Led decision

So I have narrowed down my led selection to the three usual suspects. The Maxspect Razor, the AI Vega, and the Eco Tech Radion gen 2. Any feedback on these lights, personal use, would be great.

I have a 55 gallon tank and have just fish and inverts right now. I want to add some corals and an anemone and need better lights to do so. As far as coral I don't want anything crazy probably softies and maybe some easy LPS, no SPS right now but maybe a year or two don the road.

I have also considered DIY and Reef Breeders. While both are less expensive, neither looks as good as the other options and the lights have to get wife approval. I have skill with a solder iron and like building things but just can't get past the lower fit and finish of the DIY. The Reef Breeders unit is not too bad but is case almost twice the size for similar output.

I have an EcoTech MP40 so I am currently leaning towards the Radion so it will work with the pump for feeding mode and night modes which I like. Does this choice make sense or is there something else I should look at?

I thought about the Radion Pro but I am not sure if it is worth the extra outlay of cash. I have already made a large jump in what I thought I was going to pay for an LED setup and might be persuaded to spend more if the result is worth it.

Before everyone jumps in with "why would you pay so much for a few extra features" I have read multiple (10+) post that talk about the current LED scene and I am looking for a slightly higher end fixture and don't mind paying for the better look and more features. I know this is a hot button topic right now and one person will say this is awesome and this sucks and the you read the complete opposite in the next post.

I know that someone will say why would you pay for clouds and thunder storms. These are not the features that I find appealing. The controllability and style are higher on my list.

Sorry for the long post. I just wanted to get some feedback on weather or not I had made a good choice or if there is something I missed.

 

I use 2 Radions over a ADA 120p. With Radion you get more lights per fixture than AI. If youre buying what i assume will be 2 units for the tank the Radion will provide more in my opinion. I dont like the way the maxspect looks personally. Looks seem to be important to you as they were for me. I only trust AI and Ecotech at this point of the three. The other option could be GHL but I doubt youre willing to spend that much seeing as the Radion Pro is not an option. Between AI and Ecotech you cant go wrong. Some features are better than others both ways as you have read elsewhere. I would decide which features are better than others for you and your tank then choose that way.

 

Radions are high quality for sure,you do know that you will need two units to light a 4' tank well,correct?

 

Yeah I knew I needed 2. That is why I am having a hard time with the radion pro. An extra $250 is one thing but when you need to buy 2 of them, all of a sudden I have to stop a sec and really think about it.

I started looking at lights thinking I was going to spend around $700. Now I have my head wrapped around $1300. I am not sure I want to go to $1800 unless I really need to.

 

To anyone that has a Radion can you make custom sunrise sunset? I have been looking around and I think you can but I'm not sure.

I would like to have sunrise more of a red/orange and sunset be more blue/purple. This is only for me not the fish and I would have more of a natural white during the majority of the time the light is on.

 

Have Razors on a 125 Gal reef tank and have been able to grow antything so far. Love the look and ability to control them. Like you I am using the best that I can find versus price. These are the best I have found so far.

 

I'm buying Reefbreeders for my 210 here shortly....

 

I like the Reef Breeders light. I really do and I know a lot of people are going to choose that light over the Radion because of price. I don't buy things just based on price.

I am willing to pay more for a light that has the amount of light I need in a smaller package. That and the sync with mp40 makes the decision easier. If the reef breeders was in a smaller case and could offer a feature that would allow me to control my mp40 I would probably buy one.

I have learned over the years that buying up has benefits down the road that are hard to quantify. The nicer item holds its value better and in certain cases you buy the item once instead of buying the cheeper item and upgrading later. In effect buying the item twice and paying more in the end.

I am also slightly worried about buying a Chinese product. I know the quality is getting better but 20 years ago no one would buy anything from china. 30 years ago no one would buy anything from Korea and before that Japan. They will get the respect they deserve in time but I am still waiting. And someone will say that it comes with a 2 year warranty. I get that but how long has reef breeder been around? The shorter the time a company has been around the higher the risk that company will close up and walk away and then what good is the warranty. That is not to say that Eco Tech couldn't do the same thing but they have been around longer.

Weather or not you put any value on these things is up to you. It is worth money to me to go with the more established company.

 

i am in the same boat as you. and while I like the reefbreeders unit and it gets good/decent reviews, I think it is unfair to lump it in with the "high end" fixtures. f

irstly, its like comparing apples to oranges, in terms of prices and features. Secondly, the RB units are not exclusive to RB. they are a china direct product. If you had the $$ and desire you could import them and name them whatever you want.

And this is not a bashing or talking bad on RB, they have a quality/affordable product and I like their style and forum participation, this is just an observation.

Good luck with your decision.

 

I am fairly sure I will buy a pair of Radions. I just wish I had more people tell me it was a good decision. I start to second guess myself when everyone says buy a Reef Breeders all the time.

If buying Radions is a bad chioice and I don't like the Reef Breeders then maybe I need to keep looking for another option.