CoralsAddiction
Active member
Sell your Kessils and get an ATI Powermodule LED/T5 hybrid...Black Friday is just around the corner.
LED Lights and Anemones
- Thread starter RIGUY314
- Start date
D-Nak
Active member
I have two tanks with nems in it. The first one is a 4' x 2' x 2' high 120 gallon tank with two Radions (not pros) and a pair of T5s, at 8" above the waterline. I don't have much shading/shadowing due to the T5s. I currently have a mag in the tank and have had multiple gigs and all did fine.
My second tank is a 4' x 2' x 12" high 60 gallon tank with two Kessil A360w running at 100% and houses six gigs. The lights are approximately 10" above the waterline. What I really like about the Kessils are the fact that their LEDs are in a tight matrix, so color blending is very nice. I don't see the "disco ball" effect like I do with other LEDs, even to some extent with the Radions. At 10" above the tank, I don't see any spotlighting either.
I'm expecting my replacement tank for my 120 in a couple of weeks. It's going to be 4' x 30" x 20" tall. I plan to use three Radions and two T5s.
My biggest gripe with my G1 Radions were that they didn't have UV. When I upgraded them to G3 units, I now had UV (well, near UV) and I output looked a lot more like that of a Kessil, which has a lot of "pop" compared to other LEDs I've seen. Even today I still think the Kessil A150 deep blue provides some of the best pop for nems like RBTAs and zoas/palys. The color is almost too good -- meaning that it looks like the inhabitants have a fake blacklight look about them -- good for selling corals I guess.
My biggest gripe with the Kessils is that they aren't the most reliable units (at least in my experience). I bought two used Kessil A350s and when one died, I contacted Kessil to pay to have it fixed. The unit was out of the warranty period, so they woouldn't repair it (they actually don't repair ANY of their lights). They instead offered me a new A360 at a discounted price, which I purchased. About a year later, this A360 died, and was replaced under warranty.
This is in contrast to Radions, which up until the latest version, offered to repair broken units and even had an upgrade service. For a fixed price, they offered to upgrade the pucks with the updated version.
So, I guess it boils down to personal preference, more in terms of how the lights look and how they are controlled, as all of the options can be used to successfully house mags and gigs.
Do you prefer a flat form factor, or are you okay with the canon/canister look of the A360?
How do you plan to control your lights? Are you using a controller like an Apex?
Do you want to blanket the entire tank with light, or do you want to spotlight certain areas of the tank?
Do you care what it looks like above your tank? Would you consider mixing lights?
My second tank is a 4' x 2' x 12" high 60 gallon tank with two Kessil A360w running at 100% and houses six gigs. The lights are approximately 10" above the waterline. What I really like about the Kessils are the fact that their LEDs are in a tight matrix, so color blending is very nice. I don't see the "disco ball" effect like I do with other LEDs, even to some extent with the Radions. At 10" above the tank, I don't see any spotlighting either.
I'm expecting my replacement tank for my 120 in a couple of weeks. It's going to be 4' x 30" x 20" tall. I plan to use three Radions and two T5s.
My biggest gripe with my G1 Radions were that they didn't have UV. When I upgraded them to G3 units, I now had UV (well, near UV) and I output looked a lot more like that of a Kessil, which has a lot of "pop" compared to other LEDs I've seen. Even today I still think the Kessil A150 deep blue provides some of the best pop for nems like RBTAs and zoas/palys. The color is almost too good -- meaning that it looks like the inhabitants have a fake blacklight look about them -- good for selling corals I guess.
My biggest gripe with the Kessils is that they aren't the most reliable units (at least in my experience). I bought two used Kessil A350s and when one died, I contacted Kessil to pay to have it fixed. The unit was out of the warranty period, so they woouldn't repair it (they actually don't repair ANY of their lights). They instead offered me a new A360 at a discounted price, which I purchased. About a year later, this A360 died, and was replaced under warranty.
This is in contrast to Radions, which up until the latest version, offered to repair broken units and even had an upgrade service. For a fixed price, they offered to upgrade the pucks with the updated version.
So, I guess it boils down to personal preference, more in terms of how the lights look and how they are controlled, as all of the options can be used to successfully house mags and gigs.
Do you prefer a flat form factor, or are you okay with the canon/canister look of the A360?
How do you plan to control your lights? Are you using a controller like an Apex?
Do you want to blanket the entire tank with light, or do you want to spotlight certain areas of the tank?
Do you care what it looks like above your tank? Would you consider mixing lights?
geckoejon
Active member
i am a big fan of hydra 52's and 52 hd's.... i've kept gigs under them nicely in the past, and currently have a couple mags under them. top notch, imo...
the spread, control, and output are great on 52's. the operating control system is much easier to use them radion's, imo. (although i heard they have revamped the radion controls just for that reason) i actually sold radions in the past because i did not find the controls user friendly.
i would toss 3x 52 hd's on your build, and enjoy
the spread, control, and output are great on 52's. the operating control system is much easier to use them radion's, imo. (although i heard they have revamped the radion controls just for that reason) i actually sold radions in the past because i did not find the controls user friendly.
i would toss 3x 52 hd's on your build, and enjoy
RIGUY314
Member
I am still looking and have been researching the A360's. I do like the shimmer of the Kessils. thanks again for all the information.
thanks CoralsAddiction but I think its too late. the budget was blown a while ago!
not a bad idea..Black Friday deals.
thank you for the info D-Nak! with regards to the lights and how they look above the tank, most of the choices if done correctly will look good, whether its Kessils, Radions or AI's. We plan on controlling the lights with a APEX controller or if there is a separate APP for the lights. However, we will be using an APEX for the basic tank measurements. for lighting - blanket the entire tank with light, or do you want to spotlight certain areas of the tank? We are planning on the island look, 2 larger islands and an offset smaller island (anemone island) with the aquascaping. I think part of the decision is going to depend on where the islands fit in the tank.
i am a big fan of hydra 52's and 52 hd's.... i've kept gigs under them nicely in the past, and currently have a couple mags under them. top notch, imo...
the spread, control, and output are great on 52's. the operating control system is much easier to use them radion's, imo. (although i heard they have revamped the radion controls just for that reason) i actually sold radions in the past because i did not find the controls user friendly.
i would toss 3x 52 hd's on your build, and enjoy
Funny you say that..we current have 2 Hydras and haven't really had an issue them. thank you for the input!
