AI TWENTYSIX HD OR KESSIL A360we

[Ryanj71687]

hey guys I have a new 75 gallon build and I can’t decide on which lights I want to use. I have not had either lights so input on which and why would be great.

 

[dwest]

hey guys I have a new 75 gallon build and I can’t decide on which lights I want to use. I have not had either lights so input on which and why would be great.

I have the kessils. Before you get anything, I would consider getting the aquatic life T5 hybrid so you can add almost any led to it. Why type of tank do you have, mixed reef, sps, etc.?

 

[Ryanj71687]

I have the kessils. Before you get anything, I would consider getting the aquatic life T5 hybrid so you can add almost any led to it. Why type of tank do you have, mixed reef, sps, etc.?

It is going to be a mix with sps at the top

 

[RCS82]

If considering Kessils, great lights, I would go straight to the 360x.

 

[dwest]

It is going to be a mix with sps at the top

I would still vote for the t5 hybrid. You could use 2-4 kessils. Would be a great system. I have never used ai.

 

[FishyDP]

+1 aquatic life hybrid. I would invest in this before buying mounting kits for the ai or kessils. I dont think you can really lose with either AI or kessil, but I would say adding t5s will give you the best results.

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

i have 3 kessils over a 120 max i go is 80 percent you could definatly do just 2 over a 75 and be fine i have seen a guy with a softie lps tank with just one

 

[skywelker]

I know I'm a little late to respond to this, but I just put 2 Kessil A360x's over my 75 mixed reef. So far I'm very happy with it, the coloring is great and everything is happy. The measurements I took with a PAR meter seem higher than I expected and I may leave it at about 50% intensity for my needs (mostly LPS and Softies, a few SPS towards the top).

 

[saltwaterpicaso]

Did you have kessils before and if so is the color better than the 350we with the new 360x the new lights have more leds so the coral should pop better

 

[skywelker]

Did you have kessils before and if so is the color better than the 350we with the new 360x the new lights have more leds so the coral should pop better

No I'm coming from the current orbit ic 48" led fixture. It gave good PAR numbers but I couldn't get the colors on the corals to look right unless I turned it way down. The PAR on the kessils is also much more evenly distributed.

 

[Bob Weigant]

I can’t speak about the AI’s but I just switch to kessil 360NE and love what their doing for my sps.

 

[ccombs]

Between the options (I considered both brands recently) I would highly recommend the Kessils, you could probably do 2, though. I have heard great things about the T5 hybrid though and I think it would be worth looking in to. It simply didn't work in my scenario so I didn't go that route.

 

[Manose]

Go with the Noopsyche K7 and get the best of both worlds and save money while you are at it. They are a sponsor here at R2R https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/noopsyche.1066/

 

[Velcro]

I wouldn’t commit to either until you see them in person. They are very different lights but both would result in success. Kessil shimmer is love it or hate it.

 

[skywelker]

I wouldn’t commit to either until you see them in person. They are very different lights but both would result in success. Kessil shimmer is love it or hate it.

This is probably the best advice. I was trying to decide between the 2 and my lfs uses the 26s. Someone suggested I go to another store in town as they use kessils. Both stores had great coral health but they definitely look quite different.

 

[Velcro]

And I second the ai hybrid. You could probable get away with a couple ai prime HDs in that fixture.

 

[Doctorgori]

Whenever the 350s came out I got those shortly afterwards... same for the 360ws
Since then lots of salt spray , lots of on off cycles and no bleached corals bought lots of junk over the last 50yrs and I’m thinking these might be up with Aquaclear, ebo jaeger and other hobby legends

 

[Undertaker]

I've been running two hydra 26 HD over a red sea reefer 350, using the AB+ setting and love them. in the near future, I am going to buy the aquatic life hybrid. Because I have seen, read, and heard how much of a difference it make to mix the t5/LED

 

[Terry4505]

I've had both. For me, it's Kessil by a mile:

 

[DesertReefT4r]

I would go with AI. I have seen several beautiful tanks using these lights. The look they provide is very nice and they grow acropra very well. I personally am not big on the look Kessil lights provide and the design leads to more of a spotlight effect.