by AquaNerd | Feb 14, 2014 | Science
Have we ever mentioned just how much we like contests and giveaways where free aquarium gear is involved? Well ladies and gents, we like them a lot and do our best to share them with all of you whenever we come across them, especially the good ones. In celebration of launching their highly anticipated Radion XR30w Gen 3 LED fixture, the crew at EcoTech Marine decided to just give one away in a little promotional Facebook contest. And they didn’t just stop at the light fixture, as the winner will receive other prizes like a bottle of Elements Coral Glue and T-Shirt. Like most Facebook friendly contests, the way to enter is to “Like”, “Comment”, and “Share” the contest post on the EcoTech Marine Facebook page. The contest will end February 28th at 11:59 pm and the winner will be announced March 3rd. Simple contest with an amazing prize…count us in. If you do hit up their contest via our link, be sure to let them know. by AquaNerd | Jan 10, 2014 | Science
Here’s a bit of a surprise from EcoTech Marine. They just announced the imminent release of the 3rd generation of the wildly popular XR30w and XR30w Pro LED fixtures. The fixtures will be available to the public starting next week, via your favorite authorized retailer of course, and there are plenty of new features for us to gush over. The big updates come in both form and functionality. The XR30wG3 and XR30wG3Pro will come with an updated look that is sleeker than previous generations, and part of that visual updates is illuminated tactile buttons, which make them a lot easier to see. In terms of performance, the new generation Radion XR30w will now include indigo/UV LEDs that will allow for greater output and a wider spectrum. by AquaNerd | Oct 3, 2013 | Equipment
Image Credit: Bulk Reef Supply If you’ve been holding off on upgrading the lighting scheme over your aquarium, here’s a great opportunity to save a few bucks. EcoTech Marine is allowing various online vendors to sell their Radion XR30w and XR30w Pro LED fixtures at discounted prices. Normally, EcoTech employs a minimum advertised price (MAP) campaign that forces all retailers to sell their products at the same price, regardless of whether the store is online only or a brick-and-mortar. So, we were pleasantly surprised to see this price drop. Unfortunately, it won’t last forever. There’s no word on when it will end, but it has been going on for a couple of weeks now, and who knows when the prices will return to normal. The price drops on the XR30w and XR30w Pro are $100 and $150, respectively. If you’re looking to buy the fixture at the discounted rate, we recommend hitting up Bulk Reef Supply, who seems to be the most vocal about the sale, or our friends at Aquarium Specialty . Both companies offer a pionts based rewards program, so it’s a win win either way. by AquaNerd | Sep 18, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, MACNA
The most anticipated new product that was announced at MACNA was undoubtedly the ReefLink from EcoTech Marine. This new gadget basically acts, and even sort of looks, like a wireless network router that allows users to communicate with the Radion LED fixture wirelessly and in real time. So, no more hooking up the computer to make changes to the light settings. Just hop on your favorite net connected mobile device and start tinkering away through the EcoSmart Live platform. EcoTech was showing off this new gadget with the help of an iPad, which responded beautifully to our every move. Users can navigate between three different screens (all shown below) to adjust the color and intensity of the fixture in various ways. The first tab we encounters was the “Kelvin” settings, which allowed us to pick the color of the light based on the color temperature scheme that mist hobbyists are all too familiar with. Just drag the tiny circular cursor around the color wheel to pick the setting you want. Similar to the “Kelvin” setting is the “RGB” selector by AquaNerd | Sep 11, 2013 | Equipment, Industry, Technology
The Radion has been one of the most popular LED fixtures on the market, just as the Apex has been one of the most popular aquarium controllers. But for the first two years of coexistence in the aquarium equipment marketplace, the two weren’t exactly a match made in heaven, despite the fact that Neptune Systems has heavily supported EcoTech Marine products. The Apex controller worked relatively well with the Radion from the onset, but the lack of wireless control was always a big issue for aquarium keepers. Fortunately, through continued development of wireless communications in the aquarium industry and the release of the new Apex Fusion dashboard, the Radion and the Apex can now work hand in hand without requiring the use of unsightly wires. Announced at MACNA 2013 just a week ago, Neptune Systems has finally broken through the previously mentioned wireless barrier for the Radion, and for users of VorTech wireless pumps, it may not cost them any extra. The WXM module, which has been around almost as long as the pumps with the wireless drivers, can now communicate with the Radion and allow users to implement all sorts of LED control with the Apex Fusion dashboard and the associated lighting wizards.
