Selecting lighting

[Devon Cisar]

So I am setting up my first reef aquarium and am to the point of selecting lighting. My local aquatic store recommended the eco tech marine radion xr30w pro gen 3 the most expensive light in the store. Is this the best route to go or is there another options that is still quality just not 600 dollars per side? Thanks

 

[Crabs McJones]

So I am setting up my first reef aquarium and am to the point of selecting lighting. My local aquatic store recommended the eco tech marine radion xr30w pro gen 3 the most expensive light in the store. Is this the best route to go or is there another options that is still quality just not 600 dollars per side? Thanks

Welcome to R2R!!

#WelcometoR2R
What size tank are we working with? And what types of corals are you planning on keeping?

 

[redfishbluefish]

Welcome @Devon Cisar to R2R.

I'm a Chinese Black Box user that run $100 - $135 per fixture (165W). Been doing these for years with great success. I will tell you that there are haters out there.

 

[Jason mack]

Welcome to R2R,I’m use the black boxes as well .. I’m very happy with them !

 

[Devon Cisar]

Welcome to R2R!!

#WelcometoR2R
What size tank are we working with? And what types of corals are you planning on keeping?

Crabs Mcjones it is a 90 gallon tank

 

[Jason mack]

I run 3 over my 90 g

 

[Crabs McJones]

As @redfishbluefish and @Jason mack said above the black boxes work great, and they'll grow anything you put under them. Part of the problem with lighting questions is you'll get 50 answers to the same question. I myself am preferable to kessils and would recommend two Kessil A360we's over that tank if you're doing softies and lps and add a third kessil if you're doing sps the radions are also a great choice that have been proven to be great at growing coral and sustaining life

 

[leepink23]

So I am setting up my first reef aquarium and am to the point of selecting lighting. My local aquatic store recommended the eco tech marine radion xr30w pro gen 3 the most expensive light in the store. Is this the best route to go or is there another options that is still quality just not 600 dollars per side? Thanks

Just to clarify the gen 3 is the older version, they have a gen 4 now. A lot of people are happy with black box, maxspect razor, probably could do two hydra 26 depending on what coral you want to keep. Also the selling forum on here frequently has cheaper lighting options, I just saw 2 radion gen 3 and the rms for $700 shipped. But it’s buy at your own risk. I bought 2 gen3 pro used from a Lfs and love them.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I too have a 90 gallon....but five foot long....and also run 3 BB's.

 

[Jason mack]

As @redfishbluefish and @Jason mack said above the black boxes work great, and they'll grow anything you put under them. Part of the problem with lighting questions is you'll get 50 answers to the same question. I myself am preferable to kessils and would recommend two Kessil A360we's over that tank if you're doing softies and lps and add a third kessil if you're doing sps the radions are also a great choice that have been proven to be great at growing coral and sustaining life

If I could have afforded it I would have gone with 3 Kessils!!!

 

[Fudsey]

Welcome to R2R ! ! !

 

[Devon Cisar]

Thanks for all the great info guys. Where do you order those black boxes from. I didnt see them on bulk reef supply

 

[Crabs McJones]

Thanks for all the great info guys. Where do you order those black boxes from. I didnt see them on bulk reef supply

The Chinese black boxes are mainly found on Ebay and amazon. There are also the sb reef lights or the reefbreeders lights.
https://sbreeflights.com
https://www.reefbreeders.com
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B017...=mars+aqua&dpPl=1&dpID=510-YtX88TL&ref=plSrch

 

[Jesterrace]

Really the only issues I see with the black boxes is lack of controls and pre-sets (ie ramp up, ramp down) and the fact that if anything goes wrong you are basically stuck since the warranty isn't the greatest. I agree that the Radion Pros are very nice lights but honestly unless you have super demanding corals you really don't need them (and of course your LFS is trying to get your money). For me a good compromise for LEDs are the AI as they are owned by Ecotech Marine and offer you a high end light that is fully programmable out of the box (instead of having to purchase a $100 controller like you do with Ecotech Marine and Kessil). I assume you are running a 4 foot long tank and if so a pair of AI Hydra 26HD lights would work great and run you $300-$350 each plus the cost of the mounts or rail (which you would need to purchase with any of the aforementioned lights). I have a pair of them mounted on a rail over my 90 gallon and you can see them here:

 

[Devon Cisar]

Got my lights set up guys thanks for all the input!

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

First off welcome to R2R, where you will find lots of lovely people with a vast wealth of knowledge. Secondly, we love to see more pics of your tank, the story behind it, and finally what lights you went with.

In regards to your lights, as others have stated you will get 90 different answers and all of them are correct. I am a huge fan of the Current orbit Marine pros, I run three of them over my 240. They have been wonderful, and Currents customer service is simply stunning.

