Kessil Club

[Newbie Aquarist]

Anybody have a A160 on a 20" cube? Is it enough or do I need an A350/360?

You will loose some spread on the sides considering it has an 18x18 spread. Good for softies and LPS but if your going SPS then I'd go with the 360WE.

 

[mjc0760]

How many Kessils?

How many Kessils?

I'm working on a new 90g build and pondering the gazillion options for lighting. The tank is 48 x 18 x 24. I think I've narrowed it down to two Radion XR30w G3 PROs or 2 to 4 Kessils. With either option I'm planning to use an Apex controller and over time, I want to include SPS corals. An important factor - my wife does NOT like the Kessil gooseneck (I'm not a fan either due to lack of good cable mgt), so I would likely mount the Kessils in my canopy.

My questions:
1) Mounting in the canopy means putting them only 5 or 6 inches above the tank (glass top)... I know this will effect coverage, but is it okay to mount them this close?
2) Would two A360WE's provide sufficient coverage / penetration or would I need 4 if they are mounted so low?
3) What about 2 (or 4, if needed) A160WE's?

I should add that I do like the look of the Radions with the RMS (as does my wife) and that choice would give me the option of eliminating the canopy.

 

[oreo57]

Technically, not that is needed but why no PAR data nor spectrum??
I find that curious..

 

[oblio]

I'm working on a new 90g build and pondering the gazillion options for lighting. The tank is 48 x 18 x 24. I think I've narrowed it down to two Radion XR30w G3 PROs or 2 to 4 Kessils. With either option I'm planning to use an Apex controller and over time, I want to include SPS corals. An important factor - my wife does NOT like the Kessil gooseneck (I'm not a fan either due to lack of good cable mgt), so I would likely mount the Kessils in my canopy.

My questions:
1) Mounting in the canopy means putting them only 5 or 6 inches above the tank (glass top)... I know this will effect coverage, but is it okay to mount them this close?
2) Would two A360WE's provide sufficient coverage / penetration or would I need 4 if they are mounted so low?
3) What about 2 (or 4, if needed) A160WE's?

I should add that I do like the look of the Radions with the RMS (as does my wife) and that choice would give me the option of eliminating the canopy.

Question 1 = I mounted mine on top of the canopy for the exact reason of them being too close, plus it keeps what little heat they create outside the tank. I can send you some pictures if it would help, wasn't hard to do, took about 2 hours to complete the modification to the hood.

Question 2 = I have this exact set up, 90gal oak hood, 2 360 WE's. 2 is enough to do anything you want.

Question 3 = To my understanding you would need 4, and you would have the same issues with distance to the water surface. I have no experience with the 160's so I could be off base on this.

Regards,

 

[mjc0760]

Thanks oblio! If I use a canopy, it would be the stock one that came with the Aqueon RR 90 gallon. I'm having a custom stand built but not a new canopy. I'm thinking I could add a rack of some sort that would span the 48" width of the canopy and hold the A360WE's either using the built in hooks or maybe the 90 degree adapters from Kessil. I could also add a little height to it and get the lights further away from the tank. A picture of your setup would be helpful!

Are you growing corals under your 2 A360's? If so, what type?

 

[REEFBUILDER1]

How many would i need over a 40 g breeder

 

[jtgrimes]

How many would i need over a 40 g breeder

You would only need one a360

 

[Mr. Comer]

With regret I may have to leave the Kessil club. I may end up selling my A350w's and try something different Today I was looking back on my pictures of my tank over the pasts year and a half and realized I've had almost no growth. Not one new LPS growth (but no deaths), leathers are about the same size, xenia have grown a little, GSP is dying off, toadstool hasn't hasn't opened since I bought it several months ago, lost the little sps I did have, polys/zoas have multiplied a little, I've lost 4 anemones, no loss in fish, and my torch finally split for the first time after having it a year.

Water parameters are always within normal range for a mixed tank and I have good flow. I've always run an ULN but a couple months ago I started to feed a variety of foods a couple times of day to my fish it make the water a little more nutrient rich. Unfortunately nothing has changed.

My favorite LFS has ATI and Radion pro's on display (they also offer Kessil but have none on display and don't sell many) and colors were popping. They corals I bought from them looked way better with their lighting.

I ran MH for and CF's for years and had great growth. I thought about adding T5's to the Kessil but my tank is topless and I don't know how I would add them and keep things looking classy.

I've never had just T5 and may give a 4 or 6 bulb a try. The Radion's are nice but I'm just running a softie tank and don't want to spend $1500 on a pair of lights.

I know a lot of people love their Kessil's and I feel like I'm missing something? Any words of wisdom or experience?

Happy reefing

 

[ahfu25]

Wassup fellow reefers!! I just got a innovative marine fusion 20. I want to get sps in the future. Should I get 2 160's or one 360?

 

[minus9]

Mr. Comer,
I have a 23" x 12" x 14" nano with a single 160 over it and I'm seeing growth every week. I mostly have sps, but have an acan lord and duncan near the bottom right. I started the tank in Jan. of this year and added my first frags in early Feb. The acan and duncan were single polyp/head frags and both now have multiple polyps/heads growing. My monti cap was devastated by nudi's about a month ago and lost most of its tissue, but now has recovered fully and growing like crazy.
I'm running my kessil on a 12hr cycle at 85% intensity and 60% color (via apex). I only dose for alkalinity (soda carbonate solution) and do weekly w/c with RC. I only have one ORA neon goby, but I feed him/her every day and make sure the duncan and acan get a little scrap each time. I also feed reef chili twice a week at night. I do nothing for nutrient export other than using a poly filter cloth in the overflow, which gets changed twice a week. No skimmer, no gfo's, etc.... I will probably add another 160, mostly because I want a sps dominant tank and want to minimize the shadowing.
I'm not sure if this helps, but at least you can see what's possible with these lights.

