Kessil 160SW Tuna Sun and Corals

[GARRIGA]

Sorry. 160WE. Auto corrected before I noticed. Don't know how to edit title.

Repurposed my freshwater Tuna Sun for an experimental 20g to prove out a theory on denitrification and alkalinity. Not wanting to spend money on a more appropriate light since this tank is temporary and soon as my floors are finished will be decommissioned as currently being utilized and converted to a phyto/pod/brine shrimp container. All future display/frag setup likely utilizing Coral Care 2 or ATI Straton (latter being currently preferred) which aren't practical at them moment as there's no way to hang them being this tank is on my computer desk.

Kessil claims the Tuna Sun goes to 9k. Sun is 5500 to 6500 mid day. Logic seems to imply I can get away with this since it's temporary and I do want to start growing some plugs and further testing using corals. Emailed Kessil but yet no response and calling sends me to voicemail.

Likely none have used it since search only reviews applications with mangroves but perhaps the lighting gurus can advise. Lighting is the one area of keeping life in a box that still mystifies me and often wonder why not just use full spectrum assuming proper PAR readings are obtained since light not evolved to be used likely just ignore yet all wave lengths do exist in full spectrum. Plus Coral Care 2 seems to be as white a MH which if I recall correctly had all wave lengths and I think was full spectrum but again I'm not up to speed on lighting and this could be completely misunderstood by me and I'm still researching. I'm old school where you'd use several white T12 and one actinic 03. Best I can recall. Back then we also had VHO but i couldn't afford those or the MH.

 

[blaxsun]

You're probably missing a UV component, no?

 

[oreo54]

Sorry. 160WE. Auto corrected before I noticed. Don't know how to edit title.

Repurposed my freshwater Tuna Sun for an experimental 20g to prove out a theory on denitrification and alkalinity. Not wanting to spend money on a more appropriate light since this tank is temporary and soon as my floors are finished will be decommissioned as currently being utilized and converted to a phyto/pod/brine shrimp container. All future display/frag setup likely utilizing Coral Care 2 or ATI Straton (latter being currently preferred) which aren't practical at them moment as there's no way to hang them being this tank is on my computer desk.

Kessil claims the Tuna Sun goes to 9k. Sun is 5500 to 6500 mid day. Logic seems to imply I can get away with this since it's temporary and I do want to start growing some plugs and further testing using corals. Emailed Kessil but yet no response and calling sends me to voicemail.

Likely none have used it since search only reviews applications with mangroves but perhaps the lighting gurus can advise. Lighting is the one area of keeping life in a box that still mystifies me and often wonder why not just use full spectrum assuming proper PAR readings are obtained since light not evolved to be used likely just ignore yet all wave lengths do exist in full spectrum. Plus Coral Care 2 seems to be as white a MH which if I recall correctly had all wave lengths and I think was full spectrum but again I'm not up to speed on lighting and this could be completely misunderstood by me and I'm still researching. I'm old school where you'd use several white T12 and one actinic 03. Best I can recall. Back then we also had VHO but i couldn't afford those or the MH.

Current extreme blues is a choice not a requirement.
As long as you have necessary par for your species you should be fine.

As a counterpoint one gets the same "arguement" on fw lighting.. Using a "blue"..
Also doesn't matter except for looks..

 

[GARRIGA]

You're probably missing a UV component, no?

Probably but do we really need a UV component? Not sure all coral specific LEDs have one. That’s pet of the learning curve I’m still struggling with.

 

[GARRIGA]

Current extreme blues is a choice not a requirement.
As long as you have necessary par for your species you should be fine.

As a counterpoint one gets the same "arguement" on fw lighting.. Using a "blue"..
Also doesn't matter except for looks..

Saw that video but did me no good.

PAR my thought process as well.

 

[Brymac1]

Probably but do we really need a UV component? Not sure all coral specific LEDs have one. That’s pet of the learning curve I’m still struggling with.

While UV may have some benefits, it certainly isn’t required. Look at all of the successful tanks lit by AI and Ecotech, no UV in those.

 

[oreo54]

Saw that video but did me no good.

PAR my thought process as well.

Yea that vid wasn't actually necessary.
Guess the funny thing is that is is sort of never considered for a reef tank, based more on looks than function.

Corals have been successfully grown from 4000k to all blue with various levels of err "success" meaning speed of growth and or color..
"Best" is relative to ones own goals and likes.

 

[GARRIGA]

Yea that vid wasn't actually necessary.
Guess the funny thing is that is is sort of never considered for a reef tank, based more on looks than function.

Corals have been successfully grown from 4000k to all blue with various levels of err "success" meaning speed of growth and or color..
"Best" is relative to ones own goals and likes.

That’s my point. If this really goes 5500 to 9000 then it should be adequate. Rather not buy another light that don’t serve me later.

