Al Prime 16hd or Radion xr15 blue

[Ashley13]

I have a 75 gallon reef tank with T5 lights, I'm wanting to switch to LED's since my other two reefs have LED's as well. What's yall's opinions on the AI Prime 16hd or Radion G5 xr15 blue?

 

[twhit030]

So I JUST did this haha for the price I got 4 ai prime 16hds and it’s great easily going to grow sps for me. The xr15s are a better light but LITERALLY double the price and considering me needing 4 to grow sps I can’t justify spending 1800 dollars with the new price increase. I’m actually considering going back to t5

 

[twhit030]

I made my own diy brackets and saved a lot of money that way too.

 

[Bouncingsoul39]

Current USA Orbit R24 are much better then the AI 16. Maybe not as good as the eco tech. Check em out.

 

[reefingaz]

So I JUST did this haha for the price I got 4 ai prime 16hds and it’s great easily going to grow sps for me. The xr15s are a better light but LITERALLY double the price and considering me needing 4 to grow sps I can’t justify spending 1800 dollars with the new price increase. I’m actually considering going back to t5

Depending on the depth of tank I don’t think the Prime are strong enough to grow sps at all. I had a Prime HD on a 10 gal Nano and my corals all looked blah. Took it off 6 weeks ago and put on a kessil 360x and man things changed overnight. My JF acros started to get the color back. I had the prime at high % and it was not enough light for sps. My clams and lps are also loving the extra power. Nothing changed but the light and it’s a different tank. My prime is now set to over 100% growing chateo in my refugium. Not a fan of the Prime For growth much less on a deep tank.

 

[Acros]

AI 16HD might make more sense as the 75 gallon is not very wide. XR15 compares directly to AI 32HD.

 

[twhit030]

I have a 40 breeder with all acro that has been grown under 2ai prime 16s and par levels hitting 300. It will 100 percent grow sps

 

[twhit030]

Depending on the depth of tank I don’t think the Prime are strong enough to grow sps at all. I had a Prime HD on a 10 gal Nano and my corals all looked blah. Took it off 6 weeks ago and put on a kessil 360x and man things changed overnight. My JF acros started to get the color back. I had the prime at high % and it was not enough light for sps. My clams and lps are also loving the extra power. Nothing changed but the light and it’s a different tank. My prime is now set to over 100% growing chateo in my refugium. Not a fan of the Prime For growth much less on a deep tank.

Generally speaking spectrum is the problem for corals not looking the greatest. Ai primes allow you to mix your own spectrum (wether it be good or bad) my guess the ai wasn’t at the best spectrum for them. The kessels have a set spectrum that can’t be changed and are set from the factory to the perfect blend and all you can change is the intensity.

that being said if I had 1800 dollars to spend I’d get 4 xr15s set to like 50 percent but sense I don’t have the kind of budget 4 ai primes set to the proper spectrum at max intensity will do just fine.

 

[reefingaz]

them

I agree with your comment but I had it set per BRS optimum height and spectrum and still outside of my LPS the clams and especially acros lost color in a matter of day’s. Within 2 weeks of taking them off and replacing with Kessil it was day and night change. But I do agree different tanks and corals respond differently to things. My large tank has AP700’s and t5 and things grow like weeds right out of the Box.