Bout to set up a 220 gallon reef need lighting suggestions.

Toomnymods · Jan 4, 2017

hey guys,
Been without a tank for almost 4 years now and i'm sure a lot has changed since i left in 2012 ( baby on the way) couldnt afford to take care of a newborn and a tank at the same time. When I left I was using Radion gen 2's on my display tank and frag tanks with mixed results.. The sps where tolerating them (looked best under hqi phoenix halides) and the mass majority of my zoas hated them. Never could quite figure out the problem. Although now looking at the lens upgrade they have went to on the Radion gen4 pro leads me to believe the lenses where the problem with spot lighting corals and zoas. Should I stick with the tried and true method of HQI halides or has LED finally gotten far enough to replicate what halides offer?
Please post your experiences with Radion gen 4 pro fixtures as this is what i'm wanting if i go the led route.
Thanks

Daniel@R2R · Jan 4, 2017

Hmm...I know @d2mini has the G4's. I think you're going to get different opinions on whether or not LED's will provide all the benefits of halides. What I can say that (in my mind at least) is indisputable is that 1) LED's have come much closer now than they ever were before and 2) there are some stellar tanks that experience great growth and color under LED's. Hope that helps some at least.

d2mini · Jan 4, 2017

If you look in the Ecotech sponsor forum I have a fairly recent thread in there that shows my progress so far with G4's.
Compared to the G2's they are night and day.
Compared to mh/t5... the jury is still out but I can say that the gap was narrowed SUBSTANTIALLY.

And of course lighting is just one part of the equation.
I have a 150w Pheonix 14k over my 25g office nano and I (not so) lovingly refer to that tank as "the poo tank", because my sps look like sticks of poo.