AI prime vs. Kessil vs. Eco-Tech?

[rtparty]

niiiiiiceeeee!
thank you tremendously for the input!
which ones did you actually get? because i believe there are two? the "show" and the "grow", if i remember correctly?

3 Grow and 2 Glow.

3 would be ideal if you want the violet LEDs. 2 Grow and 1 Glow but you can add over time. I really like the Glow model but don’t think they’re necessary in any way.

There is a YouTuber that is running only Grows on his SPS tank and they look great

 

[VVSA: Vivus Vitaè Subaqua]

3 Grow and 2 Glow.

3 would be ideal if you want the violet LEDs. 2 Grow and 1 Glow but you can add over time. I really like the Glow model but don’t think they’re necessary in any way.

There is a YouTuber that is running only Grows on his SPS tank and they look great

okay-okay, nice!

ive always wondered about those ai blades and if they were actually enough to be stand-alone lights! but i guess the catch is, is that you have to purchase multiples of them to get the coverage and par that you need. hahaha! but ill definitely be investing in those. do you have a stand kit, or are they all made to hang mount, only?

 

[rtparty]

okay-okay, nice!

ive always wondered about those ai blades and if they were actually enough to be stand-alone lights! but i guess the catch is, is that you have to purchase multiples of them to get the coverage and par that you need. hahaha! but ill definitely be investing in those. do you have a stand kit, or are they all made to hang mount, only?

They come with tank mounts. You can buy elevated tank mounts as well. Lots of options with them

 

[VVSA: Vivus Vitaè Subaqua]

They come with tank mounts. You can buy elevated tank mounts as well. Lots of options with them

oh, they do? i thought they only came with hanging kit mounting. lol. that's awesome! yeah, having vaulted ceilings leaves me no other option but to tank mount it. lol.

i really appreciate the info, though! ive decided im definitely going to be investing in those (ai blades).

 

[VVSA: Vivus Vitaè Subaqua]

They come with tank mounts. You can buy elevated tank mounts as well. Lots of options with them

also, could i ask where you got yours from? as far as ive researched, i could find them the cheapest on the actual ai website.

 

[afrokobe]

wow... so those are still pretty pricey, as well? hmmmm... ill definitely look into those, though.

thank you millions for your input! im so indecisive and am always looking for the most "bang for my buck". lol.

Yea they are still pricey but compared to a similar xr30 it's a bargain. Even cheaper than a xr15

Mid end best bang for your buck might be a noopsyche...higher end best bang for your buck is reefi.

Second this if you need something cheaper. Could start with one and add as your needs grow

 

[rtparty]

also, could i ask where you got yours from? as far as ive researched, i could find them the cheapest on the actual ai website.

Bulk Reef Supply. They are a MAP item and therefore the same price everywhere

 

[MikeyG]

that's exactly what i was told about kessil— they're all about that aesthetic shimmer. but is there actual function and purpose to that light, at all? or is it just that they can provide that wavy "shimmering"?

I think it's unfair to say kessil is all about the shimmer. Every light source that's a single point like the Kessil.. meaning all the LEDs are arranged in a tight concentration and utilize a lens for spread will produce shimmer regardless of manufacturer. The physics behind it is simple. I have been using them for more than 8 years now after an upgrade from AI and have seen nothing but exception growth and coloration.
While the app does not provide for the level of fine-tuning like some of the other LEDs on the market it does cater to the corals by making sure they receive the right spectrum regardless of your setting. If you're looking for something which allows you to adjust every individual channel for your own personal taste then these are not the lights for you. However if you're looking for something that will ensure your corals get the right spectrum every time then you should give them a second look. However I do not use LEDs as a standalone lighting. I've always supplemented them with t5 bulbs. Whether it's AI, Radios, or any other LED fixture. They simply do not provide the wall to wall spread that you get from t5 bulbs. So my combination has been AI, or Radio , or Kessil plus t5.

 

[Doctorgori]

I got Kessils and AI primes…
Kessils are 6-8 + yrs or more… still going strong…not very adjustable tho
The AI’s are more adjustable, better app but I’ve replaced 3 of 8 power bricks in <2yrs

 

[LeDart]

Kessil all day long, I have one and a t5 fixture, runs great, and grows my tenuis like crazy, 100% recommended.

 

[csnmusic02]

I have two gen4 xr30 pros and 4 kessil 360x on my 360 and get good results with them

 

[Hooz]

3 would be ideal if you want the violet LEDs. 2 Grow and 1 Glow but you can add over time. I really like the Glow model but don’t think they’re necessary in any way.

There is a YouTuber that is running only Grows on his SPS tank and they look great

Think of it this way... All previous AI lights (and all reef lights, really) have violet/purple, blues and whites (white/red/green). With the Blade, they split it up. The Grow has white and blue, and the Glow has violet/purple and blue.

