Should I upgrade to Radion G5 or?

[mfrumkin]

I currently have a 10 year old 180 gallon mixed reef that is 58 x 24. My lights are 4 fixtures of 2 lights each Radion Gen 1. While I can grow Stylophora I have never ever been able to grow Acropora. I would like to. My LFS told me it is because my current lights do not have UV and I should upgrade to G5 Pro or Blue. At $839 a light is it worth it to grow Acros? Is there a light that is better or just as good at a lower price point?

 

[Spare time]

I think you will defitely be able to grow acro with the g5, but I can't say if that is why you struggle with acros currently. Plenty of brands offer quality lights. AI, Kessil, Reef Brite, Radion, etc. will all be able to grow acros with no issues. There are also more budget friendly lights such as reef breeders and such. My advice if you want to upgrade is to watch the BRS lighting showdown. You get a summary of most major lights out there and a visual demonstration.

As for the g5 blue vs pro, it more or less depends on how white or blue of a tank you prefer. If you know that you are not going to run a decent amount of white, the blue cuts down on some of the white led's to make room for more blues which are the primary growing colors