Kessil Club

[gex23]

I've decided to join the Kessil club.

I've swapped from my AI Hydra which has been on the tank since set (6 months back) to a pair of Kessil A360W-E tuna blues. I installed one today as the other's still in the post, but have to say i'm slightly underwhelmed by the overall appearance.

Whilst the shimmer is great, it appears much darker / dimmer than the Hydra (i've read they appear dimmer than MHs but wasn't expecting it to be dimmer than another LED fixture). Currently running it at 45% colour and 50% intensity (the Hydra was peaking at 65% blues, 50% whites 45% UV, 20% red green and violet). Also the corals appear to be sulking, especially my trachy - though I put this down to the change in light....

The tank itself is 60cm x 45cm x 45cm (TMC Signature 600).

Hoping the second light will improve things!

[moondoggy4]

Originally Posted by ttam

I have a jbj 45 gallon rl and I was wondering what the best choice for kessil lighting would be. I was thinking one A350w. I don't really care about the controller. The dimensions are 26.5" x 21" x 19".
Thank you.

I like the the 350's tuna blues, especially the price almost what the 150 where going for a coupe of years ago.

If I had one going I would set it late at night for the night time viewing ,leave it there for the morning and then adjust when you get home for the day time viewing.

[Wally.B]

Originally Posted by jtgrimes

Needing advice. I have the kessil a360we Tuna Blue. I currently have the kessil on a ramp up and down schedule via apex. At a certain point in the ramp, in the morning as well as at night, the light flickers. Brand new cord, etc and even used another cord, same thing. Anyone have this experience?

I have been running my Kessil 360we Tuna on a Apex for a while.
Never had a flicker issue that I didn't expect.
Have you tried manually (via Apex Dashboard to change intensity or Spectrum via the SLIDER on the APEX Controller Web Page (not Fusion) )?
I assume since you say Morning and at Night, this must be happening around your low Intensity points.
My Kessil on remote control actually turns OFF/ON at around 20%, NOT 0%. So any jitter on Intensity Setting around that threshold point could cause a flicker (OFF,ON,OFF or ON,OFF,ON).
The Spectrum Setting can go 0-100% without impact, so long as you are over the Intensity Turn on Point.

Are your using the Neptune Fusion Wizzard to set your program for Kessil?
Try increasing the slope of the ramp point near your ON/OFF % threshold point.

[Wally.B]

Originally Posted by gex23

I've decided to join the Kessil club.

I've swapped from my AI Hydra which has been on the tank since set (6 months back) to a pair of Kessil A360W-E tuna blues. I installed one today as the other's still in the post, but have to say i'm slightly underwhelmed by the overall appearance.

Whilst the shimmer is great, it appears much darker / dimmer than the Hydra (i've read they appear dimmer than MHs but wasn't expecting it to be dimmer than another LED fixture). Currently running it at 45% colour and 50% intensity (the Hydra was peaking at 65% blues, 50% whites 45% UV, 20% red green and violet). Also the corals appear to be sulking, especially my trachy - though I put this down to the change in light....

The tank itself is 60cm x 45cm x 45cm (TMC Signature 600).

Hoping the second light will improve things!

I had to be careful when I switched from MH to a Kessil/T5. I was hoping for a quick improvement. I was wrong.
The way the Newer Kessil A360 is designed, is it blends the UV spectrum into both the Full Spectrum and the Blue spectrum end.

So when you go 50% intensity, at 45% Color you are actually at 50% UV at that setting (my guess %mix). You mention that with Hydra you were only at 45% UV (and # of UV led's RATIO might be different with Kessil).

You may think it's not bathing your Light Sensitive Trachy as much as the 100% full white spectrum Color, but you are. Most likely more.


Back off a bit on Intensity, which I did and it helped. I'm still working on getting my corals acclimatized from 2x150MH's.
Took my At the TOP Frogspawns previously under MH over two months to get used to Kessil .. Doing great now. Better, richer colors. Like never before!!

All lighting changes need coral adaptations, regardless if you think they kessil looks darker (you can't see it's UV light mix).


Plus the Kessil has a different color blend then your previous light, so each coral needs to acclimatize slowly regardless.
If may actually see your Trachy change color once it adapts and opens up again. (Like my Frogspawns)

I personally wish I had a PAR meter for the my transition, but I don't like most folks. That makes it guess work. So slow patient acclimatization is a lesson I've learned.

You might want to be extra careful when adding the 2nd Kessil to not really burn your corals, if one Kessil gave them a shock.

