thoughts on kessil A150 Led...

[maxxII]

That is a pretty big drop from water level down to the lowest measured point....

How high above the tank are the lights suspended?

Can you lower the lights and then check what the PAR levels are at the sandbed line, (I'm assuming that's what the 22 inch level is...)

Thanks for taking the time to get these numbers and post them here for the rest of us.

Nick

 

[moondoggy4]

Thanks Mike&Kel

 

[mike&kel]

Yes 22" is sand bed. I lowered them to 6" above water. That's where the numbers are from. I don't have a lid over the tank so splashing is a potential big problem. So I think I'm stopping at @6" above water. I have a @1-2" wave in my tank too.

 

[maxxII]

Thanks for the extra information...

I thought you had taken the readings from where they are shown in your picture, which looks to be about 10-12 inches above the surface of the water.

6 inches is most likely the height most people would be using these anyway...so no need to go back and do it again. Thanks once again for the readings.

Those are the sky blue versions right? What sort of corals do you have in your system?

I'd like to see how well these do long term.

Nick

 

[sirreal63]

Thanks Nick, and I actually see a lot of promise with this light. This is the first LED that has caught my attention. Mike&Kel...you hit the nail on the head, who cares if it is the "best" as that is a subjective term. This light isn't loaded with gimmicks like thunderstorm and lightning effects that your corals couldn't care less about, it doesn't need to communicate with your pumps to be effective, it doesn't need to ramp up and down, corals would be just as happy if the Sun stayed in the same position all day. It is a no frills light that based on the PAR readings in this thread, will perform very well. I do believe that LED is here to stay, and I also believe that the tech still has a ways to go before it is ready to take the place of other lighting sources. This one is taking a step in the right direction. If I want high tech gadgets that add little to the functionality and increase the probability of failure, I will go sit in my car, it has enough of them.

 

[Mrmaguyver]

Mike&Kel,

Sirreal63 isnt bashing the lights, he pointing out that Mrmaguyver is stating that within hours of installing his new Kessil light, "All of my mushroom corals have opened up in a way I've never seen before and my candy cane coral, which looked almost dead has shown signs of life! All this in just a matter of hours too!!! My SPS corals (all in the top 1/3 of my tank) also seem to enjoy this light. "

Is this possible? Yes.
Is it probable? No. Not likely at all.
What proof do we have at Mrmaguyver's first post here is in fact true? None.
How can he prove it? He cant.

Sirreal has been around the block in this hobby a few times. I know him and respect his opinion and knowledge. He's pointing out that manufacturers/dealers have set up accounts here to shill for their products as "hobbyists" to generate sales.

I could rattle off a few of them...

Bottom line is that LED lighting is here to stay, and IMO, is the future of the hobby. Both Sirreal63 and I feel that the Kessil appears to be a good product but posts like Mrmaguyvers seem to be a bit much, and cause us to think shill post.

Is it possible that Mrmaguyver is just very enthusiastic new member of RC, and not a shill from Kessil lighting? Absolutely....

But the post itself, and the fact that the first post he/she has made is on this subject , (in the lighting and equipment forum which is not exactly the first place that newbies come to hang out) is a wee bit suspicious.

I'm seriously looking forward to your PAR numbers from these lights. However, dont be surprised at low numbers, since PAR meters dont seem to read LED's and bluer lighting very well.

Nick

I havent been in the reefing hobby for that long and I can't prove otherwise, but I am just commenting that it has been a true upgrade from the first led's I was using before; even from the tek-light t5's I was using before the led's(which I had put away as a plan b, but thinking about selling them now). I will post pics as soon as I have some time to figure out how its done.....

I'ts my first post because I just thought that I could give my feedback for the skeptics and maybe help some fellow reefers that might be interested in getting led's but don't have the Rockafeller status needed for the more expensive units (I almost baught a ecotech radion, but the misses thought I was insane!). I myself have been following this thread for a while as it's the only one with par readings for the Kessils on the net.

I've learned alot from reading threads on this forum and hope to pass on some knowledge to others in need.

Like I said earlier, pictures comming soon.
Happy reefing!:spin3:

 

[sirreal63]

Pics are easy, set up a photobucket account, upload and post the message forum link they provide here. It is very easy. I would keep the Tek as a backup, you never know when something will break and having a backup is essential.

 

[Mrmaguyver]

BTW... I was very exited to see my tank shimmer the way it did when I posted...I'm recovering from a nasty hair algae bloom (I got lazy and was doing water changes every tree weeks), so a little embarrased about the pics I've taken (still gonna figure out how to post them though.)

Thanks for the info... I'll post tonight.

 

[Frick]

A few pages back you posted images of the new deep blue version. Can you provide some further insight about it regarding how "actinic" it really is, how blue etc. I'm interested in it as a complimentary light to replace my T-5s but it doesn't need to be powerful since I rely on halides for growth. Thanks!

Sorry for the delayed response. The Deep Blues are a royal blue with undertones on purple(UV). There is a mixture of nanometers on the Matrix LED the most intense being the 460nm-ish blue and the most dim in appearance being the UVs.

To summarize; it looks solid blue, but there is more that meets the eye.

