Got The Mid-Winter Blues? Help Me Re-Design Our Lighting!

[InkedReefLady]

Long story short, we switched over to Kessil LEDs a few years ago (3 wide angle Tuna Blue's) from halides and I watched our electric bill drop as well. Which is GREAT! However, since we have re-done our set up, (see my tank build thread - 180 gallon) I am also rethinking our lighting.

Our Kessils are not controllable, so the new Radion Gen 4's look super cool! Plus, I'd love to have thunderstorm mode just like our 28 gallon anemone display has (AI Prime HD on that).

We have a mixture of corals, and I think my long term goal is to move the euphillids that are on the left side of the display to the right/close to the garden eel cove and place more SPS in. I have 2 mini islands (one in the front and one in the back) and I have some euphillids over there now, but I need to move over the others.

What it's coming down to is that I will only need to intensely light 4 feet x 2 feet of the display and not all 6 feet x 2 feet.

Check out these photos and let me know what you think. The current lights are essentially between the support beams, and I do get a lot of shadowing. One of my acros (up high next to left mangrove) is highly shadowed and I know long term, it won't be happy.

I was considering only getting 2 Gen 4's and put them where the current 2 Kessils are (left and center) and then using the Kessils as filler lighting as needed. The eel gardens obviously do not require intense light, so I can keep the one Kessil where it is. I like the idea of the track for the Gen 4's on this set up.

Thoughts? Strategies? Opinions? My husband built me the canopy and I've asked if he would entertain building a new one if I bought him some cool new tools, but I don't think it's going to fly. And, offering beer won't work, since he works for a brewery and gets it for free.

 

[mcarroll]

Our Kessils are not controllable, so the new Radion Gen 4's look super cool!

Is controllability a major issue? ...minor? ...or just "a want"?

I ask because you've done well without it this far so you can see how necessary it is!

If all you want is a sunrise/sunset effect, add one small Current USA Orbit Marine light that can be the first thing on for sunrise in the morning and the last thing off for sunset at inght. (It can do a lot more effects than that, but it will be mostly "drowned out" while the Kessils are on unless you go for one of the bigger, more powerful units...not cost effective just for the effects...may as well switch.)

Plus, I'd love to have thunderstorm mode just like our 28 gallon anemone display has (AI Prime HD on that).

Lightning modes freak the fish out so I don't recommend them for random use....some manufacturer's even recommend not using the lightning modes built into their lights. Cloud cover and other effects are way cool though!

That said, you can get those same features on other lights too, like the Orbit line from Current USA. For what it's worth, you'd really want the Orbit Pro's for your tank...no fewer than the two Pro's that Current recommends for your size tank though. Three or even four could be great too depending what you're expectations are and what you like, etc.

(Not my only suggestion – keep reading!)

What it's coming down to is that I will only need to intensely light 4 feet x 2 feet of the display and not all 6 feet x 2 feet.

Have you seen a tank lit "unevenly" like this? If you haven't, I'd try it before you buy it. Nothing wrong per se – the tank won't care – but it definitely might look weird depending on what you like.

Check out these photos and let me know what you think. The current lights are essentially between the support beams, and I do get a lot of shadowing. One of my acros (up high next to left mangrove) is highly shadowed and I know long term, it won't be happy.

Is shadowing a major issue for you? ...Minor? ...just a want?

Your Acro's really won't care....getting shaded is part of their MO....they just react accordingly. You have to decide if this is a problem for you, and if so, to what degree?

You could get around it to a large degree by adding from one to three additional Kessils....the effect being that you almost have three AP700's. (You could consider trading up to those as a simplified version of this solution too.) You also get the effects from the 360's – they should be able to handle sunrise/-set and their power should be enough that other effects are seen as well. In fact, the 350's will have to be toned down anyway since you'd have twice as much light beaming into the tank....so maybe balance the overall light so the 360's (with effects) are brighter than the 350's.

