Xr-15’s not cutting it!

[Pntbll687]

That looks like a nice light! Do you have any experience with it?

I have the meso blue bars on my frag tanks right now. I love the color and ease of use.

My next frag tank I'm setting up will have the atlas over them.

 

[RedReefer]

I switched my lense to high intensity for a smaller tank which fixed the low par.

Same

 

[VintageReefer]

So far after some research while fighting with Covid…( I can use that as the excuse for the wife. Covid made me do it! ) I am deciding between

1. 3 - Reefbuilders Meridian 24”
2. 2 - Orphek Natura iCon
3. 2 - Quanta’s

Thanks for all of the help and suggestions!

Honestly these are all great choices

 

[areefer01]

Honestly these are all great choices

Sure, and varying price points.

Rough estimate, single unit:

• Reefbuilders Meridian 24” ($699.99 USD EST)
• Orphek Natura iCon ($760.00 USD EST)
• Quanta’s - Atlas ($499.00 USD EST)
• XR15 G6 ($529.00 USD EST)
• ReeFi Uno 2.1 ($490 USD EST)
• ReeFi Duo 2.1 ($545 USD EST)

I think some people misunderstood what @rtparty was trying to say. In short there is more to a successful display than a PAR number and there can be instances of too much light. Dana Riddle has a few articles on the subject. Lighting is one of those areas that has a lot of market speak with words like industry leading, or science based, or recommended, or tested, and it is easy to zero in on that and make a purchase.

The OP already as a pair of XR's so the question is this basically (in my opinion).

• Sell the current XR's and buy new lighting, brand
• Add to the existing XR's from the list or other recommendations and have two control points
• Buy 1 or 2 additional XR's and stay in the ecosystem
• Do nothing and evaluate the system making adjustments for coral placement

 

[14 foot reef]

Sure, and varying price points.

Rough estimate, single unit:

• Reefbuilders Meridian 24” ($699.99 USD EST)
• Orphek Natura iCon ($760.00 USD EST)
• Quanta’s - Atlas ($499.00 USD EST)
• XR15 G6 ($529.00 USD EST)
• ReeFi Uno 2.1 ($490 USD EST)
• ReeFi Duo 2.1 ($545 USD EST)

I think some people misunderstood what @rtparty was trying to say. In short there is more to a successful display than a PAR number and there can be instances of too much light. Dana Riddle has a few articles on the subject. Lighting is one of those areas that has a lot of market speak with words like industry leading, or science based, or recommended, or tested, and it is easy to zero in on that and make a purchase.

The OP already as a pair of XR's so the question is this basically (in my opinion).

• Sell the current XR's and buy new lighting, brand
• Add to the existing XR's from the list or other recommendations and have two control points
• Buy 1 or 2 additional XR's and stay in the ecosystem
• Do nothing and evaluate the system making adjustments for coral placement

If OP wants to keep the XR15's and add, then also think Quanta Helix Quad Core Strip lights.
They will be available any day now.

Quanta Helix

Includes mounting brackets and hanging kit. NOTE: This light is air-cooled and is not designed for unventilated enclosed canopies. Please refer to warranty for more information.

www.quanta-lights.com

 

[areefer01]

if Op wants to keep the xr 15's and add, then also think Quanta Helix Quad Core Strip lights. Will be available any day now.

Quanta Helix

Includes mounting brackets and hanging kit. NOTE: This light is air-cooled and is not designed for unventilated enclosed canopies. Please refer to warranty for more information.

www.quanta-lights.com

Me - I'm not recommending anything. Bars are obviously an option. On, off, may be a cleaner option without a doubt.

 

[pomoev]

>The lights are about 12”

You're just spilling the light around the room.
Try lowering them down to 6" first.

 

[Mastiffking]

>The lights are about 12”

You're just spilling the light around the room.
Try lowering them down to 6" first.