 

[oblio]

Mr Comer,
In a nut shell, if the water is good then it's something with the light setup. What is you photoperiod, intensity/color numbers?.
I struggled with the Kessils until I changed "how" I used them. Now things are way better.

 

[Mr. Comer]

Hi oblio,
I tried 50% blue-50% white, 50% blue-25% white, 75% blue-50% white, and now I'm at 100% blue-50% white. Each time I slowly adjust my setting over a week and leave it for a month or two. My photo period is 8 hours and with the a350w is all on or off so no ramping. One LFS that visited uses kessils for all their displays and sells a ton. They run thier 360we's at 100% intensity and 80% color and recommend their customers do the same.

Maybe I can get these lights figured out. I know people are getting good growth and color. I'm open to any ideas.

 

[REEFBUILDER1]

You would only need one a360

1 A360 is enough for sps on middle top and softies on the edges???
How high would i have to hang it?
Thank You

 

[oseymour]

1 A360 is enough for sps on middle top and softies on the edges???

How high would i have to hang it?

Thank You

I'm currently doing a 50 which is the same dimensions just 2 inches higher than the 40 breeder. I'm running 2 a360. One on each side of the center brace.

I don't think 1 is enough, If you hang it close, you are going to get a big shadow with the center brace and the higher you go you'll lose power.

 

[itzonlithai]

I'd also recommend two if you're trying to keep sps

 

[lhm nole]

Hi oblio,
I tried 50% blue-50% white, 50% blue-25% white, 75% blue-50% white, and now I'm at 100% blue-50% white. Each time I slowly adjust my setting over a week and leave it for a month or two. My photo period is 8 hours and with the a350w is all on or off so no ramping. One LFS that visited uses kessils for all their displays and sells a ton. They run thier 360we's at 100% intensity and 80% color and recommend their customers do the same.

Maybe I can get these lights figured out. I know people are getting good growth and color. I'm open to any ideas.

And if they are telling customers to do that from the get go they will lose alot of customers.. I ran the 350 for over 2 years now I have switched to the 360 and run at 60 percent at max intensity.. I have a 24 inch deep tank 30 inches wide.. I have grown a one inch frag of purple bonsai to about a large grapefruit size also had a green nepthea grow so big I had to remove it from my 300.. Kessils grow corals imo something is off in your tank..When I just had the 350w I ran the blues at 100% and whites at 30%

 

[oblio]

Your sig says 90 gallon. I also run a standard 90 with 2 360 we's. I run a 12 hour photo period. First hour ramps up to 50/50 then over the next 5 hours it ramps up to 65/65 then back to 50/50 over the next 5. Last hour brings it to zero. I grow everything. Lights centered 8 1/4" over the water.

 

[Mr. Comer]

I know Kessils can grow so that's what I'm kind of frustrated with. My LFS is one of the best around and they are running the 360we two feet from the surace on a 8' frag tank. I thought they were crazy but they said the results have been great for the past year. Whats interesting is their newer "show" tank is MH/t5?

I've had my water tested twice at my LFS last month and only my magnesium is a little low but is still within normal range. Temp is at a constant 78. I have a 4 stage spectrapure rodi with 0 tds and it has a built in ato so my salinity doesn't' swing. Nitrates are around 10ish but with my heavy feeding and new skimmer it's up to 40 ish. I may send my water out for a more through test.

For giggles I hooked up my old crappy 250mh with a one year old bulb on one side of the tank. Wow! is was so much brighter than my kessils at 100% intensity. Turning off the white and cranking the blue up to 100% barely made a noticeable impact. I know the "perceived' brightness debate between mh and led but I was a little surprised how much of a difference I saw.

Any more ideas...

 

[oseymour]

That 40 ppm nitrate could be one of the reasons your corals are. It growing. What are your phosphate readings? And what test kits are your LFS using? I've seen some use strips and API tests which are rarely accurate.

 

[lhm nole]

I know Kessils can grow so that's what I'm kind of frustrated with. My LFS is one of the best around and they are running the 360we two feet from the surace on a 8' frag tank. I thought they were crazy but they said the results have been great for the past year. Whats interesting is their newer "show" tank is MH/t5?

I've had my water tested twice at my LFS last month and only my magnesium is a little low but is still within normal range. Temp is at a constant 78. I have a 4 stage spectrapure rodi with 0 tds and it has a built in ato so my salinity doesn't' swing. Nitrates are around 10ish but with my heavy feeding and new skimmer it's up to 40 ish. I may send my water out for a more through test.

For giggles I hooked up my old crappy 250mh with a one year old bulb on one side of the tank. Wow! is was so much brighter than my kessils at 100% intensity. Turning off the white and cranking the blue up to 100% barely made a noticeable impact. I know the "perceived' brightness debate between mh and led but I was a little surprised how much of a difference I saw.

Any more ideas...

Pics ?