[daniel02]

Cody, the asta 120r1 2pcs is enough for your tank

[gex23]

Originally Posted by Wally.B

I had to be careful when I switched from MH to a Kessil/T5. I was hoping for a quick improvement. I was wrong.
The way the Newer Kessil A360 is designed, is it blends the UV spectrum into both the Full Spectrum and the Blue spectrum end.

So when you go 50% intensity, at 45% Color you are actually at 50% UV at that setting (my guess %mix). You mention that with Hydra you were only at 45% UV (and # of UV led's RATIO might be different with Kessil).

You may think it's not bathing your Light Sensitive Trachy as much as the 100% full white spectrum Color, but you are. Most likely more.


Back off a bit on Intensity, which I did and it helped. I'm still working on getting my corals acclimatized from 2x150MH's.
Took my At the TOP Frogspawns previously under MH over two months to get used to Kessil .. Doing great now. Better, richer colors. Like never before!!

All lighting changes need coral adaptations, regardless if you think they kessil looks darker (you can't see it's UV light mix).


Plus the Kessil has a different color blend then your previous light, so each coral needs to acclimatize slowly regardless.
If may actually see your Trachy change color once it adapts and opens up again. (Like my Frogspawns)

I personally wish I had a PAR meter for the my transition, but I don't like most folks. That makes it guess work. So slow patient acclimatization is a lesson I've learned.

You might want to be extra careful when adding the 2nd Kessil to not really burn your corals, if one Kessil gave them a shock.

Cheers for the feedback and opinions - much appreciated.

Well all the corals seem to be much happier today, even the Trachy is fully inflated so that's a plus.

I can't help but feel that the colours look duller compared to the Hydra and I have no idea why.

I'm currently running this at 55% colour max and 50% intensity (had a tweak of the colour but still seems very washed out in overall appearance?)

Also good point on adding the second 360 - I plan on reducing the overall intensity by 10 - 15% initially in order to reduce the risk of shocking the corals.

[gex23]

Here are a couple of photos :

DSC_0105 by DEAF N1NJA, on Flickr

DSC_0108 by DEAF N1NJA, on Flickr

Now compare that to the photo below with the Hydra (old photo though) :

DSC_0546 by DEAF N1NJA, on Flickr

Seems to have less of the pink colour about the light which always irked me about the Hydra - but overall just not as much 'punch' to the light?

[Scorpius]

I've seen some dramatic color changes in my coral under Kessil.

[jayblock]

Hey Scorpious would that dramatic color change be for the better or for the worse

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by jayblock

Hey Scorpious would that dramatic color change be for the better or for the worse

I have a purple/green bonsai acro. The base purple has recently become more purple over the week or so I've had it. I have one green acro that browned out, but I attribute that to my alk instability.

[jtgrimes]

Contacted kessil and some have been reported of doing this. They are shipping me out a new one.

Originally Posted by Wally.B

I have been running my Kessil 360we Tuna on a Apex for a while.
Never had a flicker issue that I didn't expect.
Have you tried manually (via Apex Dashboard to change intensity or Spectrum via the SLIDER on the APEX Controller Web Page (not Fusion) )?
I assume since you say Morning and at Night, this must be happening around your low Intensity points.
My Kessil on remote control actually turns OFF/ON at around 20%, NOT 0%. So any jitter on Intensity Setting around that threshold point could cause a flicker (OFF,ON,OFF or ON,OFF,ON).
The Spectrum Setting can go 0-100% without impact, so long as you are over the Intensity Turn on Point.

Are your using the Neptune Fusion Wizzard to set your program for Kessil?
Try increasing the slope of the ramp point near your ON/OFF % threshold point.

[sixpackgarage]

Kessil won me over with an A160We on my BC14 and then the same on my JBJ30RL. Really fantastic light. On my new build, I'm running 2xA360WE an the old 160 on my fuge. Loving it.

[uwdanno]

Hola Kessil Heads.

I have a 360WE over my Fusion 20 gallon.

Love the light but I have recently started seeing issues with it.

While the light is off, I regularly get a surge of power to it and the light quickly flashes on and off. Creeps me out. I have it connected to the Kessil controller and I am wondering if there is an arc some where in the wiring. It typically happens as my ATO shuts off.

Any thoughts? Anyone else have this issue?

I emailed Kessil about it as well.

EDIT - Could be the same issue JTGRIMES is having....

[uwdanno]

So I have it narrowed down to a possible issue with the controller. I don't see the issue with the light when the controller is disconnected.

Still convinced it's an arc in the controller though

[gex23]

So got the second A360W installed - it seems to run a lot hotter than the old one and is causing temperature issues for that tank.....