Only issue with that is then I would have to hang them. But I shall see what I can rig up

 

[UtahReefer]

I found the same thing you did... When I set up my IM 100EXT (48" x 24" x 20") a little over a year ago I checked with Ecotech to see if 3 XR15's would be adequate for this system which would be SPS dominant. They said I should be fine. Long story short Acro growth has been slow and even lost a few here and there. Finally got a PAR meter and was shocked. At 96% intensity I found 500+ PAR at the surface, but a 7" below the surface where my Acros are I was getting 210 to 220. Half way down the tank I'm getting barely 200! I'm adding 2 AI Blades today to the Radions and that should fix it. The XR15's are good lights with wonderful spread, but in my experience they do not punch PAR deep into the tank.

 

[Mastiffking]

Yeah. I am one that doesn’t like clutter. I don’t want to spend the money, but for me if I can buy 3 of new reef breeder lights and have a clean top vs having to buy possibly 3 more lights and having 5 I’ll do the 3

 

[VintageReefer]

Yeah. I am one that doesn’t like clutter. I don’t want to spend the money, but for me if I can buy 3 of new reef breeder lights and have a clean top vs having to buy possibly 3 more lights and having 5 I’ll do the 3

looking at the new rb meridian specs it looks like you could get by with two 24’s. 3 definitely would do it but according to their data:

Meridian 24 - default “balance lens”
Coverage 24x36
Assuming 36 is the horizontal, if you ran the light front to back…you would get 36 front to back coverage and 24” horizontal

Depth is rated for 12-36”

With a 48” tank, it seems 2 of these could do it. 3 for sure. But you could start with 2 and see how it goes and add a third later if needed

 

[14 foot reef]

I found the same thing you did... When I set up my IM 100EXT (48" x 24" x 20") a little over a year ago I checked with Ecotech to see if 3 XR15's would be adequate for this system which would be SPS dominant. They said I should be fine. Long story short Acro growth has been slow and even lost a few here and there. Finally got a PAR meter and was shocked. At 96% intensity I found 500+ PAR at the surface, but a 7" below the surface where my Acros are I was getting 210 to 220. Half way down the tank I'm getting barely 200! I'm adding 2 AI Blades today to the Radions and that should fix it. The XR15's are good lights with wonderful spread, but in my experience they do not punch PAR deep into the tank.

If you haven't bought the Blades - You should really look at the Quanta Helix Bars, quad core changing the lighting industry !!

Quanta Helix

Includes mounting brackets and hanging kit. NOTE: This light is air-cooled and is not designed for unventilated enclosed canopies. Please refer to warranty for more information.

www.quanta-lights.com

 

[Shawnd08]

I found the same thing you did... When I set up my IM 100EXT (48" x 24" x 20") a little over a year ago I checked with Ecotech to see if 3 XR15's would be adequate for this system which would be SPS dominant. They said I should be fine. Long story short Acro growth has been slow and even lost a few here and there. Finally got a PAR meter and was shocked. At 96% intensity I found 500+ PAR at the surface, but a 7" below the surface where my Acros are I was getting 210 to 220. Half way down the tank I'm getting barely 200! I'm adding 2 AI Blades today to the Radions and that should fix it. The XR15's are good lights with wonderful spread, but in my experience they do not punch PAR deep into the tank.

I have the same tank with 2 XR15s and 2 Blade Grows. The Blades will be more than enough to accomplish what you want.

 

[oreo54]

Current pricing of the Helix is 47" bar is $230/80watts

There are only so many photons one can get out of a "watt" of energy.

With your wide tank that sort of compounds the issue.
At best xr15's are "rated" for 24x14 but realistically 17x17 is better
Setting the height to equal that will generally get the most out of your light.

I suspect most would recommend 2x2 worth of x15's or 3x 2 rows.

Adding 2 bars is a close equiv. of 2x2
Assuming your aren't dimming like crazy for color.

Adding a 3rd xr15 and 2 bars is splitting the difference.

Using the pro as ab+ isn't helping matters.
Crank em full like Sanjay and add 2 + Meso blue bars...