SPS and single point light source? (Kessil a360w)

[Showdizzle]

Hey guys im pretty new at keeping SPS and im doing so with a Kessil 360W. My tank dimensions are 24x24x24. All of my SPS have been there a month and so far are doing fine. My question is some of them have a shadow on one side due to the single point light source. I was wondering if that unlit side would eventually lose its color/die. I know another light source could help combat this but the fact of having to run 2 kessils over 24 inch length seems overkill.

 

[ThorEffex]

Have a picture?

 

[Showdizzle]

Sorry for the horrible phone pic but its the left side that's shadowed.

 

[danil]

If you think about it sun is a single point light source too. So having some shady patches are normal. Colony will not get sick but indeed can lose some color and growth in shady areas. LEDs fixtures with many light sources have their own problems. They can't blend light sources effectively and corals really don't like it. With Kessil you can increase distance between light and water surface it will decrease your shadow areas.

 

[Showdizzle]

If you think about it sun is a single point light source too. So having some shady patches are normal. Colony will not get sick but indeed can lose some color and growth in shady areas. LEDs fixtures with many light sources have their own problems. They can't blend light sources effectively and corals really don't like it. With Kessil you can increase distance between light and water surface it will decrease your shadow areas.

+1. will try that out tonight, thanks

 

[madkeenreefer]

If you think about it sun is a single point light source too. So having some shady patches are normal. Colony will not get sick but indeed can lose some color and growth in shady areas. LEDs fixtures with many light sources have their own problems. They can't blend light sources effectively and corals really don't like it. With Kessil you can increase distance between light and water surface it will decrease your shadow areas.

single point light source hmmm. I would think more of the sun being a multi directional light source considering its rise and fall across the sky.

the corals will adapt to the light source provided it is of the correct intensity and a usable spectrum.

 

[jerpa]

IME with the Kessil the deeply shadowed areas do brown out and not grow. It is a very small point source when compared to MH's in reflectors and unfortunately this causes a lot more areas to be shaded than with other fixtures. I would supplement T5's if you are concerned but I know that kills the "look" on an open top tank. You may be able to get a few LED strips to supplement as well. That may look a bit cleaner.

 

[dvanacker]

The problem with the multi chip single point LED is that it projects light downward at an angle. Even MH that are also single point light sources have good reflectors that enable the light to be projected downward as well as angles. For example my lumenarc III reflector is 22"x22" and has fairly even spread and par in that area. The LED mulitchip lense just projects downward at an angle like a cone.

You cant compare any of this to the sun because when the sun is up there is no where local I can go that has reduced par. Ok jump on a plane and you can get to a place in time that has less but totally irrelevant. Also as mentioned the sun rises and sets, slowly moving through out the day.

 

[franklypre]

get some stunner strips to put on the sides if you like ,eventually all frags that grow into colonies will deal with shading of some sort though.

 

[ros_sco]

I sold my 350w for that exact reason. I had one over my 24 x 24 x 10 frag tank. Colors looked normal from the top, but were totally pale and tan and nearly colorless in the shaded areas which were quite obvious from the sides. I went with a panel instead and the shaded areas colored back in - except the normal under the branch areas.

 

[rlpardue]

I had this problem with my Kessil 150. I recommend getting an additional light source to round out the angles. I moved to MH

 

[Showdizzle]

i am really enjoying the look the kessils are giving me, and though it has only been a month since i put SPS frags in the tank they do seem to thrive under the light, (not getting any worst at least.) I'll explore either buying another kessil to try and spread some more light or switching to another LED with a more even spread.

 

[Hoodrich]

It's easy to say those things in hindsight.

 

[jda]

It's easy to say those things in hindsight.

You cannot say them in foresight or you are a hater that has not embraced the changing ways of the hobby.

 

[markis210]

Any updates on this?

 

[Allentown]

solved

solved

I put two A360ws and two A150s in sky blue over a 48 inch tank. I vary the both the spectrum of the 360s from white to pure blue and vary the intensity nearly off/dim to wide. I run the 360s in pure blue while the A150s are running sky blue. The combinations it gives me are fabulous and the 360s turned all the way to blue loooks amazing in concert with the A150s in sky blue (that's how they run 6 hours out of the day).

Variable intensity, variable spectrum, no single point dead spots and more "par/brightness" then most will ever need.

 

[robert s b.]

I have 3 Kessil A360w's on my 175 Bowfront, I was having the same problem not having the spread my MH provided with the reflectors, I believe the transition from MH to LED's is a long acclimation to my corals, since they have been under MH lights for a very long time. I think this a problem with people going from MH to LED's on mature tanks, is the acclimation period some corals adjust and some don't. I have seen tanks with LED's thrive if they were set up with them from the get go. So what I did was supplement my A360W with 2 Aquablue + T5's and my corals seem to love it and have seen quite of bit of growth thus far.

 

[brad65ford]

Going through the same issue.

 

[PaleHorse]

IME with the Kessil the deeply shadowed areas do brown out and not grow. It is a very small point source when compared to MH's in reflectors and unfortunately this causes a lot more areas to be shaded than with other fixtures. I would supplement T5's if you are concerned but I know that kills the "look" on an open top tank. You may be able to get a few LED strips to supplement as well. That may look a bit cleaner.

I sold my 350w for that exact reason. I had one over my 24 x 24 x 10 frag tank. Colors looked normal from the top, but were totally pale and tan and nearly colorless in the shaded areas which were quite obvious from the sides. I went with a panel instead and the shaded areas colored back in - except the normal under the branch areas.

Going through the same issue.

Sell the Kessel if you can asap especially at that depth. I have a 350 on a 30g biocube and the corals lived if that's what you want to call it.

Of course you are going to get those guys that say"kessils are awesome" and the corals look so good" but you have to look at growth and real color. Not just what pop leds give it. I have pics of my tank here for you to see that I did have it and it got replaced by a photon unit. Which started to actually grow my corals...

Good luck.

 

[brad65ford]

Sell the Kessel if you can asap especially at that depth. I have a 350 on a 30g biocube and the corals lived if that's what you want to call it.

Of course you are going to get those guys that say"kessils are awesome" and the corals look so good" but you have to look at growth and real color. Not just what pop leds give it. I have pics of my tank here for you to see that I did have it and it got replaced by a photon unit. Which started to actually grow my corals...

Good luck.

I just can't figure out the light intensity and height of my 350w, I'm not sure if its me or the tank or the lights. I've never had this issue before with my other led fixtures. Still trying to find some real success on the next from someone how is running Kessils and sps's.:headwally: