Kessil Club

[janci]

Wally B,

I have my Kessil on 9" from the water level and zoas are placed between 16" and 20" deep.
Light schedule is as below.
Zoas are doing well. New polyps are coming after 3 weeks of this lighting schedule and some zoas even extend to reach more to the light.
Red is intensity
blue is color.

[tom obrecht]

So I just set up a 60 gallon cube and installed a 360we. Love the look and the way it covers my tank. I also run a standard 120 tank that is all sps and run with 3-250 watt halides with radium bulbs and vho actinics. I'm curious what people here think about replacing my halides with Kessils? Most hardcore sps nuts feel leds aren't quite there yet and with the success I've had so far with halides I hesitate to switch. However I love the shimmer, the adjustability, the size, the reduced heat ect, ect, ect. I want to stress this the most tho...I want the best possible light for the corals! I know there are those using leds on sps but is it really the best light out there at this time?

[Wally.B]

Originally Posted by janci

Wally B,

I have my Kessil on 9" from the water level and zoas are placed between 16" and 20" deep.
Light schedule is as below.
Zoas are doing well. New polyps are coming after 3 weeks of this lighting schedule and some zoas even extend to reach more to the light.
Red is intensity
blue is color.

WOW. I went from 40% to 60% (1hour) and had to back off. (Acan's are recovering)

Thanks for this info (really helps me), and least I know I can go even higher, but got to take it really slowly, or shade the Acan, and move out slowly.

[janci]

Originally Posted by Wally.B

WOW. I went from 40% to 60% (1hour) and had to back off. (Acan's are recovering)

Thanks for this info (really helps me), and least I know I can go even higher, but got to take it really slowly, or shade the Acan, and move out slowly.

Yeap, take it slowly. These fixtures are stronger than they seem.
I ramped intensity up from 30 till 60% over a 2 weeks period and used the Kessil programmer for this.

Good luck

[jtgrimes]

This is my current lighting schedule over my 20 long. The kessil is about 12 inches over my water. Seeing what others schedules look like.

[jh2pizza]

Im setting up a 240G 72 x 30 x 25. I had 3 Kessils over my 180 without issue. Now, I am going 6" in depth so Im thinking of adding 4 x 36" T5. Two in the front and two in the rear.

Suggestions on what t5s to run? I will be using a Icecap 660 ballast.

[Bpb]

I vote 2 blue+ 2 coral+

[jassimps]

I run 2x a360we's 10.5" above the water surface. Both lights are attached to their own gooseneck (spaced 25" apart) added the 90 degree adapter along with Kessil Spectral Controller. The 75 gallon aquarium is 48"x18"x20"tall.

My max intensity is 90% for two hours at a color percentage of 80%. My total photo period is 11 hours with a pyramid style ramp-up and steep ramp-down from max intensity. I run no other supplemental lighting. I've been running the Kessils since Feb 20th 2015.

I'm new to reefing with my tank running since mid Oct 2014. My goal is a mixed reef tank. Seven fish with no clams approximately 35 corals plus inverts. Recently added several starter SPS corals to test my system (Red Plating Monti Cap, Birdsnest etc).

LIGHTING SCHEDULE AS OF THIS POST:

🔹12:00
Color=0
Intensity=15%

🔹17:00
Color=30%
Intensity=40%

🔹18:00
Color=60%
Intensity=70%

🔹19:30
Color=80%
Intensity=90%

🔹21:30
Color=40%
Intensity=50%

🔹23:00
Color=0%
Intensity=0%

[ERIC85854]

Are two A160WEs enough for a 54 corner bowfront? I already got one and am wondering if I should have gotten a 360 instead after reading this forum, even though it sounds like overkill. I'm also thinking what's the point of the 360 over the 160 if I will be turning the intensity way down anyway?

