Radion XR15 blue

[legacy2mj]

I was really excited to get this light for one of my new builds. Just a little Red Sea nano I’m putting together to use as a frag tank. …
The Radion is kinda weak par wise. No wonder the schedule puts it straight to 100%. I have a par reader and I
Maybe 5 inches below water surface it’s hitting about 250. Maybe I’m just used to my 2 AP9x over my SPS tank.
not to mention the mobius app keeps changing my date and time so the schedule is ever changing.
Really took the wind out of my sails a bit, cause I was excited to get one of these. Luckily the need for high par isn’t there. But still.

 

[CasperOe]

I was really excited to get this light for one of my new builds. Just a little Red Sea nano I’m putting together to use as a frag tank. …
The Radion is kinda weak par wise. No wonder the schedule puts it straight to 100%. I have a par reader and I
Maybe 5 inches below water surface it’s hitting about 250. Maybe I’m just used to my 2 AP9x over my SPS tank.
not to mention the mobius app keeps changing my date and time so the schedule is ever changing.
Really took the wind out of my sails a bit, cause I was excited to get one of these. Luckily the need for high par isn’t there. But still.

If you don't have the need for high PAR levels, it sounds like you have gotten the light you need right tool for the job, no?

I don't see the issue! Your Radion don't deliver high PAR. You don't need high PAR. What's the issue?

I have three Radion XR15 g6 on a four foot tank. I need PAR of between 100-200 across the tank. They deliver that, that's what my research showed as well before I bought them.

As for the date change, it's extremely annoying and a known issue that they should fix for sure. That's what you're discussing here, right?

 

[legacy2mj]

Yea I didn’t do near the research I should have. I guess I didn’t consider that being an issue I would run into. I know the quality is there. The light it’s very much loved across the saltwater community. But I did get it specifically to put over a nano cube I’m purposing as a frag tank. This build I’m doing is for the large amount of acropora colonies I currently have that need fragged down. I have new pieces waiting for the avaliable real estate to get placed and start a grow out of their own. But now I have a concern that my radion will not be able to support a short life of a bunch of frags until they are rehomed… like I said originally, I just didn’t think with all the lights out now, this was something you had to look out for.

 

[CasperOe]

Yea I didn’t do near the research I should have. I guess I didn’t consider that being an issue I would run into. I know the quality is there. The light it’s very much loved across the saltwater community. But I did get it specifically to put over a nano cube I’m purposing as a frag tank. This build I’m doing is for the large amount of acropora colonies I currently have that need fragged down. I have new pieces waiting for the avaliable real estate to get placed and start a grow out of their own. But now I have a concern that my radion will not be able to support a short life of a bunch of frags until they are rehomed… like I said originally, I just didn’t think with all the lights out now, this was something you had to look out for.

If it's not enough, add supplementary lights on the sides Start with what you have and see how you get on..

Alternatively, move the light closer to the water. What's your mounting height?

Plenty of LED strips you can pair it with if need be such as the AI Blade, Reef Factory, Orphek etc .

As with always, research is required if you want to buy the right thing the first time - but I'm sure you know by now

 

[legacy2mj]

It’s mounted on the arm made for it. If for some reason I need a little more, I think a couple blades would get me the equal spread to SPS. We will see. I have the time to play with it. The tank is cycled but still to up and down to feel good about keeping acro frags in it. Downfall with the lower volume.

 

[SPS2020]

Something doesn't sound right to me. The XR15 should produce more PAR than what you are stating that close to the surface. BRS is showing around 278 PAR (4:38 in) when the light is 8" off the water at the bottom of a 2' cube. What PAR meter was used just out of curiosity?

 

[legacy2mj]

When I measured it it was on AB+ at 100%, I have an Apogee MQ-510 full spectrum meter. When I’m home later I will measure again and take some photos.

 

[BriansBrain]

I mounted a single blade to my light on my cube and bought the high intensity lenses for my larger sps tank.

