Next Generation LED Reef Tank Lighting with EcoTech Marine's Radion Diffusers

Ecotech Radion Diffuser upgrades represent the next generation of using LED lighting for reef tanks. As they evolve into lighting solutions that are not only capable of producing repeatable results in coral growth and coloration similar to traditional lighting options but does so in a much smaller form factor and less power consumption. These diffuser upgrades combine multiple individual color spectrums into one cohesive spectrum similar to natural sunlight and previous reef lighting solutions. Meaning the corals are getting proper spectral energy, as well as reducing individual color bands in the tank and that disco ball style shimmer. After installing a diffuser on your existing Radion LED you'll notice a more appealing shimmer and softer more natural look overall throughout the entire tank. Installing them maintains the very slim appeal that the Radions have had for years. Adding on a diffuser only increases the fixtures thickness by a just over the half an inch which is pretty nominal, and to some may be hardly noticeable. Along with that they only take a couple of minutes to install and will work on any generation of Radion you may have with only two diffusers to choose from, which span the entire line of Radion lights. Selecting the right diffuser for you is as simple as matching one to your existing light, the XR30 Diffuser will work with any Ecotech Radion XR30 light fixture while the XR15 Diffuser will fit both saltwater and freshwater Ecotech Radion XR15 models. Ecotech made the diffuser upgrades very simple to use and super easy to install. Utilizing only three parts, you can have them over your tank in no time!

Both the XR15 and XR30 Diffuser will come with a white reflector which doubles as a mounting bracket, the black magnetic diffuser plate, and a diffuser lens which nestles into the magnetic plate. Other than that all the hardware for installation is already on your existing Radion LED. Each diffuser will share the same length & width dimensions as their respective light, and it's just over a half an inch thick meaning that the total thickness of your light goes from one and a half inches to only two inches. The only tool you need to install the diffuser to a Radion LED is a Philips screwdriver. Although this may be easy enough to install while the lights are still mounted, to make things a little easier and avoid dropping anything into the tank, we will want to unmount the lights. Starting first with the XR15, all we need to do is remove the four corner screws and take off the lens frame, then we can add on the reflector bracket and fasten it in place with the same four screws that we just removed. Then all we have to do is add on the magnetic diffuser plate with the film inside and that's it. The XR30 install is pretty much the same as the XR15 however along with the for perimeter screws, there are an additional four screws around the fan. With those removed, you can pull off the lens frame, add the reflector bracket, replace the screws, and mount the magnetic diffuser plate and film. One important thing to note, when reinstalling the screws for proper alignment you will want to screw the perimeter screws first followed by the fan screws. That is all there is installing the Ecotech diffusers however some reefers find that remounting your lights first before adding on the magnetic plate in diffuser film makes it much easier to keep the screen in place.

Moving on to set up and use with the Radion Diffuser upgrades that we just installed on our light fixtures. If you're happy with your previous light settings for spectrum and total photo period from before, it's not necessary to change them however you will want to account for some par reduction that comes with using a diffuser. Since a vast majority of Radion users don't typically run their lights at 100% almost always, there's some room for increases to overall intensity. With that in mind, on average the diffusers will reduce PAR anywhere from twenty to twenty-five percent, to account for that you only need to increase your total intensity by the difference. There is not much to maintaining the Ecotech Radion Diffusers, but some minor maintenance can be done alongside regular cleaning. That said all you will need to do is to occasionally remove the diffuser to clean off any dust and debris with some canned air, which is extremely quick with the magnetic coupling of the diffuser plate without having to disconnect or un-mount the light at all.