My mistake. I certainly don't think they are exactly the same. I am curious though how easy it would be to tell which was which from photo's alone.Are you sure about that?
Lights... hit me...
- Thread starter Gweeds
- Start date
slief
RC Sponsor
Visually speaking, you can match the color damn near perfect if the LED fixture has a good mix of diodes in different colors and control over the individual color channels. Coverage is another story and that will boil down to the fixtures, number of fixture and fixture placement.
I was thinking specifically of that T5 look, which I don't particularly like.
There was an LFS in my area that ran an older model of the Mitras over their coral tanks for two years. I never saw any disco effect or even any ripples from the water. It was the very flat, even light you get from T5 lighting.
They also had the lights set to a very blue colour I also don't like.
I'd love to see a tank with the new Mitras light adjusted to something closer to 14K
slief
RC Sponsor
The lenses on the Mitras coupled with the close layout of the diode clusters eliminates the issue of seeing the different color diodes on the sandbed or disco effect. You do get some decent shimmer from them though. The other thing about the Mitras is the fact that they have 6 seperate clusters which makes their spread very even. I really love the new Mitras. I've got one over my frag tank and 6 over my main display. I also just setup 3 of the LX7's at a friends house this last weekend over his new frag tank. I also have an older LX6200 here which I used for a while on another tank of mine. The LX7's are definitely a step up from those in terms of the slight change they made with the diodes but moreover, the power balancing feature which allows you to take advantage of the fixtures full 195 watts of power even if you don't run all the channels at 100%. That said, the Kessils are no slouch either. I always loved the Kessil 360's. My SPS did great under them growing up to an inch a month. They just lacked the color control to bring out colors in corals you wouldn't otherwise see under the blue or white spectrum they produce. I also have an AP700 here which is also a great light. Heck, I have a Radion XR30 G3 Pro here too and that too is a great light though it does get a bit of disco effect and doesn't have the spread of the Mitras. I also prefer the Mitras over the Radion because of the 6 clusters. It does wonders for providing very even spread and the additional channel on the Mitras allows for a a bit more tuning of the channels to bring out colors in corals. It's been mentioned here before that modern LED's will all grow corals. Aside from power and spread, it's the channel control and diode mix that really seperate one fixture from the next and the Mitras are my favorites because they offfer the most control with the most power and spread.
ComforablyNumb
New member
edit: was posting some pics and had a problem with imgur...will try to rectify and repost
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ComforablyNumb
New member
My experience as well. My tank is relatively young and a few months ago I started adding more SPS (I dont care for acro's, personal preference) because I like they color the SPS would add to my assortment. Sometimes pics illustrate a point better than words, so...
seritopia (after pic, the before comes out HUGE)
one of 3 sps frags from 20 months ago
Same frags:
Still having some probs with imgur...the pic comes out huge in a few of them, I have no idea why, most others are fine...so I will attempt an edit or repost of the others later. Apologies.
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Punchanello
Member
Yep. They are sexy pieces of kit. I'm sure this is not a purists view but I find the design and technological elements of this hobby a big part of why I'm hooked.
I thought the Mitras had reflectors not secondary lesnses.
I looked at the videos you posted on the LX7 thread and they do indeed have shimmer. It's odd that the tanks I saw did not, but they were a very different setup: shallow frag tanks with the lights 2 feet above the water.
slief
RC Sponsor
24" above the water will certainly reduce any shimmer they produce. Also, the amount of surface agitation will also impact the shimmer. The more surface agitation, the more shimmer you will see. They have a lens over the clusters which acts as a bit of a diffuser while also protecting the diodes. The reflectors are the white area that surrounds the clusters. The shimmer that you likely saw in the videos I posted was probably in part due to the Kessils that are sharing space on the light rack alongside the Mitras. I kept them up to help with acclimation as well as to aid in coverage since 6 Mitras isn't really enough to cover my 4'x8' tank as well as I would like. That said, I just installed 3 for my friend and that tank only had the Mitras and there was shimmer on his system as well with only the Mitras. In his case, that tank was 20" deep and the Mitras are 12" off the water. They do produce shimmer but it's not as intense as the Kessil shimmer which will make some happy as many don't like the extreme shimmer the Kessils produce. Especially where there is a lot of surface agitation.
I did see the part where you turned off the Kessils to show the Mitras shimmer: subdued, but still there
I did not realize there was a secondary lense for diffusion, but that makes sense.
Fresh off the press, BRS investigates the Kessil A360 Tuna Blue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wavz8K63-Oc
Mounted 6.5" above water, average PAR at 12" depth 144, average PAR at 18" depth 125.
Recommendation for a 48" 120 Gallon tank, 4 units.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wavz8K63-Oc
Mounted 6.5" above water, average PAR at 12" depth 144, average PAR at 18" depth 125.
Recommendation for a 48" 120 Gallon tank, 4 units.
ComforablyNumb
New member
Hard to argue with our real world results.
What were their numbers for t5's?
What were their numbers for t5's?
ComforablyNumb
New member
Excluding the outside edges, the par is much higher than 150. Up to 220 in second ring and 300 on avg in the middle ring. "The fall off in par is just 30 - 60 per 4"..making for a remarkably flat hotspot. The wide angle lens does a remarkable job of distributing light over the entire tank. Once you've know what good looks like, its hard not to want it" Overall, a very complimentary review.
