So here's the deal. I'm getting back into the hobby after an 8 year break. A few weeks ago I found an amazing deal on an unused 125 RR on Craigslist and just couldn't pass up the deal. This is going to be a slow build as I only have about $600/mo to put into equipment. I'm figuring it will be late spring/early summer next year before I get everything up and running. In an earlier thread I posted, I was immediately steered toward Kessil to light my new tank. I immediately fell in love with the pics and videos I saw on they're website, but I'm a bit apprehensive about the cost of these lights, so I've spent the last couple of weeks researching other options as well and have narrowed it down to the Malibu S400 fixture from LEDZeal. I am so close to pulling the trigger on this purchase, but my mind keeps going back to the beautiful pics of the tanks lit by Kessil fixtures. So I'm hoping the good folks on this forum can help me with my decision.
First off, I plan to stock the tank with softies and LPS. There will be no SPS in the tank as I personally do not like the looks of them. My main requirements are that the lights be LED's for heat and energy reasons. Also, I want lights that really bring out the fluorescent colors in the corals. To me, the biggest draw to this hobby is seeing a tank just exploding with electrifying colors! My third requirement is that the lights be programmable with sunrise/sunset features.
From the research I've done so far, the lights from LEDZeal seem to meet my 2 of my 3 requirements. I'm having trouble finding any pics of tanks lit by them which does concern me. Most threads on this site containing the term "ledzeal" seem to be mostly of the same guy chiming in and saying something generic about the great lights and deals at ledzeal.com. Kinda makes me think he's just an employee trolling the forums here.
My concerns/questions about the Kessil lights are:
I don't know the extent of they're programmability. Can they do sunrise/sunset? Does it require a separate or third party controller such as an Apex? (I'm not opposed to the idea of getting an Apex if someone wants to chime in and explain to me what kind of things it can be programmed to do. I'm all for automation of tasks!)
Number of fixtures. I'm guessing it will take 3 Kessils to light my 72x18x22 tank. Obviously this will increase my costs over the S400 which is 1 60" unit, but I also wonder again about programmability. Can multiple fixtures be daisy chained together, or does each fixture require it's on controller? (I really don't know a whole lot about LED fixtures, so I hope these aren't dumb questions!)
Which model/color option. The Kessils appear to come in 4 different models as well as several different color temps. I really don't know which model I'll need for my tank, or which color choice will give me those fluorescent colors I'm looking for.
Right now I'm leaning probably 70/30 towards the LEDZeal lights, but I am very open to suggestions. The money is only an issue in that it will just take me that much longer to set up the tank. (Been tankless for 8 years, what's an extra month or two?) I have no problem spending the extra money if it's really worth it, afterall this is an expensive hobby to begin with. I'm also open to any suggestions on other lighting systems that you may feel will meet my needs.
So, if anyone has made it to the end of my post, (I tend to be long winded!) I look forward to any comments you may have. Thank you in advance and I look forward to whatever advice you can give me.
First off, I plan to stock the tank with softies and LPS. There will be no SPS in the tank as I personally do not like the looks of them. My main requirements are that the lights be LED's for heat and energy reasons. Also, I want lights that really bring out the fluorescent colors in the corals. To me, the biggest draw to this hobby is seeing a tank just exploding with electrifying colors! My third requirement is that the lights be programmable with sunrise/sunset features.
From the research I've done so far, the lights from LEDZeal seem to meet my 2 of my 3 requirements. I'm having trouble finding any pics of tanks lit by them which does concern me. Most threads on this site containing the term "ledzeal" seem to be mostly of the same guy chiming in and saying something generic about the great lights and deals at ledzeal.com. Kinda makes me think he's just an employee trolling the forums here.
My concerns/questions about the Kessil lights are:
I don't know the extent of they're programmability. Can they do sunrise/sunset? Does it require a separate or third party controller such as an Apex? (I'm not opposed to the idea of getting an Apex if someone wants to chime in and explain to me what kind of things it can be programmed to do. I'm all for automation of tasks!)
Number of fixtures. I'm guessing it will take 3 Kessils to light my 72x18x22 tank. Obviously this will increase my costs over the S400 which is 1 60" unit, but I also wonder again about programmability. Can multiple fixtures be daisy chained together, or does each fixture require it's on controller? (I really don't know a whole lot about LED fixtures, so I hope these aren't dumb questions!)
Which model/color option. The Kessils appear to come in 4 different models as well as several different color temps. I really don't know which model I'll need for my tank, or which color choice will give me those fluorescent colors I'm looking for.
Right now I'm leaning probably 70/30 towards the LEDZeal lights, but I am very open to suggestions. The money is only an issue in that it will just take me that much longer to set up the tank. (Been tankless for 8 years, what's an extra month or two?) I have no problem spending the extra money if it's really worth it, afterall this is an expensive hobby to begin with. I'm also open to any suggestions on other lighting systems that you may feel will meet my needs.
So, if anyone has made it to the end of my post, (I tend to be long winded!) I look forward to any comments you may have. Thank you in advance and I look forward to whatever advice you can give me.
