Need some help deciding on lights.

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Barrett

Barrett

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I would like some advice on lighting for a 24x24 cube. I am trying to decide between a Kessel A360WE and Radion XR15 gen 4 pro with a diffuser. Looking for experiences with customer service and lights in general. My tank is a mixed reef with mostly LPS (euphyllia) zoas and some sps on the tops of the rockwork.
 
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Barrett said:
I would like some advice on lighting for a 24x24 cube. I am trying to decide between a Kessel A360WE and Radion XR15 gen 4 pro with a diffuser. Looking for experiences with customer service and lights in general. My tank is a mixed reef with mostly LPS (euphyllia) zoas and some sps on the tops of the rockwork.
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Both are good lights, and I've had great customer service experiences with both. With kessil for my kessil lights, and Ecotech for my vortech pumps. Both light choices are going to be externally controlled. The Kessil needs either an apex or the spectral controller to control it. The Ecotech can be programmed by plugging it into a pc, but if you want remote wifi access to it you have to purchase the reeflink. The kessil is the master of shimmer and color blending without any lenses or diffusers. The radion puts out more power but also can give off a disco ball effect if no diffuser is used, and you're able to sometimes pick out individual colors. Alot of people like the pendant style of the kessil. But the Radion has a sleek look to it as well. It's all going to be a matter of personal preference. Both are amazing lights :)
 
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Devan Petersen said:
24x24 I'd go with an AI Prime HD or a Hydra 26 HD. I was thinking about a Radion myself and my LFS owner said that they do better in deeper tanks and would be a bit of overkill.
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Prime HD would be another good option. WIFI controllable right out of the box, can grow virtually any coral you put under it. How is AI's customer service?
 
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My vote is for the Radion with the diffused option. Every other LED that I have seen just doesn't look very good with the light separation.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I just saw a tank with kessels tonight and going to look at a tank with Radions tomorrow night hopefully that will help me decide, I really like the idea of the Radion with a diffuser.
 
I was in the same dilemma for my tank that I’m setting up for lps as well. I ultimately chose Kessil. Either light can keep and grow lps coral. So it comes down to aesthetics. I compared lights for 2 months going to lfs after lfs looking at the lights in person and on tanks. I chose the Kessil because of the shimmer it is more natural looking and has no color separation. I got the ap700 but your tanks a little smaller so the 360 would work great. I would get the spectral controller too. Also not having the keys to all the color in the spectrum. Actually helps you with the Kessil vs Radion because you know you are providing the right spectrum no matter your setting.
 
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txreefer said:
I was in the same dilemma for my tank that I’m setting up for lps as well. I ultimately chose Kessil. Either light can keep and grow lps coral. So it comes down to aesthetics. I compared lights for 2 months going to lfs after lfs looking at the lights in person and on tanks. I chose the Kessil because of the shimmer it is more natural looking and has no color separation. I got the ap700 but your tanks a little smaller so the 360 would work great. I would get the spectral controller too. Also not having the keys to all the color in the spectrum. Actually helps you with the Kessil vs Radion because you know you are providing the right spectrum no matter your setting.
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The color spectrum is the main thing making me lean twords kessel. The Radion just has so many settings it’s a little intimidating
 
Unless you own a spectrometer you won’t know what your giving to the corals with the Radion it’s just a good guess. Also you may want to watch the videos bulkreefsupply did on them they did video on both Kessil and Radion and the diffusers. Lots of good info.
 
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Just rewatched those videos, really leaning twords the kessel and adding a aquatic life t5 later on
 
That’s exactly what I’m doing. If I feel I need the t5 later I will add it. I want to see what the Kessil can do alone first. If you add t5 you will still get a awesome shimmer with the Kessil.
 
I run the 2 xr15s without the diffuser. I really like them but on a 24 in cube u may need more than 1 xr15. I am either going to get another or put them in the aquatic life hybrid fixture for my 48 in tank
 
Ecoscape Reef Rock
There is someone in the Des Moines area that runs Radions, have yet to find one to see in person.
 

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