 

[damsels are not mean]

Probably but do we really need a UV component? Not sure all coral specific LEDs have one.

nope

 

[oreo54]

That’s my point. If this really goes 5500 to 9000 then it should be adequate. Rather not buy another light that don’t serve me later.

Plenty of blue in a "sun"..
And yellow
Not so much in red
and other blues..blue/greens

It would work for research purposes. Not so much long term for loving the look.
There are better ways of doing "daylight" for a reef tank than that light.

Being a fw guy I never "warmed" to Kessil fw spectrums either.
They have learned though..

 

[GARRIGA]

Plenty of blue in a "sun"..
And yellow
Not so much in red
and other blues..blue/greens

It would work for research purposes. Not so much long term for loving the look.
There are better ways of doing "daylight" for a reef tank than that light.

Being a fw guy I never "warmed" to Kessil fw spectrums either.
They have learned though..

Not a fan of the Tuna Sun look either but I assumed that’s what I needed for freshwater. Last I did fresh was the early 80s and then it was T12 bulbs. No clue what they were. That was a long time ago.

Funny thing is I called Fluval to inquire about using their marine LED for fresh and told I needed their fresh. Seemed odd but I just went with it. Those lights BTW much nicer color but shortest I have is 3ft and not applicable for this test tank.

 

[Bpb]

Looks like the 7200k actually has the highest blue amount.

 

[GARRIGA]

Looks like the 7200k actually has the highest blue amount.

How do you know where that is on the dial? To my eyes. Bluest is all the way

 

[Chrisv.]

We used to use some pretty yellow looking lights back in the day. Those iwasaki halide lamps were like 6500k. Grew coral like a week but looked unacceptable by today's standards.

 

[Bpb]

How do you know where that is on the dial? To my eyes. Bluest is all the way

Bluest in appearance and highest output blue are different though. By the above posted graph, it would be the mid way point on your color knob.

Consider the aforementioned iwasaki 6500k metal halide bulb. Had a ton more blue/violet/uv than the comparably
Blue appearing 20,000k radium. It’s because the eye is more sensitive to green and yellow colors that it appeared so much more white. But the blue radiometric energy is still there.

 

[oreo54]

How do you know where that is on the dial? To my eyes. Bluest is all the way

I'd not sweat it .
Since your "color" goes from 6000-9000 7500k should roughly be 1/2 way.
Adj accordingly.

Really what looks bluest should have the most blue
if " kessil logic" worked perfectly, but it doesn't.

In their defense it isn't t actually easy.
Dana Riddle has some data somewhere but its about the tuna blue but shows some err anomalies in the logic.

Isn' t there an app for this light?
There may be k settings in it .

Bpb is also correct but probably doesn't
apply to kessil since theoretically output should stay the same.
Iwasakis have more blue but also more of everything else so much higher par.
So partially masked but partially just added power.
So a white light can have more blue than a "blue" light

 

[oreo54]

Addendum..


Bpb is also correct but probably doesn't
apply to kessil since theoretically output should stay the same.
Iwasakis have more blue but also more of everything so much higher par.

The Iwasaki 6500 K has a higher output than the other lamps over the entire PAR range (400 nm to 700 nm), except for two spikes from the other lamps[ / quote]

Aquarium Frontiers On-Line: Feature

 

[GARRIGA]

Seems odd that 7500 would have more blues than 9000. Is that a Kessil thing which means their kelvin rating isn’t accurate? Fact is at 6000 is should be somewhat blue yet it’s not. My eyes see it as incandescent almost. Not 3300 but definitely not even 5500.

I have LED for photography. They are full spectrum 5500. That light is perfect and colors pop. At the lowest 6000 setting kessil is throwing yellow. Makes no sense.

 

[Chrisv.]

I have an idea: get some old vho super actinic bulbs! It will look like...1998! But I bet it grows coral!!

 

[oreo54]

Seems odd that 7500 would have more blues than 9000. Is that a Kessil thing which means their kelvin rating isn’t accurate? Fact is at 6000 is should be somewhat blue yet it’s not. My eyes see it as incandescent almost. Not 3300 but definitely not even 5500.

I have LED for photography. They are full spectrum 5500. That light is perfect and colors pop. At the lowest 6000 setting kessil is throwing yellow. Makes no sense.

Kelvin ratings are only part of the story.
Infinite colors in different proportions can add up to 6500k.
Technically it's cct correlated color temp.

Your 5500 k photo lamps probably have a high cri ( color rendering index) in the 90's.
Poor cri 6500k' s ( or any of the diodes in the kessil) likely have cri's in the low 80's.... at best.

To be honest most kelvin ratings aren't real.
Oh maybe close but most aren't binned that accurately to be exact.

Think about early 6500k tubes and their horrible green cast as a comparison.

Compare the 6500k curve to the kessil.
Note.. due to leds err failings a completely new system was implemented regarding color fidelity ( cri). Tm-30.

New Bridgelux Vesta series. An interesting
2 blue ( royal and reg) pump ( IF I remember correctly) w/ phosphors