Are Radion G5/6s too weak on PAR now with all the spread?

[ceaver]

Okay, is it just me, or does all of this "amazing" spread of the new radions seem to be too much at the expense of its power?

I have an IM 40 tank, 24" x 20" x 19", not a huge, deep tank (19" deep/tall). I have two xr15 G5 pros on there, running 100% intensity on AB+ with some additional whites added in, and I barely get 250 PAR like 8" below the surface in the middle of the tank.

Now right up against the glass of the tank, I get like 300-375 PAR a ways down, which is great for my frag racks on the glass, but not so great for all my corals that are actually on my rocks throughout the tank. I assume the higher PAR near the glass is due to all this fantastic spread bouncing off the glass, but it's not helping most of the area in the tank. These lights just don't seem to shine down into the tank enough.

It seems like ecotech tried to emulate the spread of T5s, and I suppose they did. What seems to be missing here is that you could pack enough T5s over the tank to get the even spread with enough PAR. With the radions, however, I can't pack enough of them into the available space to get them to overlap to reach the needed PAR. A bit of a fail on the new gens, IMO.

Is anyone else having this problem, or is it just me???

Btw, anyone have any G4s for sale?

 

[blaxsun]

I'd check your PAR meter. I'm getting over 400 PAR 8" below the water surface with 75% intensity with a variation of the radiance setting.

 

[Derrick0580]

Yeah I’d say something is up with your par meter. I know the G6 has slightly lower par than the G5 but with 3 G5 XR15 Blues over my 120 I get 300+ at 12 inches down in the tank and 150 at the sand with 70% on ab+ setting.

 

[Waters]

I will trade you my two Gen 4s for two of yours

 

[Tamberav]

There are SPS tanks with just radions over them and g5 has been out for awhile so it seems to me that they must be fine/working.

 

[ceaver]

I will trade you my two Gen 4s for two of yours

I appreciate the offer! Don't think I'd do a 1:1 trade on them, but I'm also thinking I'll hold onto the G5s for a potential low boy frag tank build, which seems like they'd work well for.

Maybe my PAR meter is the issue, as others have suggested. I'll have to try to verify somehow and then determine if I need some G4s in my life

 

[ceaver]

There are SPS tanks with just radions over them and g5 has been out for awhile so it seems to me that they must be fine/working.

Yeah my tank is one of them and my sps are fine, in general, but I can't help but wonder if coloration on some near the middle and lower portion of the tank is suffering due to low PAR penetration...

 

[Bucs20fan]

I will agree. I have 2 g5 xr15's on my 60 breeder and they have to be toned down. They arent the most powerful obviously but they will get the job done. Im probably going to add a reefbrite LED bar to them to add some insane par to the top of my tank. Just have to be careful as my tank is only 16.25" deep. But i get around 150 par all over my sand bed with 275 -300 up top.

 

[Tuan’s Reef]

That is odd. I have XR30 g5 blue . With the diffusers on running radiant setting at 42% I am getting 260 9" under water directly below. Sides are higher. I used an apogee mq510 par meter.

 

[ninjamyst]

I run my g4 at 95%....I have diffuser though.

 

[Tamberav]

Yeah my tank is one of them and my sps are fine, in general, but I can't help but wonder if coloration on some near the middle and lower portion of the tank is suffering due to low PAR penetration...

I do think it is reasonable to say that the lights pushing the spread are more geared towards larger or wider tanks and perhaps nano/smaller tanks are not the focus of their market.

 

[Waters]

I appreciate the offer! Don't think I'd do a 1:1 trade on them, but I'm also thinking I'll hold onto the G5s for a potential low boy frag tank build, which seems like they'd work well for.

Maybe my PAR meter is the issue, as others have suggested. I'll have to try to verify somehow and then determine if I need some G4s in my life

My G4s have never been run over 50% total intensity due to the addition of 4 T5s. I would definitely double check the PAR....I can't image Ecotech would go backwards in power from one model to the next.

 

[atragichope]

Okay, is it just me, or does all of this "amazing" spread of the new radions seem to be too much at the expense of its power?

I have an IM 40 tank, 24" x 20" x 19", not a huge, deep tank (19" deep/tall). I have two xr15 G5 pros on there, running 100% intensity on AB+ with some additional whites added in, and I barely get 250 PAR like 8" below the surface in the middle of the tank.

Now right up against the glass of the tank, I get like 300-375 PAR a ways down, which is great for my frag racks on the glass, but not so great for all my corals that are actually on my rocks throughout the tank. I assume the higher PAR near the glass is due to all this fantastic spread bouncing off the glass, but it's not helping most of the area in the tank. These lights just don't seem to shine down into the tank enough.

It seems like ecotech tried to emulate the spread of T5s, and I suppose they did. What seems to be missing here is that you could pack enough T5s over the tank to get the even spread with enough PAR. With the radions, however, I can't pack enough of them into the available space to get them to overlap to reach the needed PAR. A bit of a fail on the new gens, IMO.

Is anyone else having this problem, or is it just me???

Btw, anyone have any G4s for sale?

I have the same IM40 with XR30ProGen3. At 45% brightness I hit 365 at 6 inches under the water in the dead center with a new par meter. All blues got me to 520. I have mine set to 35% for my mainly LPS tank, my black widow is loving the the 300 par lighting it’s getting right now.

 

[ceaver]

I have the same IM40 with XR30ProGen3. At 45% brightness I hit 365 at 6 inches under the water in the dead center with a new par meter. All blues got me to 520. I have mine set to 35% for my mainly LPS tank, my black widow is loving the the 300 par lighting it’s getting right now.

That sounds solid. I'm seriously considering buying some used older radions or maybe getting some Hydras instead of my G5s. And save the G5s for a shallow frag tank. We'll see, thanks for your input!

 

[rtparty]

The BRS750 is all the proof you need that the G5/G6 Radions provide plenty of PAR for anything.

WWC has G5s mounted like 8 feet above their one tank with plenty of PAR.

 

[OnPointCorals]

2 Xr15 in general always seem to push lower par than 1 XR30 in my testing.

On all my tanks I run g4 pros. About a year ago I upgraded one growout tank to g5s Blue. 1. I hated the color ie cyan & Lime 2. I also noticed a notable decrease in par compared to my G4s with similar intensity and spectrum.

I eventually was displeased and sold the g5s and put back on the G4s. They sure had something good going with the G4s.

 

[ceaver]

2 Xr15 in general always seem to push lower par than 1 XR30 in my testing.

On all my tanks I run g4 pros. About a year ago I upgraded one growout tank to g5s Blue. 1. I hated the color ie cyan & Lime 2. I also noticed a notable decrease in par compared to my G4s with similar intensity and spectrum.

I eventually was displeased and sold the g5s and put back on the G4s. They sure had something good going with the G4s.

Hmm, thanks for sharing your for experience with the different generations of radions. I never owned any prior gens before the G5, but I am intrigued to hunt down some G4s and try them out.
Also an interesting observation on 2 XR15s vs 1 XR30!

 

[Superlightman]

G4 gave much better colours, couldn't match it with the g5 pro

 

[Superlightman]

The BRS750 is all the proof you need that the G5/G6 Radions provide plenty of PAR for anything.

WWC has G5s mounted like 8 feet above their one tank with plenty of PAR.

Did you see the number...never you will put so many over your tank

 

[ceaver]

G4 gave much better colours, couldn't match it with the g5 pro

Interesting. I've got a used xr30 G4 lined up, so I will find out for myself firsthand what the differences in PAR and coloring look like... I'm excited to see, I'll post back here once I have made the direct comparisons...