Front left corner to front right corner - 37"
Front to back - 26"
Depth (Height) - 20.5"

[zooman72]

Originally Posted by tom obrecht

So I just set up a 60 gallon cube and installed a 360we. Love the look and the way it covers my tank. I also run a standard 120 tank that is all sps and run with 3-250 watt halides with radium bulbs and vho actinics. I'm curious what people here think about replacing my halides with Kessils? Most hardcore sps nuts feel leds aren't quite there yet and with the success I've had so far with halides I hesitate to switch. However I love the shimmer, the adjustability, the size, the reduced heat ect, ect, ect. I want to stress this the most tho...I want the best possible light for the corals! I know there are those using leds on sps but is it really the best light out there at this time?

Well, it is easy to say that "if it isn't broke, why fix it," but where is the fun in that? I have personally seen LED-lit tanks grow SPS just fine (with several others noted here on RC), but you are right, some "hardcore SPS nuts" will never agree, and to be honest, it is how the LEDs are employed that makes a difference too. You cannot use just a couple of smaller point sources of light and not get severe shading, especially in larger tanks. 3-4 A360WE's (or a pair of the AP700's?) would probably work for your 120g, but I cannot predict if you would like the results...

Originally Posted by ERIC85854

Are two A160WEs enough for a 54 corner bowfront? I already got one and am wondering if I should have gotten a 360 instead after reading this forum, even though it sounds like overkill. I'm also thinking what's the point of the 360 over the 160 if I will be turning the intensity way down anyway?

Front left corner to front right corner - 37"
Front to back - 26"
Depth (Height) - 20.5"

The biggest problem with odd-shaped tanks is always the lighting...

A pair of A160's might suffice, but a pair of A360's might also be necessary depending on your lighting needs with regards to intensity - are you keeping a lot of SPS and clams for example, or are you keeping lower-light corals?

If you need intensity, you might even consider a pair of A360N's...

[ERIC85854]

Originally Posted by zooman72

The biggest problem with odd-shaped tanks is always the lighting...

A pair of A160's might suffice, but a pair of A360's might also be necessary depending on your lighting needs with regards to intensity - are you keeping a lot of SPS and clams for example, or are you keeping lower-light corals?

If you need intensity, you might even consider a pair of A360N's...

All I have right now is 2 rose bubbletip anemones, green star polyps and a hammer coral. I'm not sure what I will have in the future... maybe some SPS.

Also the rock work is only 28" left to right corner. I currently have two current orbit marine LED strips (23 watts each) in the front/mid and the A160WE in the back. I was thinking of getting another A160We and keeping one of the currents in the front to fill in any lighting gaps. Or I can try to take the 160 back or sell it but I don't really want to spend $800 on two 360s.

[ERIC85854]

Store let me return the 160 for a 360WE. I'll probably get another one some time in the future. Thanks Zooman.

[Myriam]

Originally Posted by tom obrecht

So I just set up a 60 gallon cube and installed a 360we. Love the look and the way it covers my tank. I also run a standard 120 tank that is all sps and run with 3-250 watt halides with radium bulbs and vho actinics. I'm curious what people here think about replacing my halides with Kessils? Most hardcore sps nuts feel leds aren't quite there yet and with the success I've had so far with halides I hesitate to switch. However I love the shimmer, the adjustability, the size, the reduced heat ect, ect, ect. I want to stress this the most tho...I want the best possible light for the corals! I know there are those using leds on sps but is it really the best light out there at this time?

On my old 125 gal I had two MH 250W and VHOs (vho only for morning and evening). When I moved the 125 to the 340g, I kept my two MH for each side and added a kessil A360W in the middle plus two 24" t5. (For evening and morning I have installed t5 actinics). And I have enough light for all the sps. So personnaly, I would start with one kessil in the middle, to see if it affect corals and I would take the one on the 60gal to try it on one side just to see and eventually I would replace all 3 mh by 3 kessil. This is what I want to do on my 340 but I wait for $ .

[zooman72]

Originally Posted by ERIC85854

Store let me return the 160 for a 360WE. I'll probably get another one some time in the future. Thanks Zooman.

No problem - good luck with the tank...