RIGUY314
Member
thanks for the input! any pictures?
GrindingNemo
New member
I have 2 AI Vegas (with the upgraded pucks) and one AI hydra over a 220, and my mags have been happy for years. I personally can no longer recommend AI after buying the hydra. It has a much smaller heat sink than the Vegas and the electronics have had to be replaced several times due to it overheating. The newer models may have fixed the heat issue, but they still have tiny heat sinks and I am not willing to waste more money on a bad design.
But to answer your question, nems can do great under all of the lights you listed... Its a matter of researching the pros and cons of each and comparing them to your budget. Personally, I would probably go with a DIY approach or look for a good deal on some used gear that has a few years to show its quality.
But to answer your question, nems can do great under all of the lights you listed... Its a matter of researching the pros and cons of each and comparing them to your budget. Personally, I would probably go with a DIY approach or look for a good deal on some used gear that has a few years to show its quality.
RIGUY314
Member
I was looking at the new Gen 4 Pro Radions too. by the way, your tanks are incredible!
I have Hydras for a few years now and haven't had any issues so far. I'm not a very good DYI guy... thanks for the input!
CoralsAddiction
Active member
I really like Radion lights. I am currently running the XR15 Pro model at 40% max intensity and it's more than enough for a gig.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HtK7F8721AM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
OrionN
Moved on
I would up the light. It is incredible how much light Gigantea can take and like it.
RIGUY314
Member
looks great. ty.
CoralsAddiction
Active member
I raised it to 50%. The anemone rested itself a little more on live rock and formed more folds as a result. I've been battling some algae problems and trying to keep the intensity lower in addition to managing nutrient levels in the tank.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nEiy8dlr4tI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Can I help with a recommendation on the algae since you are raising the light level and really want to get rid of it:
I will assume that you have a hose that you perform tank maintenance with. Weather it be the one you fill with or syphon out with.
I have a 3/4" hose that I use to transfer water with. I went to the vacuum and took off the brush adapter. The hose fit almost perfectly in the adapter. I took a few rubber bands and wrapped around the hose to make it fit tight.
I take one end of the hose and place it in a filter sock in the sump, with a clamp. Take the other end and place it with the adapter in the tank and start the syphon.
Now the bristles of the adapter have the hose behind it sucking water down to the filter sock. Take your new bristle water vacuum, that you just made, and scrub the rock in the water. Being very careful to NOT touch anything sensitive. Using circular motion will take the algae off and make it manageable to be sucked down the hose. Before you just pull away from the area you are working let it sit for 10 seconds or so and suck in all the items that were dislodged. I will go in a circle kinda fast, to break the algae, but not move to a new section quickly at all, and make sure I overlapped.
Now your new bristle should not be used for anything else again, to keep it clean for the tank. I mean who really uses it any way? (or just go to the store and get a replacement one. Ohhh make sure it is all plastic too.
I will assume that you have a hose that you perform tank maintenance with. Weather it be the one you fill with or syphon out with.
I have a 3/4" hose that I use to transfer water with. I went to the vacuum and took off the brush adapter. The hose fit almost perfectly in the adapter. I took a few rubber bands and wrapped around the hose to make it fit tight.
I take one end of the hose and place it in a filter sock in the sump, with a clamp. Take the other end and place it with the adapter in the tank and start the syphon.
Now the bristles of the adapter have the hose behind it sucking water down to the filter sock. Take your new bristle water vacuum, that you just made, and scrub the rock in the water. Being very careful to NOT touch anything sensitive. Using circular motion will take the algae off and make it manageable to be sucked down the hose. Before you just pull away from the area you are working let it sit for 10 seconds or so and suck in all the items that were dislodged. I will go in a circle kinda fast, to break the algae, but not move to a new section quickly at all, and make sure I overlapped.
Now your new bristle should not be used for anything else again, to keep it clean for the tank. I mean who really uses it any way? (or just go to the store and get a replacement one. Ohhh make sure it is all plastic too.
CoralsAddiction
Active member
Thanks worm
CoralsAddiction
Active member
I'm not sure how I feel about increased intensity. The gig has been showing a bald spot at 3 o'clock position from its mouth like this:
zooman72
New member
I would be surprised if that was due to the increase in intensity from a single XR15 Pro when you only upped it 10% - what is the size of the aquarium and how high above the water is the light, and how far from the nem is the light?
Like Minh said, they are known to be quite light tolerant, although I have kept mine successfully for a couple of years in moderate lighting conditions, so I have found them to be quite adaptable if healthy.
Like Minh said, they are known to be quite light tolerant, although I have kept mine successfully for a couple of years in moderate lighting conditions, so I have found them to be quite adaptable if healthy.
CoralsAddiction
Active member
it is due to change in lighting. Happened right after. Gigs and mags reacting to change in light and flow isn't anything new as you may know.
CoralsAddiction
Active member
But it's no biggie. The anemone had a reaction to change. I lowered the light intensity. Doesn't mean anyone is right or wrong here. These animals aren't predictable all the time. Just need to deal with it and move on.
