Kessil A360WE
I think people like these lights mostly because it gives the closest thing to MH without being metal halide. Full disclosure, I have never owned MH or a Kessil. But I am definitely considering these lights for my 180 build based on what I've read about them.
I'll give a little insight on why I like them, and not all of my reasoning is Kessil specific:
-Kessil, as well as a lot of other LED solutions, have a tiny footprint. Take a look at a few pages back when I posted the single A360W covering a 36x24 rimless tank. It's amazing that such small fixtures can have this much viewable coverage. I'll take a Radion or a Kessil (or equivalent LED) over any other MH setup on the market today, hands down.
-LED lighting in general mimics MH lighting. The shimmer I think is fantastic. That's exactly what you see when snorkeling on the reefs...it's great that we can closely recreate this aspect in our living rooms.
-LED lighting in general generates less heat and consumes much less power than other lighting solutions.
-Kessil has been manufacturing professional and industrial lighting solutions for decades. The company was started by three UC Berkeley grads, and this is super cool because that's where my lady attended college for her undergrad. So I'm already a bit Kessil biased. ;-)
-LED lighting is very modern, just like the rimless aquariums that have become most popular over the course of the past 4 or so years. It's new wave, and to a lot of tech guys, it's very cool. Everything else seems archaic. Admittedly, LED is not perfect though..but it will get there most assuredly.
-Kessil is headquartered right here in the Bay Area..obviously local to me. I personally happen to LOVE that! I've read blogs about their manufacturing process, and seen tours of their manufacturing facility.
Buying a domestically designed and engineered product appeals to more and more people nowadays for obvious economical reasons. A side note, my last light was a Giesemann, which was probably the slickest most well made fixture I've ever owned. But, it was a pain having to deal with customer service that wasn't based in the United States. I mean, you guys all know how that is, right? Having replacement parts and other customer service related functions located right here in the USA speaks volumes when it comes to the support the end user will receive if issues arise.
I mean, I dare you to go and try buying a Giesemann Reflexx HQI + T5. Try it. Your head will explode by the time you finally get a hold of someone who has one in stock. Forget about trying to get customer service out of them.
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In short, I like rimless aquariums. In order to contribute to the sleek and sharp, clean lines of rimless aquariums, an equally sleek lighting solution is required. I don't appreciate the amount of heat and the power consumed by typical MH+T5 fixtures, and I like viewing my tank from above. So the smaller the fixture, the better. Enter Kessil.
All of this is what attracts me to LED lighting, and even more so to the Kessil.
