Radions?

[alco1]

Hey all,

about to start working into corals, current have just a FOWLR.

Currently have litemaster t5 with night mode from reef octopus so theyre coral ready.... apparently.

Heres the link of my current lighting:
Octopus Product Ranges - Lighting

But just a thought if i should invest into radeons, ive heard theyre top of the line but cost a billion dollars.... but would you believe that the t5s i have at the moment would do the job or should i be looking radeons?

Tank is 2ft high and all i want is softies

Thanks

 

[Gregcoyote]

Your T5's will work fine for softies. There are several excellent LED fixtures priced less than the Radions.

 

[MarinaClown]

I like A.I. Vega. It's about 10% cheaper than radions (not pro version) and is also considered top of the line. Most people are starting to buy Hydras primarily due to its price point. However, Vega has a slim design and more options when it comes to light settings. As far as Radions, some stores will recommend it over Aqua Illumination due to good customer service. So can't go wrong with Radions either. If you are willing to invest that much in your lighting system then there is no reason not to.

 

[Sniperhank]

There are many LEDs on the market that will keep corals, most specifially those that require intense lighting like SPS, clams, and anemone. You can find several that are like the taotronics on Ebay that will do the trick, but there are other name brand that will be covered under warranty like AI LEDs.
I run Radions over my tank and love them. I can't speak for other brands to compare. I have an end goal of having everything from lighting to flow all tied together. It is just an expensive goal.

 

[Austriaguy]

I too run radions. They are great lights, but I'm not sure if you really need them for your tank set up. They work great for me, and i like connecting them to their powerheads.

 

[Gregcoyote]

The OP stated he wanted softies and has a 24" water depth. LEDs are overkill IMO, his existing T5's are perfect for that job. Love my LEDs, but saving money for now is good too. A radion would be running at partial power not to nuke the corals. Wait until you want SPS.

 

[alco1]

thanks for the advice guys.... I might just stick to the t5s and try it out with corals and if theyre looking a bit unhappy ill just upgrade to radeons or something similar

 

[MarinaClown]

Honestly you should be fine. The light you have looks good. Radions are worth it if you want more energy efficiency and controlability.

 

[alco1]

lol I have a really really stupid question..... what is exactly the difference between lps and sps???

I always thought that lps are softies and sps are hard corals... but im probably wrong lol

 

[Gregcoyote]

Radeons?

Large Polyp Stoney coral and Small Polyp Stoney coral.

Stoney corals generally need more light, SPS needing the most. "Softies" are things like mushrooms, Xenia and other corals without skeletons. They require the least amount of light.

 

[alco1]

ohhhh thanks heaps for that.... makes a lot more sense lol

 

[Gregcoyote]

Too expensive for my blood.

 

[z_dano]

The OP stated he wanted softies and has a 24" water depth. LEDs are overkill IMO, his existing T5's are perfect for that job. Love my LEDs, but saving money for now is good too. A radion would be running at partial power not to nuke the corals. Wait until you want SPS.

+1 why spend the money if you don't have to? Use the money to get some cool corals

 

[alco1]

all really good feedback.... but if the t5s will work, then im happy to save a $1000+ on RADIONS (lol than you mr saltwater)

lol how did my thread name change from radeons to radions???

did that mr salterwater guy do it???

 

[z_dano]

I started with softies, but my addiction quickly progressed into lps, and dps
* sps stupid spell check

 

[alco1]

lol so maybe after softies the addiction will kick in for me..... then I may upgrade the lighting

 

[huma-huma]

a mod or admin prob noticed the spelling and changed it. as for the leds, you really should think about where your tank is going to be down the road a few years. going the radion route sure is expensive, but im pretty sure there isnt a coral that you cant keep under those lights. whereas with the t5 setup you have, theres going to be corals that are simply too high-light demanding for that fixture. not to mention the fact that ANY led fixture you buy is going to eliminate the need for bulb changes, saving you that money as well

 

[Gregcoyote]

Growing softies is a great way to break into growing corals. Far less demanding and very pretty. But even most LPS will do fine under the T 5's. If you need to replace bulbs, the fixture fails or you jump straight to high light demand SPS, you should look at dimmable LEDs. But there are many fixtures that are under $400.

 

[alco1]

ok awesome..... I remember a while ago I went to my LFS and there was a guy there promoting the radions. he was saying that the little lighting features is does is some sort of mode that gets the corals to spawn more to make more corals.... apparently.

Is this true? or was he just being just a standard salesman? lol

 

[Gregcoyote]

I doubt any dimming routine makes much difference as far as the coral is concerned. Spawns have always happened even in the days of metal halide. That's the problem I have with some of the highest price manufacturers, some of them post extraordinary claims that are only backed by themselves. I want fancy coral more than a fancy light show, but if you have loads of bucks it might be a cool way to go.