Switching from T5's to radion metal halides

larryl · Jun 4, 2013

Well got a killer deal on some gen 1 radions with TIR. So I'm making the switch from a 6 bulb 72 inch aquatic life fixture with ATI bulbs. I run the bulbs 9 hours a day. Anyways any recommendations on acclimating from T5's to radions? My tank has been lit with T5's for years really nervous about the switch over.

JSB · Jun 4, 2013

You can stay with the 9 hours if you like. However, if you are talking about a 20-24" deep tank, I would do the following. First, find the noon-day color you are shooting for and save it as a preset. Then using a 9 hour schedule (or even longer if you want to have ramp up and down) set a ramp from OFF to Noon-Day Color @ 25% overall intensity over the first 90 minutes. Hold 25% overall intensity until 1.5 hours before you want lights out and set it to ramp down. Run it that way for a week, keeping an eye on your inhabitants and not their response. Then increase overall intensity 5-10% weekly until you get to around 75% maximum intensity. Depending on your tank, 75% overall intensity may be enough for a 9 hour photo period. If not, add another 5% and wait a couple weeks, and continue until you get what you want. If I get mine above 80-85% my LPS get cranky and the SPS start to pale out a bit.

mfinn · Jun 4, 2013

Here is what I did when I went from a ATI 6x24watt Sunpower fixture to a gen 1 Radion on my 20" deep 50 gallon LPS/SPS tank.
I hung the light 9" over the water.
I started using the radiant program and a 4 week acclimation program starting at 35% up to a max of 65%.
At the end of 4 weeks, I figured I could bump it up another 5%, but the lps corals started looking a little stressed, so I dropped the intensity back to 65% and am going to leave it there.

Sonner171 · Jun 5, 2013

Radions are awesome! Great decision to switch. I got mine over a year ago, and I just used the acclimation feature that the lights have. I had a SPS dominant tank so I didn't want to not have enough light switching, so I started mine at 50% and acclimated it up to 65%. Like mfinn, I have noticed alot of my lps looking not very happy when I go anything above 65% power. The local fish store in my area has all radions over their tanks, and a few friends have them, and from everyone I have talked to, it seems like 65% is the magic number. Good Luck with the lights, you will love them.

larryl · Jun 5, 2013

Thanks, I went from a 6 bulb To over one of my frag tanks to a evolution 120 watt years ago. And I lost all my Sps. However the softies and lps love the light.

JSB · Jun 5, 2013

If I were running the Radion in 12KK mode (every color at 100%) I would think 65% would be my max as well. I run mine much bluer so the white, red, and green are all lower than 50%, despite the overall intensity being around ~80%. So, I think we are all saying, you can have too much of a good thing.