why scare them when you can avoid them?
Anyways good luck with your tank.

[Notquiterite]

I used to have a kessil a360we over my tank before going to radions. Although I loved the kessils and the clean look it provided, it just didn't grow my sps as good as my radions now. It could be many factors as some things have changed, but I noticed that it provided much better coverage/PAR and my corals just took off. I also like the ability to create a lighting schedule without the need for an apex. If you have the money to spend on the light and set on it, I'm sure you'll be happy with the radion.

[jalisco]

Good points. I have a small sump with decent skimmer, LR chamber and macro chamber w/led. The tank also has what I believe is an entry level reef master. I've had pretty good luck in my other endeavors doing enough research to not have buyers remorse. If I'm respectful enough here I hope to keep that streak going.
The kessil's with an apex can do full orangey sun up to sun down with moon light?
Years ago I was so excited about the PFO Solaris, damn you orbitec we are just now getting back to where we were before your illegal patent & ridiculous lawsuit.

[Notquiterite]

The kessils can ramp up and down, but I don't know about the moon light as the minimum amount of intensity you need to keep them on is about 15%. Anything lower will turn the light off.

[sfsuphysics]

Have to say I have never heard of Zetlights, not sure I would recommend those simply for that fact alone.

Think about what you want out of your lights, you mentioned lighting programs, the Radion definitely has that down pat, however if you want to do remote stuff with it I believe you also need to purchase the ReefLink module. So something to think about in additional price.

[Dapg8gt]

I say get what you want.. True you may not need the pro version I think the Gen 3 radion would do just fine and the resale is great. You mentioned the pro being able to do better at natural lighting programs? You mean color rendition of daylight? Because the software is the same for both the pro and the standard Gen 3..

I wouldn't go with only the kessil if you plan on sps dominant tank. Most sps tanks I've seen running just kessils weren't to impressive over the long run and honestly the owners weren't impressed with the results either. They seem great at first but over the long haul I personally wasn't impressed with the growth or especially the color of acros etc . I personally don't feel kessils are all they are cracked up to be seeing them on tanks in person and in stores that the corals have been under them for extended periods. Lps do great though

[jalisco]

Good to know. Thank you. Like I said on the other thread the kessil shimmer is annoying to me. There are already so many tank build threads, should I start another for my many remaining questions or keep starting individual threads per component?

[Dapg8gt]

I think a central build thread can be a good place to ask questions but you may be limited to the audience that subscribes. It is a good centralized place to go though. If your going sps dominant I say start it in the sps forum along with your local one to get the widest amount of opinions..

Equipment vs equipment I think the individual threads are where it's at to get the most people to chime in with experience.

Kessil did just come out with a controller for their lights a month or so ago and it's pretty affordable fwiw. I want to like them I just can't lol.. Now kessils with some t5 I think you have a winner in the hybrid dept it's just having the fixture look good is the hard part.

This is just my personal opinion on the kessil so take it as that I'm sure there are some nice tanks with all kessils and I'm sure it can be done I just haven't seen them in person or know anybody that hasn't sold the kessils eventually going back to older tech or upgrading to another led brand. I haven't run them though so it really doesn't matter what I think =).

Those other lights you posted look promising with the multichips in with the smaller leds I just couldn't find any other reviews on them long term or sps only tanks other than on a Singapore forum. Design looks nice

[wsun083]

If you want supplemental lighting why not just get a reefbrite strip? I switched back from led to metal halides and it will be awhile before I go back to LEDs. I do use a reefbrite led supplements and love those units