Thank you for taking the time to put these together! I tend to agree with Mark, targeting the lower range has made for happy corals in my experience. It was interesting to hear you talk about the human factors as it relates to the hobby. For me, sometimes I get stuck on numbers. Especially in lighting. I have my Radion G4's at 39%, I had to turn them down due to loss of color in some of my montipora. At first I caught myself feeling bummed because 39% is such a low percentage, I wanted to push the lights! I wanted to harness all the power!! But it's not about achieving certain numbers or what YOU want. The corals talk if you take the time to listen. They usually don't communicate in numbers though..
I like the fundamental premise of "happiness is the absence of choice", it's elegant in its simplicity; but I'd overall argue for more choice in the end. You eluded to the second half of the argument: What goes along with more choice, is the requirement of experience to employ it, and knowledge to evaluate it. Or else, more choice becomes a wider margin of error and the fear of creating mistakes. In today's very broad selection, we (as in the hobby) seem to lack the confidence to stick with a choice. Consumerism or perhaps simply a lack of understanding, drives us to doubt and replace the phenomenal equipment already at our finger tips. In todays market, if you're paying over $400 a fixture: It will grow coral! Your mileage may vary with use such as which species, depth, etc. But the upgrades and features are marginal after that, focused on convivence or minor benefits. But, it's also easy to become lost in those features, hence the need for a deeper level of knowledge and objectivity to weigh those benefits. (Or you can gleefully nerd-out on terrific discussions like this one, and glean insight) Personally I love having selection. After some experimentation, I found the Gen 5 Blue with the Kessil A360X Tuna Sun is my favorite combination. And that kind of mix-and-match is only possible with a broader selection. But, first we do need to understand how our technology works, how to program it, and how it meets our Cnidarian's needs. If not, then yes: "happiness is the absence of choice".
Hold on now, you got me VERY intrigued with your light selection - you said Radion BLUE with a Kessil for planted tanks? THAT is a very interesting combination, I must see pictures!
@@ReefTherapy Nope, I like the 500's you guys have. But the 360 is much less of a spot light (without the Narrow Angle Reflector). The base A360X has an optimal height of 8 inches (same as the G5 XR15), and a spread of 130°. Although, I'd guarantee it has a hot spot below it. I just found a bolt that fit the Kessil mount, and ground it down to fit in the slide under my RMS rail. I'd also love to send a picture, and will since you asked. However, my picture won't do this justice. You've quite literally caught me in the middle of a tank upgrade. I broke down my 70 gallon last month, that was on my second floor, after very nearly flooding my house. My wife finally agreed to let me move into my unfinished basement (or rather agreed to the cost of moving in), and my "Tank" is currently a 150 gallon Rubbermaid. I'm finishing up the walls of the room, and about to build the stand for a tank upgrade. Give me another year, and I'll do this idea justice. However, I am not recommending what I am doing. I love the light combination, but I don't have enough experience with coral to recommend anything. I was just getting started growing things under that combination of lighting, and have not experimented enough to get a good feel for it. I am very much experimenting. My rationale comes from my understanding of photosynthesis, not the many accessory pigments in corals. I started out with a mix of Gen 5 Blue's and Pro's, but wanted to replicate the warm caustic lines I was accustomed to in my old planted tank. So I kept the Blues as the foundational lights, providing that 400-500 nm range we know to be highly beneficial. But then swapped the Pro to a Tuna Sun to provide supplemental light (and way more warm light), with the fixture and shimmer lines extending the nanometer range from 400 through to 700 nm. Theoretically I targeted Chlorophyll c, Chlorophyll a, peridinin, and diadinoxanthin; which are the 4 major photosynthetic pigments common to Symbiodinium's. Or so, that's the theory. I need a lot more time to know if it's really beneficial. As, the Tuna sun is marketed for "freshwater". But, it's really just a full spectrum light in reality. I didn't need more blue light, so I opted away from the Tuna blue. Also, I don't have a firm enough grasp of Cnidarian's accessory pigments to know if it will be beneficial or harmful to their growth. I know they don't directly photosynthesize (the endosymbiont does), but I can only guess at the roles their complex and often fluorescent pigments play. I leave that to you two :) But, I'm having fun. And that what matters in a hobby.
Man I run my Hydra 26's inside of a aquatic life T5 hybrid fixture and I admit the color isn't the best when I compare it to all the new lights, but my corals are wonderfully happy and so am I... I don't think I'll ever be that guy buying the newest of new gear for top dollar. It's just not "THAT" much better imo
Under low blue light my fish are different colours too. my yellow boxfish is practically black and my yelllow tailed blue damsel is a grey/purple with black tail, for example. Very intriguing but all trickery of our eye/brain thing lol
Every colour comes from the 3 primary colours,so theoretically if you have red, yellow and green blending then you have every light possible. Kinda basics right?
yes green brings up yellow :) but excitation is 50nm or 100nm lesser than the emission spectrum....but its a very narrow range for a led architecture :) the white spectrum of 9K from reefled also helps ..
u took my iphone comparison im so happyyyyyyyy. the problem is with unexperienced user that is struggling with coral probably for god knows what will directly say oh it must be the gen5 light otherwise the company wouldn't do a gen6. its like ph every one started chasing thinking it will grow corals where actually the problem as u said might be redbugs not ph nor light
Hi lads, just got an xr15 blue G6 for my 3ft wide tank. I'm looking at SPS/LPS. Was wondering if I'd need 2? Also would the AB+ setting be good enough for these corals??
For a beginner, on his first mixed reef tank, trying to decide between a pair of xr15 g6 or Maxspect jump 165's what would your advice be on when considering between the two brands? Then go one step further. How do you decide on the standard whiter model or the blue model, when you can't compair the lights in person?
currently having this issue, switched my kessil a160w to a xr15 pro g6 and man i’m really torn because the corals seem to like the radion more but i sure liked the kessil more!
What's funny is that you guys were comparing Radion with German halide/T5 fixtures for prices. Quality has a price. You forgot one of the very best fixtures ever existed: Hamilton Cebu with a great price, sold by an American company. PFO pendants and ballasts were also great!!! Sunlight Supply fixtures and ballasts were amazing! But why comparing "new LEDs" with those old fixtures letting the most important aspect out of the equation: the actual quality of light? There is a need for LED users to punch that "confirmation bias" button at all times. Values of light have changed to monetary advantage fantasies. I stopped going to the forums because they are more like a hospital for LED users than anything else. LOL! It is great when you guys compare LEDs with LEDs, but when you try to compare them to halides and T5s is a bit off track and starts to sound appealing. It comes down to personal preferences.
The Sun, Moon and Stars are not programmable. How about we simply find a light that will give a full spectrum lighting and not break the bank. Maybe put the tank in front of a North, South or East window and let Nature find a way. As to the price of Corals. TO HIGH agree, but I am so sick and tired of seeing people name ever damn coral this or that because of its coral.. a Torch is a torch and Duncan is Duncan. SMH
