MarineDepot.com's Best New Product of 2013 is....

AquaIllumination Hydra LED Fixture!

The Hydra from AI has so much going for it, the choice wasn't hard. The full spectrum power, balanced light spread, wireless controllability and multiple mounting options make it an attractive choice for reefers. Packing in a total of 7 colors including; cool white, deep red, green, royal blue, very deep blue, violet, and the 400nm UV. It has a maximum of 95 watts from the wall and comes with 80° for uniform light output. For larger systems you can connect multiple Hydras together and a 50° lens is available (sold separately) for hobbyists that need deeper light penetration.

 

How can Hydra be best new product of 2013, yet you named Radion Pro best new light?

Should not Hydra then be best new light too?

Thanks.

 

I do not approve.

 

Why not?

 

Not an impressive fixture IMO.

 

I'd like to know what sort of testing or procedure went into picking out the winner of this contest. As its already been said this fixture just doesn't seem as top of the line as other fixtures I've seen.

 

they are probably just going off number of sales for 2013, not quality of the product.

 

Should not Hydra then be best new light too?

Hi, jbraslins! Thank you for visiting our little neck of the woods here on 3reef. ;D

The Best New Product could have been an item in any category. There were many products, such as the Innovative Marine HydroFill ATO system, in contention for the Best New Product award in 2013. It just so happened to be a light this year after the votes were tallied.

Overall, though, we felt the Radion Pro was the light to beat in 2013 (note it won "Best Aquarium Light," not "Best New Light" as mentioned in your post).

Please let us know if you have any additional questions!

 

Best of 2013 Award Criteria

In 2013, more than 175 brands from across the globe were considered for our 3rd annual awards. Product winners were selected based upon key performance metrics including sales volume, internet searches, website searches, customer rankings and call center data.

After we compiled the data, some categories were a no-brainer (Best in Flow, Best Nano Aquarium and Best Heater, for example). Others were narrowed down to a few top products which our staff voted on to determine a winner (Best New Product would be one of those).

You've got us super-curious now: what would YOU (anyone reading) have rated as the Best Aquarium Light of 2013 (didn't have to be released in 2013)? How about the Best New Product (had to have come out last year)?

 

For light I'd vote Hydra 52 or Radio Pro. They both are excellent products. The only negative about Radion Pro is the cooling fan being on the bottom, that is why I'd pick Hydra 52 overall.

I think regular Hydra having smaller pucks with larger LEDs does not have as uniform output (par and spectrum wise) as Radion Pro/Hydra 52. It also does not have nowhere near the PAR output of Radion Pro/Hydra 52.

For best new product ... that's a toughy.
- I think Hydra 52 is awesome.
- I don't recall when Red Sea Reef Energy and Coral Colors products came out as well as new test kits. But if it's 2013, then I think any of those would win. Amount of marketing information, instructional videos and other info Red Sea put out made me respect them as a brand a lot more. Reef Energy in particular seem to have done wonders for coral growth in 2 of my tanks.
- I also like Innovative Marine Hydraofil ATO and pump, spinstream and NUVO aquariums.

Anyof the above would be solid candidates. But if I had to pick, Hydra 52.