Thank you for the in depth reply and the par very helpful! I think 2 of the xr15 would give me the most spread but then again more cost two brackets also. Il include a pic of my tank i have two pillars at present!Hey Ash. I have one xr30w Pro g4 mounted 12 inches above the water over a 36" tank and I get a good amount of light anywhere I want it. I grow sps on the top rocks very well and havent had problems with anything else. However, on a 36 inch tank, you will get some shadowing depending on how your rock structure is formed.
Here is a rough idea of the PAR I am getting. Keep in mind this is only at 70% intensity and I have since been raising incrementally to have more light available for the corals who need it. You can get away with one having a similar setup as mine, but in reality if your rock structure is not tapered off as shown in the sketch, you will have a hard time growing SPS in other spots than the middle. Having a shallow tank (40g breeder @16" depth) is also helpful as I can raise the light up higher and still get good penetration.
Now back to your question.... I personally have only used the g4 pro and cannot really speak for the non-pro version. The pro offers phenomenal colors and like all radions, has an excellent user interface to work with. It would also be worth looking into getting 2 radion xr15 pro's and you will get less shadowing and would be better for a more pillar like design. I would recommend going with the pro version for the little extra PAR boost (no evidence to back up but generally more LED's=more PAR).
People may disagree, but eBay has an abundance of radion's for really good prices. People are always coming in and out of the hobby and there are a ton of deals in other places than the retail stores. Just be patient and a deal will eventually come.
Best of luck.
Im not completely against the idea of going back to t5 but they are abit old hat they get hot use more elctric then u have to keep switching out the bulbs! Altho that being said what is the difference from a cheap t5 unit and say a expensive ati one?
I would go with 2 xr15 then and add a 3rd down the road if needed. I added the diffuser to my xr30s and love them.
So other than the heat of the bulb these really expensive t5 units dont offer anything different from say any other t5 unit im betting an industrial t5 fitting would be pretty decent quality. My brother is an elcectrican would be interesting to test one. Then ofc good quality bulbs
So other than the heat of the bulb these really expensive t5 units dont offer anything different from say any other t5 unit im betting an industrial t5 fitting would be pretty decent quality. My brother is an elcectrican would be interesting to test one. Then ofc good quality bulbs
Ur tank is lovely! Just curious to how much these companies charge for a farly simple piece of equipment. I remember a 4x t5 unit was less than a £100 when i previously kept marines. The ati unit cost more than leds which seems crazy to me. Halide is a good example pretty cheap have fantastic results but costs a fortune to run.Knock yourself out, let’s see if you get the same results.
Na not really mate im hard working self employed with a mortage and baby to look after ! I save money where i can in all aspects of my life im not wealthy but my family wants for nothing iv been in this hobby for over 12 years. Dont have to have a tank as massive as yours ! Or as expensive !
