Kessil Club

[LobsterOfJustice]

Three will work well and a predominantly LPS/Softie tank and even with well placed SPS. With that said, I have a 48" AquaticLife hybrid for our 150g running four A360WEs along with four T5s (an acropora dominant build).



I used two A360WEs on our 75g when it was a mixed reef and it worked well (added a LET T5 retrofit as I transitioned into SPS).

What T5 bulbs are you running?


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[madweazl]

What T5 bulbs are you running?


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Two ATI Blue+, one AquaBlue Special, and one Purple+.

 

[nreefer]

Looking for some advice on switchhing out my DYI LED fixture for Kessil. My tank is 8 feet long, 30 inches deep and 30 inches wide. I have eurobracing which reduced the light transmission width of the top to 18.5 inches wide.

The tank is a peninsula viewed by 3 sides with a center column rock work. It is a mixed reef with sps near the top. Do you think 7 A360's down the center would be good or better to do 2 rows of 4 A360's?
Is it worth supplementing with T5's to reduce shadowing?

I'll probably wait for the A360x's to come out before I buy.

 

[GardenVariety]

Looking for some advice on switchhing out my DYI LED fixture for Kessil. My tank is 8 feet long, 30 inches deep and 30 inches wide. I have eurobracing which reduced the light transmission width of the top to 18.5 inches wide.

The tank is a peninsula viewed by 3 sides with a center column rock work. It is a mixed reef with sps near the top. Do you think 7 A360's down the center would be good or better to do 2 rows of 4 A360's?
Is it worth supplementing with T5's to reduce shadowing?

I'll probably wait for the A360x's to come out before I buy.

I would do 6 straight down the middle and 1 on each front corner pointing in.

 

[nreefer]

Thanks, do you think I should supplement with some T5's?

 

[smatter]

Thanks, do you think I should supplement with some T5's?

You shouldn't need to, and why would you want to? I think it ruins the crisp, beautiful light of kessil when you add the flat, washed-out light fluorescents put out. Look how bad it looks at the office, or when you look in the mirror, I don't want that over my tank. You also completely negate the small form factor when you add a big clunky T5 unit.

 

[nreefer]

Ok fair enough, I thought it would be a way to eliminate some of the shadowing down the edges. Do people find that the 140 deg. spread bounces off the glass enough to have light hitting the lower rock work?

 

[smatter]

The wide lens definitely reflects off of the glass. When I cloud up the tank a little during maintenance it really becomes apparent. As far as shadowing goes, it gives the tank a natural look, some depth and dimension. Eight 360s are going to light it up like Times Square!

 

[Bpb]

Thanks, do you think I should supplement with some T5's?

I think it depends more on what kind of coral you're keeping than anything.


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[ComforablyNumb]

I temp added t5's to my reef 8hrs/day, didnt notice much difference in coral health/growth either positive or negative, so took them down after 4 months .. but you will definitely get a washed out look if you add them to Kessils. They will reduce apparent shimmer.

Some people claim it is the ideal combo tho..

 

[makers marc]

Any major difference between major vs minor diffuser kits?

And do they help light spillover I get from my AP700 x 2 into the room? That gets annoying, especially with kids who get the brunt of the spillover when they are close to the tank.

 

[justajason]

The minor lenses do channel the light from what I can tell. The corals seem to like it as well [emoji1744]*[emoji3603]


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[GardenVariety]

Ok fair enough, I thought it would be a way to eliminate some of the shadowing down the edges. Do people find that the 140 deg. spread bounces off the glass enough to have light hitting the lower rock work?

Par drops out considerably around the edges. I've installed a 6th Kessil in the corner to combat that for my SPS. I've taken an Apogee meter to every inch of my tank to map it out.

 

[GardenVariety]

I temp added t5's to my reef 8hrs/day, didnt notice much difference in coral health/growth either positive or negative, so took them down after 4 months .. but you will definitely get a washed out look if you add them to Kessils. They will reduce apparent shimmer.

Some people claim it is the ideal combo tho..

Yeah, I would just add more Kessils at different angles. It's the perfect look in my opinion and I wouldn't want to ruin it with T5's. Being careful with rockwork and coral placement is the most important part in my opinion.

 

[shred5]

I think it depends more on what kind of coral you’re keeping than anything.


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Agreed with LPS and softies that you would not need t-5 because they move with the current.

With SPS T-5 would be very beneficial. The Kessil have a very tight cluster and has more shadowing and self shading compared to other led fixtures. There is a advantage to the tight cluster is you do not get that disco ball effect with splotches of color.

I use T-5 lighting on my SPS tanks with Kessil. This almost gives me the look of halides with supplemental lighting. I tried straight up Kessils with SPS and it was fine while they were frags but once they grew into colonies I had to add T-5.

You could add more Kessil fixtures and add some at angles like was suggested too.

Personally I like the look of Kessil with led as much as halides with supplemental lighting.

 

[Bpb]

Agreed with LPS and softies that you would not need t-5 because they move with the current.

With SPS T-5 would be very beneficial. The Kessil have a very tight cluster and has more shadowing and self shading compared to other led fixtures. There is a advantage to the tight cluster is you do not get that disco ball effect with splotches of color.

I use T-5 lighting on my SPS tanks with Kessil. This almost gives me the look of halides with supplemental lighting. I tried straight up Kessils with SPS and it was fine while they were frags but once they grew into colonies I had to add T-5.

You could add more Kessil fixtures and add some at angles like was suggested too.

Personally I like the look of Kessil with led as much as halides with supplemental lighting.

That's precisely where I was going with that. Encrusting lps and softies or those that move around avoid shading by virtue of their physical form. A torch is moving so much it is constantly well lit all over. A favoa will hug the flat surface and not shade itself at all. A branching hard coral won't move and a point source or light will simply not illuminate every angle of the coral leading to uneven color and growth form


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[ComforablyNumb]

In nature, the sun is a single point of light ..you will see some shading in nature too. Its entirely natural. If you like, you can recreate the moving of the sun across the sky if you have 2 or more kessils if you wish. I dont bother with that tho.. I just ramp up color and intensity and back down

 

[shred5]

In nature, the sun is a single point of light ..you will see some shading in nature too. Its entirely natural. If you like, you can recreate the moving of the sun across the sky if you have 2 or more kessils if you wish. I dont bother with that tho.. I just ramp up color and intensity and back down

There is some shading but not even close to what happens with leds. First the sun move. It lights on side in the morning, then noon the top and then evening the other side. The same spot is not shaded all day. Plus the light from the sun is allot farther away and not as point source as led. The waves and the surface of the ocean refract, scatter and bend light.

 

[madweazl]

Any major difference between major vs minor diffuser kits?

And do they help light spillover I get from my AP700 x 2 into the room? That gets annoying, especially with kids who get the brunt of the spillover when they are close to the tank.

If light is spilling out of the tank, the array is mounted too high off the tank. Take advantage of the outstanding spread they offer and also take advantage of the extra light being reflected off the glass.

 

[makers marc]

If light is spilling out of the tank, the array is mounted too high off the tank. Take advantage of the outstanding spread they offer and also take advantage of the extra light being reflected off the glass.

That's a little oversimplification. 10 inches above the tank rim is not too high. The kessil mounting arm has slots for it to even go higher. You can literally sear acros with this, especially above 60%+.l placed nearby.

So you have to pick your poison.