Radion XR15 G5 Blue - Settings for 20g 18" Cube SPS

X-37B · Feb 22, 2022

chipchipmofo said:
How do I set green/red and whites then? I mean at what percentage? Like I like it?

I dont know as I dont run Radions.
I would set the AB+ schedule as it is since it works.

Cjeippert · Feb 22, 2022

I have 4 Radion Blue xr30s gen 5 on a 140 gallon mixed reef, mostly sps. AB+ with diffuser everything at 100% . Except I use the slider at the top on mobius to put them at 27%. I use 12 hour photoperiod 7am to 7 pm. 8-5:30 is my peak, other times are ramp up and down and heavy blue viewing period. ( built intomobius schedule). The ab+ with diffusers to me look like T5s no dancing led disco effect.

Most coral stores turn the white lime red cyan down to 30% to 0%. That is way to blue for my taste. Every fish looks like a blue tang or black.

rent the blue apogee PAR meter ( or buy it if you have money for it).

so most will scoff and say 27% is too low for acropora, but I am getting 230 to 375 PAR top 2/3 of tank with sand bed at 170 to 235 PAR. If I go any higher the alveopora and euphylia would not make it. 26to 30 % is the sweet spot for my tank.

if I could do it again, I would by double the xr 15s and space them out with either T5 or halides down the middle. Many reefers including myself feel the corals benefit from some UV from T5 or halides to keep bacterial and other strange things at bay.

My sps are doing very good at the settings I listed above.

Cjeippert · Feb 22, 2022

Be ready for mobius problems. Once you set the lights try not to open that app. Always loses connectivity between mobius and radions. You might experience some strange things like light turns on full blast at 3 am. Ecotech has good customer service and will show you the trick to hard rebooting.

Acros · Feb 22, 2022

chipchipmofo said:
and what red/green whites?

All channel at 100%. That is AB+ on the G5 Blue. You could just use their built in template.

Acros · Feb 22, 2022

Cjeippert said:
I have 4 Radion Blue xr30s gen 5 on a 140 gallon mixed reef, mostly sps. AB+ with diffuser everything at 100% . Except I use the slider at the top on mobius to put them at 27%. I use 12 hour photoperiod 7am to 7 pm. 8-5:30 is my peak, other times are ramp up and down and heavy blue viewing period. ( built intomobius schedule). The ab+ with diffusers to me look like T5s no dancing led disco effect.

Most coral stores turn the white lime red cyan down to 30% to 0%. That is way to blue for my taste. Every fish looks like a blue tang or black.

rent the blue apogee PAR meter ( or buy it if you have money for it).

so most will scoff and say 27% is too low for acropora, but I am getting 230 to 375 PAR top 2/3 of tank with sand bed at 170 to 235 PAR. If I go any higher the alveopora and euphylia would not make it. 26to 30 % is the sweet spot for my tank.

if I could do it again, I would by double the xr 15s and space them out with either T5 or halides down the middle. Many reefers including myself feel the corals benefit from some UV from T5 or halides to keep bacterial and other strange things at bay.

My sps are doing very good at the settings I listed above.

Just out of curiosity, what are the dimensions of you tank?

Cjeippert · Feb 22, 2022

jamesdomini4 said:
Just out of curiosity, what are the dimensions of you tank?

5’3” long x 23” w x 23” h. It is the red sea 650 peninsula

Acros · Feb 22, 2022

Cjeippert said:
5’3” long x 23” w x 23” h. It is the red sea 650 peninsula

How do you space them? I was running though lighting for a 6ft tank and was wondering if 14” between each XR30 is good enough.

Cjeippert · Feb 22, 2022

I use the ecotech bar which mounts lights 8” from water. Also, I think that I run mine lower than most people because I have 4 instead of manufacturer suggested 3 lights. The space between the middle 2 is 9 inches. The space between the outer is 4” - 4.5”.

the acros were mostly put in 4 months ago and have encrusted, colored up, and are growing new branches.

i used the rule of 2/3 for my rock work. My wife actually did the rock work- she is more creative than me. Each peak there is a puck just above it. But my par meter shows higher PAR in the spaces in between where the cones of light projection overlap.

you could probably do just fine with 3. And hang them higher and turn them up. I was just thinking ahead to avoid shadowing.