Radion RMS Mount Question

[ubiq]

The consensus seems to be that the best option for a sub-$1000 lighting system on a 48" x 24" mixed reef tank is two Radion XR15's. The problem is that the XR15 RMS single arm mount will not reach the center of a 24" wide tank. The top rail is too short. Has anyone come up with a back-mounted workaround? Hanging or side mounts are not an option.

 

[blaxsun]

Yes, the RMS mounts reach the center of a 24" wide tank (this is my 23.6" wide tank).

 

[ubiq]

I called Eco Tech this A.M. and they swore that the RMS XR15 mounts would not reach. Are you using the XR30 mounts, which I know have a longer top rail?

 

[blaxsun]

I called Eco Tech this A.M. and they swore that the RMS XR15 mounts would not reach. Are you using the XR30 mounts, which I know have a longer top rail?

EcoTech is on crack then. I have both XR30 and XR15 RMS mounts - and they come with two sets of rails:

* On the XR30 RMS kit you get a standard length and extended length
* On the XR15 RMS kit you get a standard length and short length

And these are definitely the XR30/XR15-specific RMS kits as I needed different 'x' mounting brackets for each light.
Here's the side view from my Red Sea 750XXL. Other than the typically sagging with the XR30s, you can see they're pretty much dead center over the tank. I can actually move them forward about another inch or so. You may not be able to notice it, but I've extended the XR30s out about an inch and moved the XR15s back about an inch to account for the overflow at the back.



Here are the extra rails from the four RMS kits (extended XR30 on the left, short XR15 on the right).

 

[ubiq]

Well...OK, then. Thanks.

 

[blaxsun]

Well...OK, then. Thanks.

My advice is to get two XR15s over the XR30s if you're using the RMS kits that mount at the back, as the XR30s are simply too heavy and you will see some noticeable sagging.

 

[ubiq]

That's the plan. Thanks again.

 

[ekandler]

The XR15 and XR30 RMS arms are the same. The only difference is the mounting piece that attaches to the top of the light because the lights are different sizes. The arm itself is the same. I have a Reefer 350 (4ft tank) with two XR30s on RMS mounts, fits just fine and reaches to the middle of the tank.

I also have a friend with an XL reefer, so 4” deeper than normal, and he has RMS mounts with XR30s that also reach the middle of the tank.

You’d have to have an abnormally deep tank for RMS mounts to not work normally.

 

[Port City Reefer]

Odd question and I think I know the answer.. can you use a XR15 pro on the XR30 mounting bracket? I accidentally ordered the wrong bracket size and didn’t catch until shipped.