ParkerB
Active Member
there are a number of fixtures that do more then sunrise sunset, and where you candi just as much with the radion.. I'm just curious as what the radion has over everything.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
hydra, sol, radion! oh my!
- Thread starter eliramos
- Start date
- Tagged users None
there are a number of fixtures that do more then sunrise sunset, and where you candi just as much with the radion.. I'm just curious as what the radion has over everything.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
CoryC
Valuable Member
Chill. I mean it's hard to get the features in any other fixture. you cant create those effects with t5 or mh or tune your own unique color spectrum without changing bulbs. No other fixture compares to the all out performance and features in one package.
jservedio
Active Member
If you are on a budget go with the AI Hydra - it is one of the new generations of lights and has full spectrum (as opposed to the Sols). I know the maxspect razors are good too. I personally use the Radion Pros - but that is an ABSURD amount of money to spend when you need 4 of them. The only reason I have one is because I only needed ONE on my tank.
jservedio
Active Member
IMO the only benefit the Radions have over other fixtures is the combination of full spectrum and raw power. I use the Pro's and my favorite part is they have a ton of UV power (20w of sub 460nm) - however the G2s don't have that. For what they are, they are way overpriced - and this is coming from someone who loves their light. If the Hydras were around when I got my light, I probably would have gotten one and saved the cash.
The AI has the same control options as the Radion - it just isn't as pretty, yet. Ecosmart Live is awesome - bit Mitras has something similar, AI's director will be just as good, and even DIY leds on a controller will be similar.
shaneku5
Community Member
I ended up getting a radion after owning a kessil and seeing the hydras at the LFS. I am more than pleased with every aspect of the light. Your LFS should be able to demo the different unites for you, mine did and that helped me decide.
CoryC
Valuable Member
There is very little use for UV radiation as the ocean filters out much of those wavelengths and corals have adapted tissues that help shield them from it, atleast UV a and UV b. UV c may have some use though. The radions do produce a very intense light with a more complete spectrum than some other lights. Don't you have to buy the upgrade kit to get the same diodes the Gen 2's come with?
ParkerB
Active Member
Again I'm not saying te radion is a bad light at all, it's a fine LED but I would never say its the "best" is my point. The Hydra I think is going to be a great unit cause AI has had time to do both te SOL and Vega and take the best of both worlds.
I plan on upgrading my sol to the hydra but so far it's treated me well (besides some pink and yellow reefcrest acros)
Really wish I had the cash for te GHL Mitras.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I plan on upgrading my sol to the hydra but so far it's treated me well (besides some pink and yellow reefcrest acros)
Really wish I had the cash for te GHL Mitras.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
ParkerB
Active Member
You do know that the only coral that actually receives a full spectrum and does substantially better are reefcrest sps/acros.
All other corals tend to thrive at deeper depths where only te blue spectrum really reaches. The radion pro is the only radion I really do think is a great light and should be priced a lot less.
Saying all this I would still use a radion but wouldn't cross off a Vega/Hydra/even the reef breeders I've actually seen the most success from a "full-spectrum" light another thing that's funny is if you look at radion graphs and compare them to SOL spectrum graphs they produce the same spectrum practically.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
SloppyJ
Well-Known Member
I was dead set on a trio of the photon 16's for my 180g mixed reef I'm setting up but now I think I might go with the hydras. The wireless capabilities are a big selling factor along with the better LED choice (IMO).
backpack
Active Member
I would look around and see what used ones and new ones sell for. I got a killer deal on my radion pros. So much so I couldn't buy vegas for that. I was looking at how much used vegas sold for. Also all of the ecotech and radions are upgradeable and if you buy some cheap enough you may upgrade them later as cash dictates.
jservedio
Active Member
The ocean doesn't filter out all that much UV Radiation and the intense coloration of some corals is directly in response to UV radiation to act as a sort of "sunscreen." Here is a scientific paper showing that UVR directly effects Corals: Effects of solar ultraviolet radiati... [Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2009] - PubMed - NCBIIn addition, UVA close to the Visible Light Spectrum has some of the furthest penetration below the surface of any wavelengths. Getting your basic Open Water diving certification, you learn the first colors to go as you descend are the Reds, Oranges and Yellows and the last colors to go before getting to just gray is Blue, Indigo, and Violet. Basically, the colors disappear the deeper you go in reverse-rainbow order. UVA is directly below violet in terms of wavelength and makes it very far down.
In addition, there are articles on Advanced Aquarist (I don't want to search for them now - you can find them easily) that discuss the benefits of UV and cite experiments conducted in lab conditions showing corals with and without UV radiation and UV showed noticeable advantages. These studies are the specific reason I went with the Radion Pro over the regular Radion G2. Metal Halides (your typical Radium 20k) give off tons of UVR and are proven to grow corals amazingly - why not replicate that with LEDs?