Anyone else have this issue?

[gex23]

So running some comparable temperature tests :

Old unit :

Chassis - 30 C
Air vent - 34 C
PSU - 38.9 C

New unit :

Chassis - 36 C
Air vent - 40.1 C
PSU - 46 C

So it's obvious the new unit has a fault - possibly being overdriven for whatever reason?

[Quiverfull]

Need some help with choice. I am setting up a 37g sps only DT. Tank dimensions are 24w x 20h x 18d. Questions are: 1) a360ne or a360we? 2) tuna blue or tuna sun? 3) gooseneck mount or other mount? I have no restrictions on type of mount. Thanks for your input. G

[mmittlesteadt]

Originally Posted by Quiverfull

Need some help with choice. I am setting up a 37g sps only DT. Tank dimensions are 24w x 20h x 18d. Questions are: 1) a360ne or a360we? 2) tuna blue or tuna sun? 3) gooseneck mount or other mount? I have no restrictions on type of mount. Thanks for your input. G

WE have a wider 70 degree spread. Tuna Sun is for freshwater planted tanks so you want the Tuna Blue (with actinic) for corals. Mounting is dependent on how high you need it and how it will eventually be mounted so its kind of personal preference.

[SeeCrabRun]

Who here is using them over a 16" deep tank?

I have had mine for a few months now. I have the a160 with the spectral controller over a 20 tall. It is at 12" from the water surface and the tank is an LPS/NPS/monti tank.

I know the light doesn't actually kick on until like 10% intensity, right? And oddly enough that is as intense as I can make it. I tried to turn it up to 15% intensity a few weeks ago and everyone off the ground was pretty unhappy about that.

So basically it turns on and stays on and there's no point in having anything more than a timer, right? I do have it set to change color through the day, all the way up to 55%, but that's just for visual really. I don't think they care much about it?

I'm using the spectral controller and I guess I'm feeling in my situation it was a waste of money. Would a controller like an apex allow me to slowly acclimate them with 1% increments? Because 5% at a time is definitely way too much and I can't move the corals, so the only other option would be to move the light further. Except it's on a gooseneck and fully extended, so I'd have to build some other kind of holder.

Or should I just leave it like it is? Opinions?

[gex23]

So my overheating problem.....

They were in independent ports (Port 1 and Port 2 on the spectral controller) - no problem I thought a both running the same program.

However tonight I noticed not only was the opposite one overheating now, this one was also outputting a brighter light even though running an identical colour and intensity....

So I decided to run them inline via Port 1 - Light one input - Light one output - Light 2 input.

BINGO - now both are running the same intensity and also both running cool!

Just confused as to why there was such disparity when running individual ports on the same program on the same controller?

[kevin32]

Thanks will give that a try.

[kevin32]

So you saying port 1 is for kessil 1 and port 2 is for kessil 2 for spectral controller?

[socalmonty]

Hi! I have a question that may have already been asked and answered in the many posts to the Kessil Club thread. I have been running three Kessil A360W-Es over my 135G tank for four or five months and things look pretty good. My tank looked even better with excellent coloration and growth when I was running two 400W Radium 20ks and two 110W Super Actinic VHOs (of course that was costing me $100+/month in electricity). I'm wondering if anyone has done any research to try to replicate the spectrum of Radium 20ks with Kessil A360W-As. My tank is now mostly softies and LPS and I'm currently running my Kessils through my Apex with ramp ups and ramp downs and a peak of 100% power (my tank is 30" deep) and 50% color. Any thoughts any of you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Doug

[socalmonty]

Originally Posted by socalmonty

Hi! I have a question that may have already been asked and answered in the many posts to the Kessil Club thread. I have been running three Kessil A360W-Es over my 135G tank for four or five months and things look pretty good. My tank looked even better with excellent coloration and growth when I was running two 400W Radium 20ks and two 110W Super Actinic VHOs (of course that was costing me $100+/month in electricity). I'm wondering if anyone has done any research to try to replicate the spectrum of Radium 20ks with Kessil A360W-As. My tank is now mostly softies and LPS and I'm currently running my Kessils through my Apex with ramp ups and ramp downs and a peak of 100% power (my tank is 30" deep) and 50% color. Any thoughts any of you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Doug

Bump!

[Esage]

Originally Posted by sixpackgarage

Kessil won me over with an A160We on my BC14 and then the same on my JBJ30RL. Really fantastic light. On my new build, I'm running 2xA360WE an the old 160 on my fuge. Loving it.

Where did you get those mounting arms for the Kessil's?