Keep Kessil or go Radion

[SashimiTurtle]

For comparison here is my tank with only the hydra 52s at dusk compared to the combination of hydra 52s at dusk plus 2x Kessils at 0 color and 5% brightness.

You can guess which is which.

Nothing beats the blues from a Kessil... makes corals POP

 

[Evan West]

Hmmmm trying to sell my kidney for an ap700 I'll brb

 

[jeffrey holloway]

I have a Kessil AP700 and a couple of 160s on one tank and the other brand on my second tank, picked them up at a good price. Both get the job done, but kessil has the best shimmer and blue spectrum IMO. I don't care for all the bells & whistles so I favor Kessils.

 

[Mal11224]

I traded my A160 for the AP700 over my 70 gal tank and have never looked back. Corals are growing and the light is easy to adjust and the app for it is much better and very easy to use. The actinic affect from this light is amazing. The corals practically glow. I use the slight diffuser with mine and get good par levels all over the tank with 77 - 87% useable photosynthesis rates. I debated between this and the radion XR30w G4 and went with kessil. I am happy with my purchase.

 

[dangros]

I"m gonna throw in something entirely different into the ring . I had 2 360WE's on my 90g and it was not growing any of my SPS well. I eventually gave up and purchased the GHL Mitras 7206's in July and already have more growth in my corals than I ever did with the Kessils. But a kidney wouldnt be enough for those

 

[Mjl714]

Can't comment on radions, other than to say that I see a lot of the in the lfs's. However, I have four Kessil a360we's, on mixed reefs, and really like the color and ease of use. Nice even spread. Growing all types of corals. As others have noted, increase intensity with caution, I currectly run intensity at 65% on 18" deep tanks, 7" above water.

 

[James Johnson]

Radion has more PAR than the Kessils, but they disco ball. IMO, Radion has too much PAR, and it's easy to get spectrum out of whack. With Kessils you just set it and the light does magic. Here's an idea, just mail me those junk Kessils and treat yourself to some nice new Radions.

Honestly, BRS just put out some videos on Kessil A360WEs and the Radion XR30G4 Pros in their lighting series. Kessils were way cheaper, and put out the same PAR the Radions did once you dialed them back(nobody needs 800 PAR at 18"). Kessil also had better spread. If you gotta have more than enough light to fry chicken, get the Radions. IMO, they are just too over the top for me.

That's like comparing a go cart to a Ferrari and saying that the Ferrari is over priced, you would not compare the a360we to a xr30 you would compare it to a xr15 that would be an even comparison which both have the MAP price of $399 making them the same price except the xr15 has more options and better results due to the better color spectrum

 

[SashimiTurtle]

That's like comparing a go cart to a Ferrari and saying that the Ferrari is over priced, you would not compare the a360we to a xr30 you would compare it to a xr15 that would be an even comparison which both have the MAP price of $399 making them the same price except the xr15 has more options and better results due to the better color spectrum

Personally I haven't seen better spectrum, blending and just beauty than a Kessil. That Ferrari might look really cool and go really fast but at the end of the day the speed limit is still 70. My 13 year old, beat up, 170000 mile F250 is capable of doing well over 70mph and it can tow your Ferrari across the country doing 70mph the whole way...

What I'm saying is you don't need more than 350 par for SPS. Anything more than that and I'm wasting money I could have spent on fish or coral. If you like the Radions, then by all means, go buy Radions. I'll save my money for more coral.

 

[1stNoel]

That's like comparing a go cart to a Ferrari and saying that the Ferrari is over priced, you would not compare the a360we to a xr30 you would compare it to a xr15 that would be an even comparison which both have the MAP price of $399 making them the same price except the xr15 has more options and better results due to the better color spectrum

All of these lights are strong enough to grow corals so, at the end of the day, the question is "which one makes my corals pop more"?

I agree, and I've posted before on other forums, that I'm a Kessil owner and I'd choose a XR15 over a A360WE. However, I would get an AP700 over a XR30. The color pop on that beast is amazing. I've seen my corals in other people's tanks (with Radions) and there's a noticeable difference. For example, I have a zoa with a baby blue ring in it that is tough to spot under a Radion....but clearly visible under my Kessil.

I just switched to zeovit, and my corals are starting to show a neon pop I haven't seen before...which really emphasizes that pop.

And if you did decide on Radion, it's not like you made a bad decision. You're debating between the Ferraris and Lambos of the LED world, so it really comes down to your personal preference.

Here's some eye candy (my cellphone camera doesn't do it justice):

...

 

[Newb73]

Somebody say Zoas?

These were all grown w Hydra 52s.