Maybe just me, but it’s annoying paying how much these lights are and needing to purchase supplemental lights or add ons on top of it. I still bought it all however lol

 

[Spare time]

Keep in mind that par isn't everything. 250 for par is relatively high if the light has a lot of blue LED's which of course that one does.

 

[BriansBrain]

When I measured it it was on AB+ at 100%, I have an Apogee MQ-510 full spectrum meter. When I’m home later I will measure again and take some photos.

Isn’t ab+ on the xr15 blue 100% all color channels? Not the 100% blue/UV 24% on the rest like the g4 models?

 

[legacy2mj]

Isn’t ab+ on the xr15 blue 100% all color channels? Not the 100% blue/UV 24% on the rest like the g4 models?

I think so. Honestly I have spent no time messing around with it. The mobius app is ticking me off. Usually when I’m on it I’m fixing some setting it decided to change. But I agree, those are expensive lights. And speaking to the 250 par with blue lights. I have read about this before and it drives me nuts. Now it gets into the discussion of PAR and PUR. The conversations get deep on this. Which really makes me question the importance of measuring par levels on the tank. Since the color of light changes the “number” based on how the coral use it. Then I don’t think it’s doing me any favors to take a par reading at an intensity level with the full spectrum. In my brain it would be more benifitial to know the ideal number to hit per color (blue 200, uv 130, red 70, white 240.. etc)
Then with a good controllable light? You can dial it each color to creat the most optimal spectrum for the coral. At that point you could throw the full spectrum number right out of the window.
since I have a meter, I’m going to do that. I gonna take measurements at the same points, same intensity, but different colors. I wanna see how they vary.

 

[legacy2mj]

Ok, I didn’t go take any readings off the radion cause my wife is sleeping. But I did under my 2 AP9x.. I don’t have quite as much adjustability with the those as I do with the radion, but enough to get an idea..
So the max I have them at a day is 45%. So I just left it there. At the current spectrum they are running at, which is prolly 80% blues. I’m reading 290-330, I didn’t turn off pumps so the surface agitation has it bounce around a little.. I kept it at 45% and turned the spectrum to full white. Removed all UV as well. The range did seem to drop about 10, I was in the 280-315 range.. leaving the UV off, I went all the way on full blue. Par was reading 300-330..
so not much variation at all.

It could also be the kessils. I know they have the AP9x made to provide a good usable spectrum regardless of the appearance you prefer. More white, more blue, etc…
To get a really good gauge on if this would change would to test a light where the spectrum is 100% manipulated by the adjustments made.
Maybe the ai prime lights?
So yea, I would say that over a nano on 100% the radion will due, but the fact that it’s maxed out and doesn’t even push near 400 does kinda disappoint. I know that 400 is high and a lot of people would never want to get close to that. But for $550 it should at least be capable of it, IMO.

 

[rtparty]

It’s a 90w light. I don’t know of a single 90w panel style light that can hit 400 PAR. If you want 400 PAR, you need the XR30.

My Kessil A360x didn’t hit 400 PAR. My Mitras 7204 didn’t hit 400 PAR and you can’t even run a Mitras at true 100%. It overheats and shuts down. My 250w halides didn’t hit 400 PAR. The 250w Radium landed around 250 PAR at the top of my rock work. So a 90w light is keeping up with a 250w halide. Pretty impressive in my book.

I can hit roughly 450 PAR with my XR15 Pros (there are 2 over each 36*24 area) at full 100%. It’s too white for me at 100% everything though so I tune the whites down to 50-55%. Add in my Blade Glow and I can hit roughly 550 PAR at the top of my rocks. Anything over 350 is a waste as proven by Dana Riddle many times over.

 

[legacy2mj]

Like I said, I have no need to hit 400. I’m just used to my kessils. They are potent. Iv always had to run them pretty low. And I didn’t investigate anything like these specs prior to getting one. I would say as far as people I know personally in the hobby. A majority of them run Radions and love them. More than anything I was just surprised. If I didn’t have a par meter of my own I would have set the schedule to max far below 100% just because that’s what I’m used to with my AP9x lights. And honestly the acros In my main display within the 200-250 par range look the happiest.