I did the research for my situation... with actual application for almost 2 yrs with Kessils. I dont even run mine at full power, ever.
With the exception of the first pic, I have had most of these only a few months, but they seem to be doing ok.
I did the research for my situation... with actual application for almost 2 yrs with Kessils. I dont even run mine at full power, ever.
With the exception of the first pic, I have had most of these only a few months, but they seem to be doing ok.
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newbie2014
New member
Wonder why they're testing the older and weaker "w" and not the newer and stronger "we" model?
ComforablyNumb
New member
Thats right he said 360w.. not the newer e model.
Didnt pick up on that. That would definitely be an older model if its not the e.
The numbers would be even better with the newer one.
Didnt pick up on that. That would definitely be an older model if its not the e.
The numbers would be even better with the newer one.
ComforablyNumb
New member
The e model is 15% - 20% brighter, which are the ones that I have...and would be the ones anybody buying a360's now would have.
This thread is about the best light for the best result on a fixed budget.
You can keep dismissing BRS if you like. First you claimed they're only out to sell, even though they sell all technologies. Now you claim the measuring stick is your tank, like its a unique beast. A glass box is a glass box and the light will fall where it falls, it wont matter a hoot if its in your home or mine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjiH5Pbas-o&t=2s
The 4 bulb ATI Sunpower averaged 172 at 12" and 158 at 18".
The 8 bulb ATI Sunpower averaged 334 at 12" and 310 at 18".
Note there is hardly any change in PAR regardless of depth or height the fixture is hung at. An even blanket of light with excellent penetration.
Recommendation: 6 bulb ATI Sunpower.
Lets compare Radions and ATI T5 spread at a depth of 12".
Radion XR30 G4 Pro - $799
ATI 48" 8 bulb - $541
Covering a 8ft tank you need two ATI Sunpower at $1081 and four Radions at $3196, assuming you are willing to have every second foot of your tank at half the PAR (as per PAR measurement at 12" in BRS testing). Break even after 6.6 years of bulb changes.
Or, you could go the Hydra 52 HD rout at $600 each. Need four of those over an 8ft, that's $2400. Break even after 4.1 years of bulb changes.
ComforablyNumb
New member
"You can keep dismissing BRS if you like."
What I actually just said: "The fall off in par is just 30 - 60 per 4"..making for a remarkably flat hotspot. The wide angle lens does a remarkable job of distributing light over the entire tank. Once you've know what good looks like, its hard not to want it" <--their words... Overall, a very complimentary review. <--my words
"Now you claim the measuring stick is your tank"
I said the measuring stick for me was my tank. Stop twisting my words pls, its not going to work.
I loved BRS's review of the Kessil a360w..I look forward to their review of what I have been using ....the 360we. The AP700 has been out for how long now?...and no review yet of that either. I look forward to seeing those results as well.
I cant speak for Radions, I have no experience with them..but others here do. I use 2 a360we's only on a 4' tank. $800. 85% power max. And you see the results for yourself up above.
Plus I still have an issue with the flatness in appearance of t5 tanks. But thats my issue and one reason I dont use t5's anymore ...when I can get more than satisfactory results using Kessils. Visually, but more importantly long term, for the healthy appearance and growth of my corals.
I still have 2 Marine Orbit mH/ho t5 combo's sitting out in my garage, with monster hot ballasts I swear you could light a cigarette off..I'd use them if I thought there was any advantage at all in doing it. There isn't. Its only drawbacks with those things for me. Way too many.
What I actually just said: "The fall off in par is just 30 - 60 per 4"..making for a remarkably flat hotspot. The wide angle lens does a remarkable job of distributing light over the entire tank. Once you've know what good looks like, its hard not to want it" <--their words... Overall, a very complimentary review. <--my words
"Now you claim the measuring stick is your tank"
I said the measuring stick for me was my tank. Stop twisting my words pls, its not going to work.
I loved BRS's review of the Kessil a360w..I look forward to their review of what I have been using ....the 360we. The AP700 has been out for how long now?...and no review yet of that either. I look forward to seeing those results as well.
I cant speak for Radions, I have no experience with them..but others here do. I use 2 a360we's only on a 4' tank. $800. 85% power max. And you see the results for yourself up above.
Plus I still have an issue with the flatness in appearance of t5 tanks. But thats my issue and one reason I dont use t5's anymore ...when I can get more than satisfactory results using Kessils. Visually, but more importantly long term, for the healthy appearance and growth of my corals.
I still have 2 Marine Orbit mH/ho t5 combo's sitting out in my garage, with monster hot ballasts I swear you could light a cigarette off
..I'd use them if I thought there was any advantage at all in doing it. There isn't. Its only drawbacks with those things for me. Way too many.
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ComforablyNumb
New member
Sorry, one last thing worthy of mention if you enjoy showing your tank to others...with all my corals, sps, lps, etc...the number one draw by a mile for most visitors, especially kids, is this one:
Yup, a common rtba and a gold stripe maroon clown. Its not even close. lol
Yup, a common rtba and a gold stripe maroon clown. Its not even close. lol