If you want the full violet/purple/blue/white spectrum that pretty much every single LED reef light on the market has (and is "needed" for good coral growth and color), you need both a Grow and a Glow at least. AI's recommended ratio is two Grows to one Glow, but there needs to be a Glow in there somewhere.

 

[bobnicaragua]

AI - middle of the road LED.
Pros - good app , affordable, lots of options
Cons- disco ball effect , lens don’t last long if running at 100% but can be replaced

Kessil- premium LED at premium prices
Pros - great shimmer, great spectrum
Cons- expensive , weak output so you’ll need to get more for coverage

Radions- Goldilocks of LED
Pros - great coverage and spectrum with proven results , reliable , great app
Cons - expensive

Radions have great spread, but the module itself is too small for great coverage.

 

[rtparty]

Think of it this way... All previous AI lights (and all reef lights, really) have violet/purple, blues and whites (white/red/green). With the Blade, they split it up. The Grow has white and blue, and the Glow has violet/purple and blue.

If you want the full violet/purple/blue/white spectrum that pretty much every single LED reef light on the market has (and is "needed" for good coral growth and color), you need both a Grow and a Glow at least. AI's recommended ratio is two Grows to one Glow, but there needs to be a Glow in there somewhere.

Treasure Corals doesn’t run a Glow over his SPS tank and everything is doing great. I’ve mentioned to him adding a Glow multiple times and he says why, when the tank is doing great and not losing any color or health?

Do I think there is benefit? Obviously, I have 2 over my tank. Do I think it’s a necessary as so many say? Nope. Way too many of the LEDs on market have so little violet it’s doing next to nothing

 

[Hooz]

Treasure Corals doesn’t run a Glow over his SPS tank and everything is doing great. I’ve mentioned to him adding a Glow multiple times and he says why, when the tank is doing great and not losing any color or health?

Do I think there is benefit? Obviously, I have 2 over my tank. Do I think it’s a necessary as so many say? Nope. Way too many of the LEDs on market have so little violet it’s doing next to nothing

I watched his videos too, and he has a definite preference for a whiter tank. So I would posit that whatever lights he ran previously, he turned down the violet/purple channels to match his visual preference. So, you're right, he probably didn't notice much change in his coral coloring, and I'm sure the increased spread and less shadowing has everything growing well for him.

All that being said, that isn't evidence that coral doesn't benefit from violet/purple light spectrums. In fact, most everyone "in the know" in the industry would suggest otherwise. The lower color spectrums are important for the color in addition to making them "pop" more for visual appeal.

Honestly, if all you want is to grow coral, you could just blanket the tank in 450nm blue LEDs and call it a day. But, if you want to bring out all the color and have it also be nice to look at, then you need a "wide blue" spectrum. The latest BRS lighting video series has a whole episode dedicated to that theory.

As for LEDs on the market having too little violet, you're right that a lot of the cheaper options on the market don't have a ton of it. But even the cheapest have SOME of it, and any "mainstream" lights (Ecotech, Kessil, Orphek, Reefi, ReefBreeders, etc, etc, etc) have a substantial amount. Even the AI puck style lights have a good amount of it. The AI Blade Grow does not.

 

[Aaron75]

I vote 2 Noopsyche's. 2 out the door with promo code R2R is about $360

 

[Hooz]

Treasure Corals doesn’t run a Glow over his SPS tank and everything is doing great. I’ve mentioned to him adding a Glow multiple times and he says why, when the tank is doing great and not losing any color or health?

Do I think there is benefit? Obviously, I have 2 over my tank. Do I think it’s a necessary as so many say? Nope. Way too many of the LEDs on market have so little violet it’s doing next to nothing

Just to illustrate my point a bit... Here are a couple before and after pictures that people sent in to Luxdium to illustrate the difference between the stock AI LEDs and upgraded LuxEngine LEDs.

If you're not familiar, LuxEngine offers the widest blue band of pretty much any reef LED available (spectrum graph is in the second picture). I've been running them over my tanks for almost 3 years now. You can see why I have a hard time believing that the violets and purples aren't beneficial to coral. Everything (softies, LPS and SPS) looks better after time under the new lights in otherwise identical conditions.

So I'll stand by my statement that if you just care about growing coral, the Blade Grow will work. But, if you want to get the most out of your coral AND make them nicer to look at, then you need to also add the Glow.

 

[Seansea]

The reason the grow is fine is because alot of the corals we keep come from shallow reef zones where they are getting pounded by 65k to 10k light that looks way more yellow. And then the argument for halides come in because they emit uv that leds just cant. But lets be honest the 65k yellow look just kind of makes the corals look brownish which if youve been on a reef at mid day in the ocean thats how the corals look. Corals will adapt tho for the most part. They want to survive. All these lights work for growing coral. Just pick one you like the look of or fits what you want and roll. I like the kessil shimmer so thats what i chose and they grow corals fine.