Rapid LED Corona

[NS Mike D]

I am very pleased with these lights. I did pick these up second hand here, so I am admittedly biased due to the fact they are over my tank, and they were more like wholesale for my wallet.

I did my research and, best as I could tell, these lights specs/design was every much in line with the often mentioned brands we see recommended.

I found the app very easy to set up, use and dial in so that my corals got the spectrums they need, and yet presenting lighting that pops with color when I settled in my favorite sofa seat at the end of a day's work.

Maybe I am missing something why these lights are rarely mentioned in the what lights should I get threads.

My experience was upgrading from the wifi controlled Fluval 2.0 lights. While fluval publishes PAR and spectrum numbers that should satisfy reef tank lighting needs, IMO white LEDs will resuly in good numbers but don't result in the wonderful colors we demand from our sps. Coronas limited use of white LEDs are in line with the often recommended brands.

@Jake Adams has a nice review https://reefbuilders.com/2016/11/10/rapidled-corona-has-a-lot-going-for-it/

So, aside from marketing, why don't we see the Rapid LED Coronas recommended more often? What deficiencies or limitations am I missing?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Nice write up!
I agree, I’ve only heard good things. Seen specs just a little.
Honestly, I haven’t seen a lot of reviews nor tanks with them.

 

[NS Mike D]

Since I mentioned the easy app to control your lights: (my experience is with IOS/iPhone)

After downloading the app and setting up a free account with fishbit the set up process is simply making a direct connection with the lights wifi and then then the app connects the lights your home wifi (I think) so that you can control the lights from your phone without making any extra steps (unlike fluval where you need to switch the the fluval wifi every time you want to use the app)

Programing the lights if very simple, after selecting your lights

it walks you through each group - red, green, blue, purple, white and moon lights, you add segments (unlike fluval where the options are limited to sunrise, break, sunset and moonlight with ramping for sunrise and sunset) )

you can copy existing and apply the setting for a group for other groups (the overlapping naturally can only display one graph on the overall graphing thus the red and purple aren't seen in my set up )

another feature is an extensive parameters log (I will miss my excel spreadsheet )

There is a pre-order controller and monitor with probes for pH, salinity, water level sensor and temp with outlets to eventually make a these a comprehensive system with 8 outlets and 8 dimmable channels

 

[NS Mike D]

Rapid LED publishes their PAR map for the Coronas

and the LEDs

6 Independently controllable LED channels as follows:

16 CREE XP-3 royal blue LEDs
10 CREE XP-G3 cool white LEDs
4 SemiLEDs Violet UV LEDs + 4 SemiLEDs Hyper Violet LEDs
2 CREE XP-E Photo Red LEDs
2 CREE XP-E2 Green LEDs
2 royal blue moonlights

 

[hart24601]

Maybe they just need to work on marketing a bit or get on forums. I always forget about these lights, but they do seem very nice and have the violet and near uv spectrum that I am a big fan of. They seem very nice.

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

they are radion clones I'm surprised a ton of people don't have them for the price they are hard to beat they even use the same lens the radions use I have seen them in person when I had my radions I seen no difference

 

[NS Mike D]

FYI, I checked with Mike at RapidLED (they were very helpful with my DIY ATS build and with my initial plans for a light build until i came across the corona for sale here)

he said this about the Radion v Corona lens :


"FWIW we don't use the same lens as the Ecotech, while similar ours is custom (you can see it's engraved with RapidLED on it). We did use their lens on our Aurora pucks when we sold them but not on the Corona (everything on there is custom made for us)."

 

[Joe Bachand]

Mike, is it safe to assume you've been running these lights since Feb? Can you share intensity and timing settings as a jumping off point? The last time I kept a reef VHOs were all the rage.

 

[Poseidon20000]

I have 3 of these over my 220 and have been running them for years. I have nothing but great things to say about them. The team at RapidLED has excellent customer service as well.

 

[NS Mike D]

Mike, is it safe to assume you've been running these lights since Feb? Can you share intensity and timing settings as a jumping off point? The last time I kept a reef VHOs were all the rage.

Sorry, I missed this post. Settings are graphed in the pics above. I've upped the blues and whites since. The par meeter is back with my local reef club, so when I get my hands on it, I'll update this thread with my PAR readings and current settings.

 

[User1]

I wish they kept the borealis arrays - I'm guessing the Corona's are the updated version without as many limes.

 

[megandy]

Hey! I am having a problem with the Rapid LED Corona lights. I just installed a Google WiFi mesh system, and I simply can't get the Coronas to connect to the new network. Now I have a problem where one of the lights still follows the schedule I set up, but the other one does not (it just stays "on" all the time). Does anyone else have experience with these particular lights and the Google WiFi mesh system? thanks very much!

 

[megandy]

Hey! I am having a problem with the Rapid LED Corona lights. I just installed a Google WiFi mesh system, and I simply can't get the Coronas to connect to the new network. Now I have a problem where one of the lights still follows the schedule I set up, but the other one does not (it just stays "on" all the time). Does anyone else have experience with these particular lights and the Google WiFi mesh system? thanks very much!

 

[megandy]

Hey! I am having a problem with the Rapid LED Corona lights. I just installed a Google WiFi mesh system, and I simply can't get the Coronas to connect to the new network. Now I have a problem where one of the lights still follows the schedule I set up, but the other one does not (it just stays "on" all the time). Does anyone else have experience with these particular lights and the Google WiFi mesh system? thanks very much!

I got it fixed. Had to go around the WiFi mesh.

 

[NS Mike D]

I got it fixed. Had to go around the WiFi mesh.

glad you got it working


feel free to post back to this thread your experience and settings.

 

[foshizzle]

I just got my new corona running today. I had a little issue connecting to wifi and they sent the wrong hanging kit, but customer service was pretty good.

What spectrum settings are you guys running?

 

[HexaReef]

I got it fixed. Had to go around the WiFi mesh.

How are you able to go around it? I'm having a problem setting mine up right now. I just got them today and I get to the final step of the setup process and for some reason when it gets to "disconnecting from softap", I get an error saying it could not disconnect from the rapid LED Network.

 

[Shooter6]

Im wondering if they will be coming out with a g5 blue knockoff anytime soon....

 

[Nano man]

You got your facts wrong dude! For us old school folks Mike at Rapidled doesn’t knock other people’s stuff off! His pieces are all legit and made for Rapidled but if they did make a look alike I guarantee that Rapidled would blow them away in price and performance and when I mean performance I mean coral growth and color!
Hell, I still have my old Par38 bulb from Rapid led still.

 

[Shooter6]

You got your facts wrong dude! For us old school folks Mike at Rapidled doesn’t knock other people’s stuff off! His pieces are all legit and made for Rapidled but if they did make a look alike I guarantee that Rapidled would blow them away in price and performance and when I mean performance I mean coral growth and color!
Hell, I still have my old Par38 bulb from Rapid led still.

Im not knocking them at all. I thought the corona was a superior light to the radion. Same look though. Since that will be the future benchmark, i am assuming eventually rapidled will follow suite and design a similar light. The puck design is going to die (soon hopefully ). The bandwagoners finally have to admit its a poor idea