Help choose lights for 50g cube SPS tank

Acroporaaddict

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Setting up a 50g (24x24x20) Acropora only tank. Looking at:

Reefbrite 250w hybrid with XHO LEDs
M80 ballast w/ Radium

Giesemann Spectra 250w with 4x24w t5
M80 ballast w/ Radium

Radion XR30 Gen4

I'm not worried about heat or cost of running. What would you choose?
 

Bpb

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Setting up a 50g (24x24x20) Acropora only tank. Looking at:

Reefbrite 250w hybrid with XHO LEDs
M80 ballast w/ Radium

Giesemann Spectra 250w with 4x24w t5
M80 ballast w/ Radium

Radion XR30 Gen4

I'm not worried about heat or cost of running. What would you choose?

Among the 3 choices, I’d choose the reefbrite.

If it were my own though I’d do old school though and run a ushio 10k or maybe even an iwasaki 6500k halide for ridiculous growth and run it for 4-5 hours a day and let the LEDs shine outside of that
 

gcarroll

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Running costs and heat control are not important to you, so how would you rank these other things in importance to you?

1. Coloration of the corals
2. Growth of the corals
3. Aesthetics of the fixture

Personally I rank them 1 - 3 - 2 so Radion is my clear choice for #1. Spectra is second.
 

Esquire805

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Setting up a 50g (24x24x20) Acropora only tank. Looking at:

Reefbrite 250w hybrid with XHO LEDs
M80 ballast w/ Radium

Giesemann Spectra 250w with 4x24w t5
M80 ballast w/ Radium

Radion XR30 Gen4

I'm not worried about heat or cost of running. What would you choose?
Spectra
 
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Acroporaaddict

Acroporaaddict

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Ended up ordering a new Giesemann Spectra off Ebay for $425 shipped. Going to use a Hamilton M80 ballast and Radium bulb that i already own. What 4 bulb T5 combo would come closest to the spectrum of a Radium on an HQI ballast? 3 Blue+ and a Purple+ or maybe 2 Blue+, a Purple+ and a True Actinic? Im thinking a 10hr photoperiod for the T5s and a 5hr period for the halide sound about right?
 

Bpb

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That sounds perfect. Having run radiums before it’s gonna be tough to match that spectrum with 4 bulbs but 2 blue+, 1 purple, 1 actinic will look beautiful. May not look identical to the radium. But it’ll display coral colors very well. I think you’ll love it
 

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