U.S. lights vs. Aquaray

[Terribleone5]

I love all the product reviews and testing! Keep it up!

I purchased Aquaray's lights a few years ago. They state they are the "Radion's" of Europe. They are not common here in the states. They are a tile style light setup. Much different than what is offered here in the states. I have had no issues with them, other than the Gen 1 controller lacks controllability. The Gen 2 controller seems to catch up with the other current U.S. lights out there. I would like to see a review on Aquaray's lights versus the U.S competition. Are they actually Radion equivalent? How do they stack up to other lights when looking at the related elements for proper coral health?

 

[Bulk Reef Supply Verified Sponsor]

Hm. I haven't run into those, personally. I'll pass the suggestion along to the team, although I don't believe they are widely used here. Worth looking into, none the less

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Aquaray was distributed through Quality Marine at one time...think they still sell them and the Tropic Marine Centers products.

 

[Darryl]

Aquaraylighting.com usa distributer order direct

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Aquaraylighting.com usa distributer order direct

Right at the bottom of the home page. Distributed by Quality Marine in the USA. FYI

 

[Terribleone5]

I appreciate the thought. Thanks for taking the time to read my post.
Yes, they are a light that is not well know around here in the states. But apparently pretty popular across the pond. I did purchase mine through AAP (American Aquarium Products). They are a Tropical Marine Centre product. They had won awards for the lights years ago. Just curious if they live up to the hype. I have a Seneye for testing PAR and spectrum, just don't have other lights to test against. My Seneye stopped working after testing my lights, so I'm not sure how accurate my readings are. New Seneye is on the way.

 

[tweeter]

I purchased these lights 3 yrs back. They are for soft corals, and some LPS. They are not strong enough for SPS. IMO, they do not come close to Radions! I took them off my tank and got Radions.

 

[Oldreefer44]

I read all the great reviews and purchased them a couple of years ago. Did not like the colors that they produced at all. Sold them after 2 weeks and switched to Orphek. Huge difference.

 

[Terribleone5]

Yes, I agree. The original lights are for softies and LPS. But it appears they did come out with a new tile, the 2000HD Ultima NP. Seems to have a higher PAR rating when compared to their other tiles.
I'm roughly $1200-1300 into the Aquarays. Looking to upgrade my lights so I can try my hand at SPS. Not sure if I should dump more $$ into Aquaray or scrap them and try Kessil's or Radions.

 

[Terribleone5]

I just watched BRS review the Orphek Atlantik V4 on my lunch break. Seems to be a really solid light. One V4 can cover a 4 foot tank, but 2 looks amazing. They would for sure do the trick for my 4 footer and also if I upgrade to a larger tank.

 

[MacD]

I too would love to see a BRS investigates episode on the AquaRays. They offer a lot with their unique PWM capability and efficiency, stating they can accomplish a lot of PUR with very little power (30 watts on their tile models).

 

[headdr]

I have read about the pwm aspect of these lights. Once explained it makes a lot of sense. Would like to see a non-biased comparison.