A360x blackbox equivelent-ish

[reefinatl]

Are there any kessil style blackboxes out there? Just had my 10 year old halide ballast kick the bucket. Not down to shovel out a grand to try out LEDs but want a kessil style form factor for shimmer. Any suggestions? 48x18x21 mixed reef. Actual appearance is irrelevant they will sit inside a canopy.

 

[Jekyl]

Are there any kessil style blackboxes out there? Just had my 10 year old halide ballast kick the bucket. Not down to shovel out a grand to try out LEDs but want a kessil style form factor for shimmer. Any suggestions? 48x18x21 mixed reef. Actual appearance is irrelevant they will sit inside a canopy.

The closest thing to a black box equivalent would be the ap9x. Would need 2 of them.

 

[Colt13]

i almost bought these a couple years ago. im sure theres updated models but that should give you some idea

the real black box study tested the par and what not. maybe read through that thread

 

[reefinatl]

The closest thing to a black box equivalent would be the ap9x. Would need 2 of them.

I think that is probably the furthest thing from a black box equivalent. I guess I should restate the goals here. I'd like to get good coverage in a 48" tank and retain halide-ish shimmer on a mixed reef with easier sps like monti, stylo, and some old school acro like slimer and ora nana. Trying to keep it under $500 if possible.

i almost bought these a couple years ago. im sure theres updated models but that should give you some idea

the real black box study tested the par and what not. maybe read through that thread

I ran across these and these but cant find anything at all on the first.

 

[DonTavo27]

Reef breeders photon V2

 

[Bo.]

Noopsyche k7 pro 2 maybe. You could get two lights, mounts, and controller for less than $500

 

[Chrisv.]

Honestly, LEDs cost less to run and produce less heat, but as a halide fan from way back my kessil disappoints me. For less than $500 why not just pick up a new ballast?

 

[Colt13]

I think that is probably the furthest thing from a black box equivalent. I guess I should restate the goals here. I'd like to get good coverage in a 48" tank and retain halide-ish shimmer on a mixed reef with easier sps like monti, stylo, and some old school acro like slimer and ora nana. Trying to keep it under $500 if possible.

I ran across these and these but cant find anything at all on the first.

those first are obviously a knockoff 360x and the second is a knockoff redsea 90. it is hard to find info on them given they come from china. regardless you'll need 2 for a 48" tank, so 250 a piece is gonna be hard regardless. You could probably pick up 2 used 360s for that though. or take a gamble on these. but kessils are underpowered imo, one over a 24 inch is not enough for sps

 

[Jekyl]

I think that is probably the furthest thing from a black box equivalent. I guess I should restate the goals here. I'd like to get good coverage in a 48" tank and retain halide-ish shimmer on a mixed reef with easier sps like monti, stylo, and some old school acro like slimer and ora nana. Trying to keep it under $500 if possible.

I ran across these and these but cant find anything at all on the first.

Sorry, you threw the kessil name out there. There's a reason why they cost as much as they do. Even lights that are the same price don't match the shimmer of them. I had black boxes before the kessil I have now. It was like looking at my tank with fogged glasses.

 

[oreo54]

There are probably a 1/2 doz Chinese lights that "sort of " emulate Kessils.
Actually there is (was) a Kessil clone out there for awhile.

NOT a flattering review..

Don’t waste your money on the Jebao AK-60 Matrix LED | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

The Jebao Matrix LED spotlight is just the latest in a long line of knockoff product from the unscrupulous Chinese company. The Jebao ‘Dense Matrix’ LED AK-60 is a nearly perfect clone of the Kessil…

reefbuilders.com

(FIXED)

3 if no center brace.. $500
Believe the lens is 120 so lower shimmer than some w/ 90's
Red Sea clone

nicrew.. More spread..

Bunch of 30w small Nicrews..

