Kessel or EcoTech LED lights for 60-150 gallon cube

[mlb75]

Looking for opinions on a couple light setups, preferably from people who have had the tanks or similar sizes but all thoughts are more than welcome.

I'm getting ready to set up a 60 gallon cube 24x24x24 and need lights, I've done halides in the past and my last tank was all T5. I've been successful with both but looking to switch to LED for this tank for power and plug and play simplicity (set a spectrum and leave it alone). The trick is I've little doubt in a few years I may go to a 150g 36x36 cube and would like to be able to just scale the lights I use on the 60 to ease that transition for the corals but I'm probably overthinking it since there's no telling what will be out there by then.

I'm pretty sold on either the Kessil 360's or the XR30 Pro's because they just seem to be solid products that I feel like I can trust to have great results. If needed I'd throw some supplemental T5's on as well but would prefer not to if the the difference would be negligible since I'm kind of overdoing it for the recommended spreads on the 60.

Long story short do I go with a single XR30 over the 60 and would it need the T5's to balance out or do I go with 2x A360's with or without the T5's?

If I grew to the 150 the Kessils seem like they would be easier to scale by just adding 2 more but how about the XR30's, would one more give enough coverage? Thought on T5's is on the 60 use 2 or 4 bulbs either 1 or 2 in front and behind, on the 150 the thought is 6 bulbs adding 2 bulbs across the middle between the LED's.

Intention is to keep the lights higher off the 60g (12"-14") to keep heat transfer down and flatten out any hot spots. Any thoughts on that as well?

What has me looking back to the XR30's is everyone seems to think you get the best colors with them, is that just marketing or measurable? My understanding is I can also use them for "moonlights" where the Kessils don't seem to have that ability so I'd need something else for that which goes again the KISS plan.

TIA

[mlb75]

wow not a single opinion on which would scale better and if there's a noticeable difference in the growth and coloration between EcoTech and Kessil assuming everything else is equal?

[pisanoal]

Part of the reason you have no responses is you dont say what kind of corals you plan on keeping.

Ive never owned radions, but I have owned kessils, both 160 and 360. Ive also owned hydras. I spend most of my time looking at an researching sps, and from what i have seen, expect wins that battle hands down for growth and coloration. No contest. (Pro version) The new diffusers seem to do great for hotspots as well, something the kessils suffer from.

If LPS/softies, its all personal preference. Both wilk do well. Kessils have wonderful shimmer but tend to have more of a white look to them. If you try to go too blue it looks very Windex-like to me. If you like a whiter tank with sunlight like shimmer, go kessil. If you like controllability and top of the line, go ecotech.

Dont really have an opinion on which would scale better, both should do fine.

[mlb75]

Good point about leaving out the target coral type, part of that is because it's undecided. One part of me wants it to be SPS dominate with a few zoa's thrown in for ground coverage but to be honest I like the movement and somewhat easier care of LPS and softies so I honestly don't know where it will end up. If I had to guess it'll be more LPS and zoa with an SPS island towards the middle with more cap that sticks.

I'm leaning more and more towards the XR30pro I'm just concerned about coverage if I go to the 36x36 footprint but maybe I'm overthinking it since by that time gen 6's will probably be out and I'd end up not reusing what I had anyway.

You're comment about the Kessil's being whiter helps / muddies the water as well since I like a whiter more sunlight look but I want growth and coloration...