2¢

 

[InkedReefLady]

Appreciate your 2 cents! You got us thinking again about this.

We didn't consider the Kessil A360 WE. I have to look and see if they are Apex compatible. I liked the controlability with the Apex since..well...we have one and I like how I can control everything from one spot instead of having to log into a separate platform.

Thunderstorm/cloud cover/etc. was just a nice extra to have in there...and more specifically, a dawn/dusk setting and/or moonlights. Our old moonlights finally bit the dust, so we have nothing now.

Agree on it looking uneven with lights. We discussed it and thought if we DID go the route of the additional Kessil's that we'd need 3 of them and place them diagonal from the current Kessil's. That could certainly work!

I personally don't like the shadowing and feel that with the additional lighting, we would have more areas to grow corals.

From your 2 cents, I do like the idea of the additional Kessil's. It sure would save some money vs the Radions!

Anyone else have a few cents to throw in?!

 

[InkedReefLady]

With regards to the daisy chaining of the Kessils, I had read that you only need a 3.5 mm male to male cable (headphones) and not the branded ones from Kessil. $20 x 2 for what is a male/male cable seems a bit much.

Anyone have experience with using a non-branded jack on these?

Thanks!

 

[mcarroll]

I think I saw @AllSignsPointToFish say he had an off-brand cable actually change the color that his 360's put out compared to units that used the standard cable. Hopefully he'll comment directly as I'm sure there are details I'm missing!

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I think I saw @AllSignsPointToFish say he had an off-brand cable actually change the color that his 360's put out compared to units that used the standard cable. Hopefully he'll comment directly as I'm sure there are details I'm missing!

Yeah, it's all about resistance. As the Kessils run off of a 0-10V control voltage, small changes in cable resistance can modify the input voltage to the lights and result in a different color.

Keep in mind this was a DIY Apex control cable. The standard auxiliary audio cables work great (they are all I use). If for some reason you decide to use really LONG auxiliary cables, they could affect the color of the Kessil lights.

Hope this helps!

 

[GoVols]

With regards to the daisy chaining of the Kessils, I had read that you only need a 3.5 mm male to male cable (headphones) and not the branded ones from Kessil. $20 x 2 for what is a male/male cable seems a bit much.

Anyone have experience with using a non-branded jack on these?

Thanks!

I used Best Buy 90 degree cables to link my 4 a80's. Also the Spectra Controller came with a short link and I didn't want the controller on my tank or the wall so I bought a long link for it at Best Buy and now a can keep the controller far away so it wont get wet.

FYI,
If you buy the 90 degree links from Best Buy you might have to order them if their not in stock at your local Best Buy. But, As long as you get the right pin size then they are just standard link cables.

Their prices vary depending on what brand you want like anything else.

I bet Walmart or Amazon carries them too

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

I get all of my cables on Amazon

 

[GoVols]

@InkedReefLady
I guess you have the old a350w's. I ran them to when they first came out too.
I personally like the newer Kessil's better than G4's and that's just JMO
I love the Kessil Logic with the Spectra Controller. The Kessil logic balances the color the that you like and keeps the color spectrum good for your coral health too, but you could still fry your corals.
The G4's can do a lot of things but it could be pleasing to your eye but terrible for your coral health.
I don't need lightning an all the bells and whistles.

The Ap700's could be a option for your reef too.

Give me easy plug and play that gets the job done... all day long

Regards. GoVols

 

[InkedReefLady]

Hmm, sounds like making sure I have the right connector cable could be more trouble than it's worth and I should just go with the Kessil branded?
I planned on getting the Apex connection cable, so that part wouldn't be an issue.

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

No, it's not a big deal at all. A three or six foot auxiliary audio cable works fine.

 

[GoVols]

No, it's not a big deal at all. A three or six foot auxiliary audio cable works fine.

+1
I saw no color difference from Kessil's cables to Best Buy's cables