[trueperc]

I currently run a mix of kessil A360we and halides, with our hydro rates just going through the roof, I am toying with the idea of loosing the halides and going all kessil, but one thing I would like to see more in this thread is actual growth shots. This thread has been going on long enough that we should see real world results. I am not convinced on the newest fixture yet as I believe the coverage reality is a lot smaller than advertised, with is what some are already reporting who own it.

[sixpackgarage]

Here are some of my growth shots all under Kessil only.

The first is my stylo. Started under an A160WE and transferred when I upgraded tanks. Growth has exploded in the last 4 months under my 360s. The photos are 33 weeks apart


This is my first acro colony. This rock had been passed around local reefers until I got a hold of it. The photos are 20 days apart


Same acro, photos are 5 weeks apart here showing when I got it vs a few weeks ago


A little frag I picked up a while back.
Photos 2 weeks apart each time for a total of 4 weeks growth.. Disregard colors, learning how to use filters



Birdsnest 6 weeks growth


Porites 6 weeks growth


Pocillopora 10 weeks growth

[trueperc]

sixpack, those are some great growth.

[sixpackgarage]

Originally Posted by trueperc

sixpack, those are some great growth.

Thanks. I run the Kessils mainly for energy savings reasons myself. During the summer, my energy bill is $500 per month USD.. so anything to keep that lower.. If I ran MH, I'd have to run a chiller and that's just stupid. I'll not keep any animals that cannot live under LEDs.

[lmforbis]

Originally Posted by jh2pizza

Im setting up a 240G 72 x 30 x 25. I had 3 Kessils over my 180 without issue. Now, I am going 6" in depth so Im thinking of adding 4 x 36" T5. Two in the front and two in the rear.

Suggestions on what t5s to run? I will be using a Icecap 660 ballast.

I use ATI True Actinic 03 and purple plus

[mcozad829]

Question for y'all.

I have a 110 (48x18X30) that is in the beginning stages of being stocked. It is going to be mostly softies with maybe a few LPS, I reused 2 a160we that I had on my 30 long. Im controlling them with an apex and am currently running a 240 minute ramp up and down, it reaches peak at 55% intensity and 80% color and is at peak for 4 hours... 12 hour total light cycle. Do you guys think I should be going to a higher intensity for longer? With the 30 long that the lights were on I never went over 40% intensity so I'm not really sure what these lights are capable. Any recommendations?

[jayblock]

Not sure if the color is the same on the 160's as the 360's but i found on my A360WE, when having color high it was too bright for the corals, I lost a few SPS's and LPS were not as happy. I now have a max intensity of 70% and max color at 35% I felt although full spectrum at any color the brightness was harming or irritating the corals. I would start much more blue maxing out at 30-40% color and you can always increase as you see fit.

[makers marc]

First time Kessil user here. Just got my ap700 and when mount3d at 15 inches, it is blinding when you sit it the couch in front of the tank. How do yall block this out, since the lights are elevated higher than the couch? I dont want a canopy, i assume this was an ossue for those with a360 also?

[mfaso24]

Originally Posted by makers marc

First time Kessil user here. Just got my ap700 and when mount3d at 15 inches, it is blinding when you sit it the couch in front of the tank. How do yall block this out, since the lights are elevated higher than the couch? I dont want a canopy, i assume this was an ossue for those with a360 also?

Hm mine is about 16 off the water line, and while I can definitely see the light, I don't know if I would consider it blinding. How tall is your tank and stand?

[makers marc]

Originally Posted by mfaso24

Hm mine is about 16 off the water line, and while I can definitely see the light, I don't know if I would consider it blinding. How tall is your tank and stand?

I have a standard 75g tank and stand, so tank is 21 inches tall and stand is probably 30 inches tall. I just have 2 24 inch stools within 2 feet of the front, when I sit there it just blasts in my face. Just didnt know if ppl made blinders or something if they dont have a canopy.

[JBeursken]

Recently got into this hobby, it's been about a 1 1/2 months. Setting up my RO/DI water system this weekend 4 stage...My Kessil lights seem to be doing great over my 100 gallon......aquarium.jpg