Though I am now (as of today) running 3 Hydra 52s, 2 Aw360s and 2 A150 sky blue (7 fixtures total).

 

[Reeflogic]

I had dual 360's over a 36" mixed reef and as far as shimmer, Kessil is the best of any LED (I've tried a majority and seen the other majority in person). Buuuuut... I struggled with that Windex blue look... It was missing the purple spectrum, so you had white, less white and Windex blue.... Two years later, I throw on a Gen4 Pro X30 over the same 36", took a little tweaking to get the color how I wanted it, lost that glorious shimmer, but gained a coral growing beast, with one fixture AND it doesn't look like Windex...

I assume the AP700 would allow a slightly better spectrum, so maybe I should have gone that route, but every Radion lit tank I ever viewed in person looked better than my 360's, so that led to me going Radion. I miss the shimmer.... But overall, I'm happier with coral growth and coloration from the Radion G4's. I'm a fan of both, but at the end of the day, it's what makes YOU happy.

I think I may have been chasing that crisp color and pop I had back in my MH/T5 days and to me, the Kessil 360's were either too white or too blue, no matter how many thousand times I tweaked the color dial... And a side note, I had some ordinary green acans under the Kessils for 2 years and they were just green, in 4 months under the Radions they have a brilliant orange developing and now that once boring acan draws a lot of attention from friends and family. The only thing to change in my system was the lights.

Good luck with your decision making!

 

[Ty Hamatake]

Why not try t5?

Are you chasing par? Spectrum? Or just a name?

Why not... a t5 LED hybrid?

 

[Evan West]

Why not... a t5 LED hybrid?

Cost really, its only a 20g tank so even the smaller fixtures cost more than the LED and use more electricity.

 

[Ty Hamatake]

Cost really, its only a 20g tank so even the smaller fixtures cost more than the LED and use more electricity.

You have two 360s on a 20 gallon?

Is it a 20 long?

 

[madweazl]

I had dual 360's over a 36" mixed reef and as far as shimmer, Kessil is the best of any LED (I've tried a majority and seen the other majority in person). Buuuuut... I struggled with that Windex blue look... It was missing the purple spectrum, so you had white, less white and Windex blue...

The Kessil isn't missing purple, it lacks the peak intensity in the red spectrum which is what really makes things in the tank pop. Ecoxotics blue/magenta stunner strips were fantastic for bringing this out (I loved them).

Kessil with the color turned up at approx 19:55
Radion with the diffuser installed in the same location at approx 16:36

Members have mentioned a more visually appealing look to the AP700 and if I had to guess, it's likely capable of producing more light in the red spectrum.

 

[bif24701]

The Kessil isn't missing purple, it lacks the peak intensity in the red spectrum which is what really makes things in the tank pop. Ecoxotics blue/magenta stunner strips were fantastic for bringing this out (I loved them).

Kessil with the color turned up at approx 19:55
Radion with the diffuser installed in the same location at approx 16:36

Members have mentioned a more visually appealing look to the AP700 and if I had to guess, it's likely capable of producing more light in the red spectrum.

Yes, AP700 isn't missing the reed and you can add additional red for a more purple look if you desire.

 

[HB AL]

None lol just chasing the best LED light for my tank, kessil is great just thought this might be a decent time to switch it up and see how i like other lights. Gotta wait on what kessil says regarding replacing my a360

I had 1 of my Kessil replaced a couple months back. Called them up,I was nice on the phone, told them the problem, white leds aren't coming on, they looked up the serial number they said it was out of the warranty period and proceeded to send me a new one at no charge then I sent them the bad one once I got the new light. That's what I call good customer service.

 

[HB AL]

I have the same lights, I made some changes after watching the BRS video and it seemed to help. I can not keep SPS, still Trying to figure out if it's water or lights, all other coral types do fine, great color. I'm thinking if I do change it would be some type of hybrid system.

It's definetly not the light, it's gotta be the water params.

 

[Evan West]

I had 1 of my Kessil replaced a couple months back. Called them up,I was nice on the phone, told them the problem, white leds aren't coming on, they looked up the serial number they said it was out of the warranty period and proceeded to send me a new one at no charge then I sent them the bad one once I got the new light. That's what I call good customer service.

They offered me a heavy discount and were very personable so im satisfied I suppose. Sucks that the warranty wouldn't cover it but it was 2nd had so i cant complain.......might still sell my 2 a360, sell a kidney and get an ap700 tho lol


Anyone B+ need a kidney? lol

 

[Evan West]

You have two 360s on a 20 gallon?

Is it a 20 long?

Yep lol also yes yes im aware over kill but well first im a tech junkey and next I was having shading issues with the point source that just one created.