• Why not take a moment to introduce yourself to our members?

BioMan

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brewster, NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
I've currently got Kessils over my 265gal. The 7' long style. It has 2 cross members and I really want to have T5's in addition to the kessils lighting this tank.
What's out there?
 

BioMan

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brewster, NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
Kessils are in my opinion best LED, but now that I'm an SPS junkie I seem with my own eyes T5 is needed. I've got an 80gal that most people use as a frag tank and turned it into SPS reef,, only T5 and all desirable traits of sps is there,, when I had them in my 265 with all kessils, no matter where I placed them, they never did as well. Sans batch of water, same element levels, same guy, different results.
 

The Reef Shoppe

Advanced Reefer
Vendor
Location
Bronx
Rating - 100%
28   0   0
I've heard similar comments in regards to SPS. Would love it if some one from Kessil could/would actually chyme in.
We were actually having a Radion Vs Kessil battle at the Reef Shoppe last night.

just saw this

we have radions,ai,and kessils over our tanks at the store we spent over an hour moving corals under different lights etc all i can say is when all else fails theres always metal halides but i love every light for different reasons its so hard to pick
 

BioMan

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brewster, NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
I think that the shimmer effect of LED lights distracts some people from the fact theres more shadows in the tanks. IMO, MH and T5 "fill up" a tank with light, if that makes sense to anybody not working a night shift ...lol...I wonder, and I'd be really impressed if somebody came out with this, if instead of the pinhead sized diode could they make a bigger or longer diode?
 

piranhapat

Advanced Reefer
Location
Westchester, N.Y
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Kessil can grow SPS. But you either need more or have to supplment with other lights. Especially if you have a big tank. How many were on your 265? I have 4 350s on my 90 doing a fine job. How many hours do you have them on ? How long is the highest out put. Lights are important but other elements play more of a role of growing SPS. You can say my water par are same in both tank. Is Ph and Alk always stable? Ect..Water current and nutrients have a play in this also. Read this month Coral magazine all about SPS. Great information.
 

BioMan

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brewster, NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
Everything is identical except the rock to water ratio is higher in my 80 because I went with 5 or 6 very large rocks. Naturally I dose more in the larger tank but I don't see how I could've fit more kessils on my 265, I have 2 cross members and 2 in each bay. Total 6, now I'd like to keep 3 and run t5 bulbs along the front and back.
 

Buck0land

Advanced Reefer
Location
Beacon, NY
Rating - 100%
79   0   0
Bio I was running 4 360w at about 90% power over my old 75. I started with two 360 on that system and had problems with shadows so I add two more. I just setup a 120 (24"X 24"x48")and put the 4 360w on it but will be adding 2 more 360w soon.

I found you need to double what Kessil suggests if your going to keep high light SPSs.

Post a front and side image of your light layout. Maybe you just need to change the layout but you may need more lights.
 
Last edited:

BioMan

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brewster, NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
Bucko, I noticed all the hybrid fixtures coming out so I figured somebody gotta know something,, I'm ready to try from back to front
2 T5HO the entire span of tank
3 Kessil a360we
2 T5HO the entire span of tank
Since we can adjust the output on the Kessil the only thing left is figuring out the bulb color.
 

BioMan

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brewster, NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
Hi guys, since we are on the topic of lighting, i was wondering if an A150 would be too much for a 10 gallon tank? thanks.

My $0.02,, the lighting will depend on what you plan on keeping in there THEN how you think it looks comes second to the demand.
Its like anything else in this hobby, (getting off topic but same point), I always see people buying these monster skimmers, then reactors, then refugiums, etc. I sit there and scratch my head like you even need all that. Every tank is different. I'm telling you this because I see you got 44 posts so Im assuming your new to the hobby. Which is also why I'm gonna tell you that its easier for temperature and just about every level to swing with less water than more.
back to topic, a150 come in like 3 or 4 different color temps plus they got the a160 now so what should've been my immediate response....lol..
Whats in your tank?
 

92CornerReef

Advanced Reefer
Rating - 100%
54   0   0
well on the 10gl i don't run any skimmer or reactors. I keep it simple and so far all has been well with bi-weekly water changes. the current light is a WavePoint which seems to be ok but i don't see much growth which is why i'm assuming its the light that needs to be changed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007ZK816S/?tag=reefs04-20

Live Stock

Cleanup Crew
Scooter Blenny
Torch Coral
Green Mushrooms
Purple Mushrooms
Frogspawn
Xenia
Red Montipora
Red Stardust Montipora
Acanthophyllia
Utter Chaos
Open Brain
Green Palys
Green Leather Toadstool
Acans

https://goo.gl/photos/8jLTLs5LUNw7Tagq7
 

Buck0land

Advanced Reefer
Location
Beacon, NY
Rating - 100%
79   0   0
One of the biggest problems with LED fixers is the lack of mixing of the colors and then the lack of a true UV light. The LED chips Kessil is using give you better mix and true UV light sources. The major problem with the Kessil light is its a single point sources light. This is why I use more lights they suggested by Kessil.

By adding 4 T5 it would fix the single point sources problem but you will have to go back to the replacement game/cost with the T5 bulbs.

The hybrid fixtures that are coming out are trying to fix the color mixing and single point light sources problems.



Bucko, I noticed all the hybrid fixtures coming out so I figured somebody gotta know something,, I'm ready to try from back to front
2 T5HO the entire span of tank
3 Kessil a360we
2 T5HO the entire span of tank
Since we can adjust the output on the Kessil the only thing left is figuring out the bulb color.
 

BioMan

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brewster, NY
Rating - 100%
57   0   0
Bucko, I agree it would be something of a backstep changing the bulbs, but I think that's a lot easier than let's say 5 years down the road when I need to replace all my kessils at the same time since I currently run them in unison

Side note, replacing the latest Radions 5 years from now, enough to cover a 265 ( if I don't go upto 400) would cost a small fortune!
 

Buck0land

Advanced Reefer
Location
Beacon, NY
Rating - 100%
79   0   0
LED are all a small fortune when it come to large tank. I hope in 5 or so years we have better products that will last longer.


Bucko, I agree it would be something of a backstep changing the bulbs, but I think that's a lot easier than let's say 5 years down the road when I need to replace all my kessils at the same time since I currently run them in unison

Side note, replacing the latest Radions 5 years from now, enough to cover a 265 ( if I don't go upto 400) would cost a small fortune!
 

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top