Radion XR 30 vs. Neptune Sky LED vs. ReefLED 160s vs. Other

[tjsutton]

Hello all,
I upgraded from a 60g tank to a 160g Red Sea reefer tank (about 72" x 24" x24"). I ran 3 AI Primes all along but they're not cutting it for the new tank. I'm reading up on/watching YouTube videos on Radions XR 30s, Neptune Sky, ReefLEDs and others trying to determine what's ideal, but can't decide. I know it gets to a point where they're mostly comparable and come down to certain preferences (e.g. the Neptune's lack of shimmer, etc). For people with the 6+ foot long tanks, I'd love some feedback, perhaps anybody who's experiments or two or more of the brands in this tier. Appreciate the feedback. Thanks!

 

[Stealthreefer]

I am hoarding old kessils.
I have bought multiple 350s for under 70 bucks.
To be honest, if you have a hood and can put them 2 foot above the tank I would just run vipar spectras.
My wife won't let me do that though.
"It looks like you're growing weed in the living room" she thinks they look like grow lights, which they kind of do.

 

[rtparty]

I’ve run or tested almost every major brand of LED. I currently run 5 AI Blades over my 250g peninsula tank. They’ve been great. Plan is to switch to Radions though in the near future

I’d go XR30s all day

 

[Poochaku]

reefi uno 2.0 >>>>>>>>>> XR30

 

[Jon's Reef]

Here are a few comparisons that I had put together with data.

Comparison: Reefi Uno 2.0, XR15 G6, XR30 G5

This is not the end all, super experiment, just my process is deciding how to light my new setup. The biggest conclusion is that there is no winner, all great lights and more about personal preference. Tank is a Waterbox 220.6 (72x26x24). I like a whiter look during the day and an evening blue...

www.reef2reef.com

SKY vs Radion G5: Real World Comparison

Wanted to share a comparison of the SKY and Radion G5 XR30 Blue on a real world system. Tank is 36x30x24. Both lights were mounted 8" off of the water line. Glass was cleaned before each test. Due to the 30" width, the lights were mounted front to back. All pics taken with iphone 13 and...

www.reef2reef.com

It really depends on your personal preference and tank goals.

The SKY creates a really flat look. Either you like that or not. Shadow reduction is excellent due to the panel size. The spectrum is a bit bluer at 100%. If you use APEX, the control is really well integrated.

Reefi is a par monster. You can adjust the coverage by changing the height and reflector. The color at 100% is a bit more pink/ violet and there is some color separation in the tank due to the reflector positioning. At normal heights (<12") there is a bit of a hotspot in the middle.

XR30s give a nice balance of coverage and par. The pro light is a crisp white at 100% while the blue G6 has an actinic blue look (the G5 blue is close to T5 which has a blue-green look to it). XR15s give better shadow reduction than the XR30 with a slight loss in par (if comparing 2 XR15 to 1 XR30). If you use other Ecotech products, having it all in Mobius is nice.

I have not used ReefLEDs, but my concern would be shadowing. The big benefit would be if you have the whole Red Sea product line, its all in one app.

 

[MartinM]

Hello all,
I upgraded from a 60g tank to a 160g Red Sea reefer tank (about 72" x 24" x24"). I ran 3 AI Primes all along but they're not cutting it for the new tank. I'm reading up on/watching YouTube videos on Radions XR 30s, Neptune Sky, ReefLEDs and others trying to determine what's ideal, but can't decide. I know it gets to a point where they're mostly comparable and come down to certain preferences (e.g. the Neptune's lack of shimmer, etc). For people with the 6+ foot long tanks, I'd love some feedback, perhaps anybody who's experiments or two or more of the brands in this tier. Appreciate the feedback. Thanks!

Why not just add on a few strips? The newer Blades seem good and they have mounting options that combine with your existing lights.