Thanks Nick, and I actually see a lot of promise with this light. This is the first LED that has caught my attention. Mike&Kel...you hit the nail on the head, who cares if it is the "best" as that is a subjective term. This light isn't loaded with gimmicks like thunderstorm and lightning effects that your corals couldn't care less about, it doesn't need to communicate with your pumps to be effective, it doesn't need to ramp up and down, corals would be just as happy if the Sun stayed in the same position all day. It is a no frills light that based on the PAR readings in this thread, will perform very well. I do believe that LED is here to stay, and I also believe that the tech still has a ways to go before it is ready to take the place of other lighting sources. This one is taking a step in the right direction. If I want high tech gadgets that add little to the functionality and increase the probability of failure, I will go sit in my car, it has enough of them.

Well said. This fixture might not be for everyone, but should open doors that most "LED happy" people did not even know existed.

 

[barnnns1]

hey mike is that over at 3seas.your lfs that is

 

[Mrmaguyver]

Pics..As promised.

Pics..As promised.

Hi all. I have several pics of my tank so we can make a comparison between all the lights I've used.

Fist, the Tek-Light 36" 4X39 watt (pre-corals)

Tek-Light with corals

These are the 120 watt "evolution type" UFO LED's

And finally, the long awaited; highly anticipated Sky Blue Kessil LED's

Here's a pic of that mushroom coral that really opened up wide when I turned on the Kessils

I hope this proved that I'm not trying to shill Kessil, or any other company. I'm just here to share the results of my recent light purchase, just like everyone else.

Happy Reefing!

 

[sirreal63]

You took care of that when you posted back. The lights appear to be covering very well.

 

[mike&kel]

Yes sky blue.
Yes @8" above in pics lowered to @6" above water for par test. Left them there. Had no affect on look of tank so didn't take new pics. Yes 3seas is my fav LFS! I'm excited about the new management and to see coral other than tan white green or brown! That and how happy Marie is can't be a bad thing! I'm sad cause during Christmas break we will be moving an hour away from it.

 

[maxxII]

MRmaguyver,

Thanks for posting the pics and understanding where I was coming from. For someone who isnt a Rockafeller, you've got some nice gear on your reef...I like the Vortechs, and I like the Kessils. Looks like you're going to have a nice reef going here shortly...

I agree with Sirreal that the nice thing about the Kessils is that they are uncomplicated. I just want a light that does what my MH's do, with out the energy usage and a longer life....

Meaning, I want to set them over my tank, and know that they will grow my corals without issues. One thing that I wouldnt mind would be a dimmable feature on the larger/more powerful model, (A350?) that is reported to be in the works. The reason I would like that is that there is only so high you can raise the lights, and after that, you're stuck with adding layers of window screen to block out some of the light so your corals can adjust to the new lighting...

A dimmable feature where you can go from preset intensity levels would be perfect, IE..presets for 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% intensity would be perfect. Get the new lights, set the intensity level at either 25% or 50% so you dont bleach anything. Once things get acclimated for a month or so, bump it up another level.

I dont need sunrise/sunset, storm days, or Cinco De Mayo programmed into my lights. Is that stuff neat, yup. Does it cost more, most likely, therefore I dont need it. (Unless the Cinco De Mayo setting brings me a beer....that would be worth the extra money).

Regardless, thank you for posting your pics Mrmaguyver, and thanks for the PAR readins Mike&Kel.

Nick

 

[m2434]

Mrmaguyver, nice tank. My only comment would be mushroom corals don't generally open up because they are getting more light. They tend to be a lower light coral. They expand and contract to regulate the exposed surface to light, more expansion = more surface area for collection. Many people however are not keeping light demanding corals everywhere and it makes no sense to blast the entire tank with tons of light. A lot of people will be much happier with lower output lights. I mean 65 PAR at 22" isn't bad. You won't keep SPS, but I have some LPS that get mad if I blast them with much more than that. However, it is lower light and not sufficient for other corals. For those who want more of a light gradient, I think it can makes sense though. I've been checking these out more in person and they really produce some nice illumination and crisp colors.

 

[Mrmaguyver]

m2434: Thanks for clarifying. I think that's the reason they've opened up.... I don't think they liked the intensity of the UFO led I was using before.

 

[Mrmaguyver]

So, I've made a slight modification to my setup as my lights were hanging at 8" and I saw that a couple of you guys are recommending that they should be no higher than 6". I found some old chain link that I had stored and bent the hooks supplied by Kessil in the box as to make sure that no accidents occur. It lowered the lights to the recommended hight of 5".

Anyways, here's the pic.

 

[xCry0x]

I was at one of the LFS in the area that is featured on kessil's website promoting them. The guy said they dont recommend the lights anymore because they suffer a bad burn in after a few months.

I straight asked him about buying one and he basically said he would not recommend it, so take it for what it is worth, but most stores do not tell you not to buy something unless there is a reason...

They have the new model coming out sometime in the next few months (allegedly), maybe it has some of the burn in issue tuned up because the emitter itself is definitely top of the line and I am not going to lie, it looks great when new.

 

[gibbus123]

I was at one of the LFS in the area that is featured on kessil's website promoting them. The guy said they dont recommend the lights anymore because they suffer a bad burn in after a few months.

I straight asked him about buying one and he basically said he would not recommend it, so take it for what it is worth, but most stores do not tell you not to buy something unless there is a reason...

They have the new model coming out sometime in the next few months (allegedly), maybe it has some of the burn in issue tuned up because the emitter itself is definitely top of the line and I am not going to lie, it looks great when new.

Sorry for my ignorance, but what's a 'bad burn in' mean?

 

[Fig]

They have a 2 year warranty. I would think if that's a issue, you could send them in. ? I've ran mine for almost 2 months and haven't noticed anything yet as far as burn in, or decrease in par.