Free kessil actuating mount- clever idea, looking for input/ Back in the hobby!

[reefinmike]

I'm getting back in the hobby with a reef ready 90gallon and plan to light it with two kessil 360we tuna blue lights and a couple t5"s, maybe adding a third kessil later. While the kessil lights have a very intense shimmer effect- that comes with the downside of shadowing. I ran across a youtube video where someone suggested mounting them closer to the front and at an angle to minimize that effect which seems like a smart idea. I started looking around for actuating mounts and only found a couple models for $35 each. Pretty expensive for a simple piece of plastic. I thought there has to be some cheaper way to do it and bam! It hit me! I have many of the pivoting mounts from broken koralia powerheads. They seem to be a perfect fit. The shaft is a little larger than the kessil mount hole so I could simply thread the plastic rod. If that seems to not be strong enough I was thinking I could chop the rod off the ball, drill a hole, tap it and use a piece of threaded steel rod to attach the light. The Koralia mounts even have three holes perfect for screwing it to the inside of the canopy.

My only inhibition is that this would be going against kessil's recommendation to keep 12" of clearance around the light for adequate ventilation. To me this seems a bit excessive considering how cool the light stays. I was thinking I could just make the top of the canopy slatted to allow heat to escape passively. Good idea? Bad idea? stupid idea? Do you have a better method? I'd love to hear.

 

[slief]

I'm getting back in the hobby with a reef ready 90gallon and plan to light it with two kessil 360we tuna blue lights and a couple t5"s, maybe adding a third kessil later. While the kessil lights have a very intense shimmer effect- that comes with the downside of shadowing. I ran across a youtube video where someone suggested mounting them closer to the front and at an angle to minimize that effect which seems like a smart idea. I started looking around for actuating mounts and only found a couple models for $35 each. Pretty expensive for a simple piece of plastic. I thought there has to be some cheaper way to do it and bam! It hit me! I have many of the pivoting mounts from broken koralia powerheads. They seem to be a perfect fit. The shaft is a little larger than the kessil mount hole so I could simply thread the plastic rod. If that seems to not be strong enough I was thinking I could chop the rod off the ball, drill a hole, tap it and use a piece of threaded steel rod to attach the light. The Koralia mounts even have three holes perfect for screwing it to the inside of the canopy.

My only inhibition is that this would be going against kessil's recommendation to keep 12" of clearance around the light for adequate ventilation. To me this seems a bit excessive considering how cool the light stays. I was thinking I could just make the top of the canopy slatted to allow heat to escape passively. Good idea? Bad idea? stupid idea? Do you have a better method? I'd love to hear.

I'm not sure about the heat issue and the distance but I am familiar with the koralia mounts you are talking about and they certainly don't provide much spacing.. I am however very familiar with those articulating mounts since I use them myself in my Kessils & Mitras. One bit of advice though. Be very careful with the screw length. If that screw goes in more than a couple mm, the screw will hit the fan and not only prevent it from spinning but also potentially damage it & kill the Kessil as a result of a lack of cooling. There is VERY limited space between the back side of the Kessil & the fan on the inside.

 

[reefinmike]

Thanks for the insight! When I first got my kessil I did read in the manual that screwing the mount in too far can stop the fan. Of course good to know but somewhat odd for them to note this considering that the hanging stud they include firmly stops before going too far.

 

[rgulrich]

I used six security camera mounts for mine. 100% metal, fully adjustable, and screw mount to the canopy.
Cheers,
Ray

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