As far as radions go, meh, lol it’s like buying a I guess maybe a Prada purse, it’s nice and fancy pretty, and costs a fortune. The same is with hydra since they are owned by Ecotech they are like Prado, but a tad cheaper but still beautiful and well it’s the name of course. Then you have like Coach purses that are made the same way, beautiful super soft leather etc and those are still expensive but at least you don’t have to mortgage your house. These would be like Current USA, Kessill, ghl mitas x7 (those are probably the best), and a few others. Now lol this hopefully won’t get eggs thrown at me, (because I mean well), but the black boxes are kinda like wal mart purses. They don’t use fancy leather or zippers, they are super cheap. Some people stick their nose up and refuse to use them because they are wal mart. But, (hold the egg throwing and trying to duct tape me to a steal pole), the wal mart purses (aka black boxes) will last longer, they don’t break the bank, and best of all lol they grow anything you stick under them. Yes, you may get some disco affects, or rainbow effects. But, they work and work great which is what you need.

Last but not least, when it comes to lighting, other people’s opinions help, advise helps. Yet, you and only you must make the decision on what looks beautiful to you, and what fits your budget. This doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby, where you need a second job. Another light that is super promising is the fluval marine 2.0 and they are about the same price as the black boxes. I have used these also and they are great and grow anything. With that said lol if you don’t purchase the WiFi controller with them, you will probably throw the light across your living room out of frustration. The on and off touch button is just Urgh totally Urgh obnoxious. Lol, but the WiFi controller makes the one bad thing go away completely. I also added some pics of how my tank looks using a flip phone camera lol and just on normal lighting with my current orbit marine pros.

Sincerely
Sarah

 

[Jesterrace]

That's probably the best setup I have seen with the current orbit marines of any kind (although I haven't seen a lot of the Pros), the regular ones honestly look like crappola to me as they are super weak. I agree that the Radion and especially Radion Pros are generally overrated for the amount of money you are spending, but I will disagree with you on the Hydras (particularly the 26 HD models) as they really do offer an incredible light for the money and are a fair bit cheaper than even a standard Radion XR15 (once you factor in the separate controller cost on the Radions) and are far cheaper than any of their other Radion lights. The Hydra 26HD lights are comparable with the Kessil A360 in terms of cost (and are actually cheaper once you factor in that the Hydras don't need a separate controller), but have generally been found to have a slight edge in growing corals. I agree that with a 240 gallon tank that the cost of covering it with AI, Radion or even Kessil lights would be prohibitive, but covering a 4 foot tank with a pair can be done for a relatively reasonable cost.

 

[Devon Cisar]

Hello,

First off welcome to R2R, where you will find lots of lovely people with a vast wealth of knowledge. Secondly, we love to see more pics of your tank, the story behind it, and finally what lights you went with.

In regards to your lights, as others have stated you will get 90 different answers and all of them are correct. I am a huge fan of the Current orbit Marine pros, I run three of them over my 240. They have been wonderful, and Currents customer service is simply stunning.

As far as radions go, meh, lol it’s like buying a I guess maybe a Prada purse, it’s nice and fancy pretty, and costs a fortune. The same is with hydra since they are owned by Ecotech they are like Prado, but a tad cheaper but still beautiful and well it’s the name of course. Then you have like Coach purses that are made the same way, beautiful super soft leather etc and those are still expensive but at least you don’t have to mortgage your house. These would be like Current USA, Kessill, ghl mitas x7 (those are probably the best), and a few others. Now lol this hopefully won’t get eggs thrown at me, (because I mean well), but the black boxes are kinda like wal mart purses. They don’t use fancy leather or zippers, they are super cheap. Some people stick their nose up and refuse to use them because they are wal mart. But, (hold the egg throwing and trying to duct tape me to a steal pole), the wal mart purses (aka black boxes) will last longer, they don’t break the bank, and best of all lol they grow anything you stick under them. Yes, you may get some disco affects, or rainbow effects. But, they work and work great which is what you need.

Last but not least, when it comes to lighting, other people’s opinions help, advise helps. Yet, you and only you must make the decision on what looks beautiful to you, and what fits your budget. This doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby, where you need a second job. Another light that is super promising is the fluval marine 2.0 and they are about the same price as the black boxes. I have used these also and they are great and grow anything. With that said lol if you don’t purchase the WiFi controller with them, you will probably throw the light across your living room out of frustration. The on and off touch button is just Urgh totally Urgh obnoxious. Lol, but the WiFi controller makes the one bad thing go away completely. I also added some pics of how my tank looks using a flip phone camera lol and just on normal lighting with my current orbit marine pros.

Sincerely
Sarah

Funny thing is I ended up going with the orbit light as well

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Wow that is so awesome did you use the orbit marine pro or the orbit marine pro ic? If you ever need help with them feel free to ask, I know them extremely well. Oh and also lol I learned that the default button is soooooooooo your best friend, just remember to hold it for longer than 5 seconds, oh and lol the resume and enter are super handy and friendly also.

 

[Devon Cisar]

Hello,

Wow that is so awesome did you use the orbit marine pro or the orbit marine pro ic? If you ever need help with them feel free to ask, I know them extremely well. Oh and also lol I learned that the default button is soooooooooo your best friend, just remember to hold it for longer than 5 seconds, oh and lol the resume and enter are super handy and friendly also.

I ended up getting the IC. I like it so far haven’t really messed with it much other then turning it on to run default may have turned up the storm frequency just cuz I like when that is going figured since I have nothing in it right now what could it hurt.