Light Choice

[Airborne]

Which light would you choose for a JBJ 30RL:

1) Hydra 26HD
2) Radion XR15 GEN4 Pro

 

[Crabs McJones]

Which light would you choose for a JBJ 30RL:

1) Hydra 26HD
2) Radion XR15 GEN4 Pro

Both are great lights, what powerheads are you planning to run? I only ask because if you're going with Ecotech Vortechs i'd recommend the radion, then with the reeflink you can wirelessly control both your powerheads and lighting, as the Radions are not controllable without the ReefLink module. The Hydra 26 is wifi controllable right out of the box.

 

[._Z_.]

I have the hydra 26hd on my JBJ RL45, picked one up used near me. I’m pretty happy with it. I can’t speak for the radions, I’m sure either would be a great choice.

 

[Airborne]

I was not planning on running an MP 10 but may now. Just wasn't sure if the Hydra is the same quality...

 

[._Z_.]

Hydras are great quality, name brand IMO. Another point to consider is the mounting options the two offer. Good luck

 

[Crabs McJones]

I was not planning on running an MP 10 but may now. Just wasn't sure if the Hydra is the same quality...

Hydras and AI are actually made by Ecotech, the same company that makes the Radion. The radions put out alot more power than the hydras, but both will grow any coral you put under them

 

[Airborne]

Great information. Thanks for the help.

 

[Reeferdood]

I have had AI and Radions, they are both great lights but I like the Radions better because of the APEX.

 

[mcarroll]

The Hydra 26 is wifi controllable right out of the box.

Here's your deciding point @Airborne. Up and running, no further expenses necessary.

Hydras are great quality, name brand IMO.

Yes.

Hydras and AI are actually made by Ecotech

Yes.

The radions put out alot more power than the hydras

No.

Hydra 26 is 135 watts. The xr15 is 95 watts.

The Hydra is more powerful and should have (slightly) better spread due to the puck layout vs the xr15, right?

(Not saying any of this is super important...it's just data, not information. But those are the stats from their websites.)

both will grow any coral you put under them

Absolutely.

@Airborne it seems like it would make a lot of sense to consider one or two Kessils on your list as well. (I think I might even prefer them to your options.)

Also, if you haven't, consider other options too!

I'd suggest one or two Tunze pumps for the flow, BTW. There are a few options that would be optimal depending on your rock scape, etc. It would take two mp10's to flow the tank...along with the controller you'd need to go with the pump and lights, that seems like a lot of jing for a 30 gallon.

IMO, here's a great option...mostly for the light quality:
1x Kessil A360w – $350
2x Tunze 6040 – $280
Total – $630
This includes a mounting option. Seems like another $50-$100+ for mounting the other lights.
Spectral controller remote for Kessil is $100, but you can use the lights from the console...not needed, just nice.

I like that better than:
1x Xr15 – $400
1x Controller – $100
1x Diffuser – $50
2x mp10 – $570
Total – $1,102

Or even this:
Hydra26 – $350
2x Tunze 6040 – $280
Total – $630


Other Tunze pumps that would work great that you might consider would be the non-controllable 6015, 6020, 6025 and 6045, or controllable models 6055 and 6095 (along with the 6040 above). Non-controllable pumps a VERY underrated these days and can save you a lot of money since the cost is so low.

Here's an old post that can help you pick and use these pumps....a couple models are newer than that post, so aren't on there.

Here are some rough approximations of the flow patterns for our Stream and Nanostream powerheads. The first number is the distance (length) it will reach. The second number is the diameter of the flow towards the end of the stream (keeping in mind the diameter increases the further from the pump you measure). All numbers are in feet.

Nanostream
6015 2 x 1.5
6025 2.5 x 1.5
6045 3 x 1.5
6055 4 x 1.5
6095 3 x 3

Stream 2
6065 4 x 2
6085 5 x 2
6125 4.5-5 x 3
6105 7 x 2 (configured for narrow-flow)
6105 4.5-5 x 3 (configured for wide-flow)
6155 6 x 3
6255 7 x 3.5

I forgot to mention that splittng the Kessil or Hydra26 into smaller fixtures might be fun to consider if price isn't a big hangup. Two Prime HD's or two A160's would probably give you a nicer-looking light-field in the tank vs a single fixture. Cost is more in both cases though.

 

[Airborne]

Outstanding response. Thank you as I have a 10 gal that has a Kessil A360W and the Spectral Controller. My experience has been that the Kessil keeps LPS colored but does not demonstrate growth and does not keep SPS very well. I understand water parameters are critical with SPS and that plays a huge role. That is why I started looking into a new light. I figure the spectrum on the Radion or AI would be a better choice then one Kessil A360.

 

[Cayc]

My experience has been that the Kessil keeps LPS colored but does not demonstrate growth and does not keep SPS very well. I understand water parameters are critical with SPS and that plays a huge role. That is why I started looking into a new light. I figure the spectrum on the Radion or AI would be a better choice then one Kessil A360.

I'm going to go on a leg here and say it definitely is something wrong with your parameters and setup rather than the light.
At least you acknowledged that this may be the case. Trust me kessils will grow sps especially in a small 10g. Too high or too low nitrates, unstable parameters, lack of other elements, too little flow or unwanted chemicals or pests will cause Browning and frozen sticks.
Where kessils have a hard time performing is when not enough of them are used on a larger tank where coverage is poor and par is low, not an issue you face in a 10g.