Lighting Recommendations for 180G Reef

tc760 · Jun 5, 2020

I have 3 Radion XR30 Gen3 lights from my old tank that I planned on using for now since I wont have a lot of corals to start off with. I have a 180G 6'x2'x2' tank. It will be mixed reef but plan to go heavier on the SPS side with some torches and zoas on the bottom. I am cycling right now but am thinking about upgrading my lighting. I am lucky enough to have some extra money for my new tank build. My first thought was to go T5 Hybrid with 3 Kessil A360x and add more if needed. But now I have a little extra money I might be able to splurge for 3 Radion XR30 G5s or 5 or 6 XR15s. I know the G5s are pretty new still so there isnt a ton long term reviews. The Kessil lights are attractive cause they are simple and wont allow me the urge to change color and intensity as much as I would with the G5s. I have seem enough hybrid reviews to know it will work. I may even hold off and see if a pair of AP9X with T5s would work since a pair of AP700s technically cover my tank dimensions with the T5s would probably work.

Whats everyone's thoughts? Other recommendations or thoughts to consider?

jda · Jun 5, 2020

Not all light changes are upgrades. Those g3 xr30s are superior to new Kessils, IMO. Others may disagree, but I find Kessils way too underpowered for my acropora (and this was in a shallow frag tank). Super heavy acropora tanks can need up to 6x xr30s to cover that tank even with the T5s, but not all of them need this many. Most people who do use Kessils over SPS use one per foot and have 4x T5s to flank them. In any case, you could end up with more than three radions or six or more kessils (or an ap700 for each 2x2x2 area) if you really want to ball-out with acropora. However, you do not need them all at once and can add incrementally, but just plan on the costs.

Do not sleep on something like Photon V2 in a AL Hybrid fixture. If I had to use LED, these or Orphek would be my choice since I do not like pucks at all over my acropora since they get large and shadow. Dig up some threads by therman and check out his tanks under Photons - no trick photography or all-blue, just bad-butt acropora. Just 8 bulb ATI are still a best of breed solution, so do not sleep on these either, especially if you think that you might mess with the lights too much. If you get to wondering a MH, then let me know - still my go-to for pure performance, but I save my words since most people do not care.

Camaro Show Corals · Jun 5, 2020

jda said:
Not all light changes are upgrades. Those g3 xr30s are superior to new Kessils, IMO. Others may disagree, but I find Kessils way too underpowered for my acropora (and this was in a shallow frag tank). Super heavy acropora tanks can need up to 6x xr30s to cover that tank even with the T5s, but not all of them need this many. Most people who do use Kessils over SPS use one per foot and have 4x T5s to flank them. In any case, you could end up with more than three radions or six or more kessils (or an ap700 for each 2x2x2 area) if you really want to ball-out with acropora. However, you do not need them all at once and can add incrementally, but just plan on the costs.

Do not sleep on something like Photon V2 in a AL Hybrid fixture. If I had to use LED, these or Orphek would be my choice since I do not like pucks at all over my acropora since they get large and shadow. Dig up some threads by therman and check out his tanks under Photons - no trick photography or all-blue, just bad-butt acropora. Just 8 bulb ATI are still a best of breed solution, so do not sleep on these either, especially if you think that you might mess with the lights too much. If you get to wondering a MH, then let me know - still my go-to for pure performance, but I save my words since most people do not care.

No pucks on Gen5 radions.

tc760 · Jun 6, 2020

jda said:
Not all light changes are upgrades. Those g3 xr30s are superior to new Kessils, IMO. Others may disagree, but I find Kessils way too underpowered for my acropora (and this was in a shallow frag tank). Super heavy acropora tanks can need up to 6x xr30s to cover that tank even with the T5s, but not all of them need this many. Most people who do use Kessils over SPS use one per foot and have 4x T5s to flank them. In any case, you could end up with more than three radions or six or more kessils (or an ap700 for each 2x2x2 area) if you really want to ball-out with acropora. However, you do not need them all at once and can add incrementally, but just plan on the costs.

Do not sleep on something like Photon V2 in a AL Hybrid fixture. If I had to use LED, these or Orphek would be my choice since I do not like pucks at all over my acropora since they get large and shadow. Dig up some threads by therman and check out his tanks under Photons - no trick photography or all-blue, just bad-butt acropora. Just 8 bulb ATI are still a best of breed solution, so do not sleep on these either, especially if you think that you might mess with the lights too much. If you get to wondering a MH, then let me know - still my go-to for pure performance, but I save my words since most people do not care.

Thank you very much for the detailed response. It gives me more to think about for sure. I am upgrading to a 180g from a 5' lps/softy dominant tank that I ran for neatly 6 years. I had a few easy to keep SPS but nothing spectacular. I appreciate opinions since lps/softy was very forgiving when It came to light. I noticed that going to a 6' tank opinions change a lot on how much light is needed. I am going much more minimalist on rockscape so that adds to my confusion since I have a bigger tank but less chance of having a "wall to wall" SPS tank. There will be a fair amount of euphilia and zoas filling in the lower levels between the main rockscape. I may not need as many lights as other with densely populated tanks. I appreciate your mentioning that my G3's are decent lights and the reality is they probably will get me by for a year or two since the tank will still be young. Might be worth setting the money aside and addressing my tanks needs as it progresses. Who knows what will be out then. Its easy to get caught up in wanting new just because. I'll look into some of the orphek and photon lights as well.

lexinverts · Jun 6, 2020

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Here's Dana's testing thread for them:

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Oldreefer44 · Jun 6, 2020

Am also in the process of upgrading to a 180. Have had Orpheks on a 135 for several years and like them a lot. Am also considering Phillips Coral care if they are available when needed. If not I will move my V4's over to the new tank.