With a recommended spread of 18''x18'', the light has a peak PAR of 100µMol at a depth of 24 inches, suitable for LPS corals and soft corals reef tanks

What size halides were you running?
Physics and general knowledge assumes you need about 210W of photons (bear with me for a moment).
And say you were running a 250W halide.. which as you see is oddly good for what you intend Or 2 150's

your led should be at about 75% (some argue 100%) of your MH wattage BUT at the "color" you want to run it at.
In other words a 30W led and you basically turn off the "white" channel and "white" is 50 % of your diodes then you have 15W or "20w equiv to mh"
The above little spots have a 1/3"white" to 2/3 "blue" ratio so more than likely you'll run it at about 25W or "33 MH watts"
6 @ $60 each.. 6 X 33 (assuming channel dimming of course) = 198 MH watts..
so go 8 4 tight pairs across the tank
$480

See a pricepoint pattern?
Doing "the math" on black boxes.. REAL wattage is about 110W on full
Most dim the white to around 10% or so.. so say 60 actual running watts or 80W
4 boxes..320 "mh watts"

Pardon Our Interruption...

www.ebay.com

$387
$400-$600 to sort of safely replace what you have and get "a shimmer"..

NOW shimmer is both point source and water disturbance dependent.
Kessils have teeny points in a dense area.. MH's have teeny tiny points in a broad area this the difference in shimmer."3w" leds w/ lenses have broader points in an in between area..
Goldilocks syndrome..
W/ most leds if you want more shimmer increase surface aggregation.
If you don't like shimmer buy t5's..


One more..

Soo now you have a bunch of theory based on asst. knowledge bases...up to you.
Need to define more of your needs vs wants..

Scale up if 1 400W MH, if 2 ignore all of it..

 

[reefinatl]

There are probably a 1/2 doz Chinese lights that "sort of " emulate Kessils.
Actually there is (was) a Kessil clone out there for awhile.

NOT a flattering review..

Don’t waste your money on the Jebao AK-60 Matrix LED | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

The Jebao Matrix LED spotlight is just the latest in a long line of knockoff product from the unscrupulous Chinese company. The Jebao ‘Dense Matrix’ LED AK-60 is a nearly perfect clone of the Kessil…

reefbuilders.com

(FIXED)

3 if no center brace.. $500
Believe the lens is 120 so lower shimmer than some w/ 90's
Red Sea clone

nicrew.. More spread..

Bunch of 30w small Nicrews..

What size halides were you running?
Physics and general knowledge assumes you need about 210W of photons (bear with me for a moment).
And say you were running a 250W halide.. which as you see is oddly good for what you intend Or 2 150's

your led should be at about 75% (some argue 100%) of your MH wattage BUT at the "color" you want to run it at.
In other words a 30W led and you basically turn off the "white" channel and "white" is 50 % of your diodes then you have 15W or "20w equiv to mh"
The above little spots have a 1/3"white" to 2/3 "blue" ratio so more than likely you'll run it at about 25W or "33 MH watts"
6 @ $60 each.. 6 X 33 (assuming channel dimming of course) = 198 MH watts..
so go 8 4 tight pairs across the tank
$480

See a pricepoint pattern?
Doing "the math" on black boxes.. REAL wattage is about 110W on full
Most dim the white to around 10% or so.. so say 60 actual running watts or 80W
4 boxes..320 "mh watts"

Pardon Our Interruption...

www.ebay.com

$387
$400-$600 to sort of safely replace what you have and get "a shimmer"..

NOW shimmer is both point source and water disturbance dependent.
Kessils have teeny points in a dense area.. MH's have teeny tiny points in a broad area this the difference in shimmer."3w" leds w/ lenses have broader points in an in between area..
Goldilocks syndrome..
W/ most leds if you want more shimmer increase surface aggregation.
If you don't like shimmer buy t5's..


One more..

Soo now you have a bunch of theory based on asst. knowledge bases...up to you.
Need to define more of your needs vs wants..

Scale up if 1 400W MH, if 2 ignore all of it..

Thanks for the helpful post. I like shimmer, it is the primary reason I still run Halides. I absolutely cannot stand the discoball or flat light like 100% T5.

Going to just round up a new ballast and keep the antiques. I think I'll shovel out the money on a pair of a500x down the road to replace them in the distance future. The biggest driver of this idea was really just to keep the temp swings in check a bit better and add dawn/dusk/moonlight. A point source light like a Kessil seems to be what I'm after.