What light to choose

Fisherman888 · Feb 23, 2021

I bought a waterbox peninsula 25 for my son. the inside dimensions of the tank are 20x16. I am trying to decided on lighting. We are looking at Kessil a160, radion xr16 or xr30 or an AI prime.
Would a xr30 be a waste? My local fish store pushes the AI primes but I'm not the biggest fan. If its the best for the job then im fine with it.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks in advance!

Mav88 · Feb 23, 2021

I only have experience with the AI Prime, and I think it's very easy to set up and also has schedules that are easily downloaded to apply to the light if you do not want to spend the time to figure all that out. Also, I have had to contact AI customer service for an issue and they helped me clear it up quickly. I ordered a second so I could have 2 on my 36, ran 1 on an evo 13.5. Best of luck, good list.

mdb_talon · Feb 23, 2021

If it were me i would go with AI prime. I do think an xr30 is much more than you need(36" spread on 20" tank), but otherwise i think any of the options you list make sense.

Rhoads238 · Feb 23, 2021

They're all good quality lights. I used to have a kessil 160 over my refugium and ran it under the stand for four years 24 hours a day. Very reliable light, never had an issue with it. I'm using kessils again over my refugium on my new build. I've seen kessils as the sole light source over tanks and I don't prefer it, the shimmer lines are a little too much. I think they look great in the display when mixed with a diffused light source like t5. My new system is running xr15s over the display, I don't have the tank yet but I have them mounted and wired up and i think they're going to be really good. I don't have experience with the primes so i can't comment.

Tuffyyyyy · Feb 23, 2021

You're about to get 50 different answers, but in the end it's up to you. The XR30 would be a waste but if you've got the money, and you have any inclination of upgrading in the next year or two, it might be worth it. But pretty much any light you listed besides the Kessil a160 would transition easily to a larger tank.

One thing you mentioned that I wanted to ask about though, why the dislike of the AI Prime? Radion & AI are sister companies so if you don't like the AI there's a good chance you could dislike the Radion.

Fisherman888 · Feb 23, 2021

I heard people had issues with burning the leds/lenses. Some said it was from running over 100% and some said that it just happened without.

Tuffyyyyy · Feb 23, 2021

Ah, okay. It's unfortunate but it seems like every manufacturer has something like that. I've seen countless people say Kessil's burn out after 2 years, the G5 Radions had some manufacturer defects, and then the AI lights have had that problem become more popular lately.

NanoReefs · Feb 23, 2021

I would go with the AI Prime 16 HD. The only time I have melted a lens was when I placed it directly on an object. Other than that, it is an amazing light for the price.

Fisherman888 · Feb 23, 2021

thank you guys for the info!!

Scotti · Feb 23, 2021

Fisherman,

I just purchased the Red Sea LED-50 for my 34 gallon. I'm really happy with it. No disco effect. The LED is recessed so when sitting in my recliner I'm not blinded by the light. No pun intended.

Setting it up on WIFI was a little tough, so of course I did what most adults my age would do,
I asked my kid to do it.

The programming is only as difficult as you want it to be.

I really like the effect the light has in the tank.

Red Sea Led 50, $200 bucks. Plus the mounting arm $49.00 bucks.

My, 2 cents.

Philly Reefer · Feb 23, 2021

My vote would be AI Prime 16HD too. I have 2 of them for my 40 breeder. So if you are planning to upgrade your tank to a tank at least 24x24, the AI still good. Longer tank, just get another one.

XR30 would be a waste on a small tank like that. If you want a better light then the XR15 would be best.

EuphylliaAddict · Feb 23, 2021

Fisherman888 said:
I bought a waterbox peninsula 25 for my son. the inside dimensions of the tank are 20x16. I am trying to decided on lighting. We are looking at Kessil a160, radion xr16 or xr30 or an AI prime.
Would a xr30 be a waste? My local fish store pushes the AI primes but I'm not the biggest fan. If its the best for the job then im fine with it.
Any advice would be great.
Thanks in advance!

Ai prime for sure. Happy reefing