Kessil A500X, thoughts?

[SPS2020]

4 would be way too much $$$ better options at that point for sure.

Currently 5 Hydra 52hd and was thinking of using the Aquatic life T5 with the Hydra in the middle.

If I go with those certainly I will report back, I like new stuff, so always willing to try. With the exchange rate as it is always much more expensive in Canada, duties, taxes etc.

Just received my Aquatic Life T5 54watt dimmable and installing my four Hydra 32hd's later today. Using four ATI Blue Plus bulbs.

 

[Jbell370]

Just received my Aquatic Life T5 54watt dimmable and installing my four Hydra 32hd's later today. Using four ATI Blue Plus bulbs.

I have to see that, let me know how it goes with the mounting of the Hydras and if anything else was needed. Also, I know many questions, what size fixture? I was thinking 2 - 36". Thanks in advance.

 

[arking_mark]

I use Kessil A360x and the AP9s on a Red Sea 525xl which is basically 5 x 22 x 22. At 25% intensity, my sand is at 150PAR and top close to 450PAR. The A500X seems to be for deeper tanks...

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

For me I want to know about the fans, are they fixable? Or are they just like all the rest?

 

[NewFish]

I use Kessil A360x and the AP9s on a Red Sea 525xl which is basically 5 x 22 x 22. At 25% intensity, my sand is at 150PAR and top close to 450PAR. The A500X seems to be for deeper tanks...

Right on. Thanks for the specs. Hope your tank is flourishing.

For sure about the depth with these things. I could imagine that a

For me I want to know about the fans, are they fixable? Or are they just like all the rest?

Just like the rest it seems. You mean flexible like the available stand?

 

[Blue Spot Octopus]

I am sorry, what I mean is, if the fan goes out on the Kessil I should be able to buy a replaceable one from Kessil that does not cost an arm and a leg, right now this is not possible, Kessil knows it has issues with there fans, if this not addressed with this light I will not buy it, I do have 360X and 160, so I am a player so to speak.

 

[ca1ore]

Having a hard time ‘understanding’ this light. I’ve loads of Kessil of various models and vintage, and they all suffer from the same shortcoming .... point source shading. The way around this is to have more lights NOT a stronger light. I’ve a 30” tall tank, and both the 360N and 360x with lens are more than sufficient. How many people actually have 42” plus deep tanks. Seems like a tiny addressable market ... well other than the folks that are either high on the marketing gullibility scale or just must have the newest shiny object (pun intended). I like the 360x a lot, though already had one fail within 2 years, so reliably claims are suspect; but I’ve no use for a 500X. Would MUCH rather have seen an X version of the 160.

 

[ca1ore]

I am sorry, what I mean is, if the fan goes out on the Kessil I should be able to buy a replaceable one from Kessil that does not cost an arm and a leg, right now this is not possible, Kessil knows it has issues with there fans, if this not addressed with this light I will not buy it, I do have 360X and 160, so I am a player so to speak.

You can DIY replace fans on the H380 and 360WE .... not sure about the 360X. Agree though that Kessil ought to have a better answer than an expensive swap.

 

[Montiman]

Another thought I had on this light. It is designed to replace 400W metal halides in public aquariums. On Forums everyone is all about SPS but 400 watt halides are used in other applications as well.

At the LFS I used to work at years ago our main display tank was a 8ftx4ftx4ft lit by 4 400 watt metal halides. This was an LPS dominate display but had some easy SPS at the top. A500X would be perfect for this application. There are some large mixed reefs that would do well with a light like this.

 

[robbyg]

Having a hard time ‘understanding’ this light. I’ve loads of Kessil of various models and vintage, and they all suffer from the same shortcoming .... point source shading. The way around this is to have more lights NOT a stronger light. I’ve a 30” tall tank, and both the 360N and 360x with lens are more than sufficient. How many people actually have 42” plus deep tanks. Seems like a tiny addressable market ... well other than the folks that are either high on the marketing gullibility scale or just must have the newest shiny object (pun intended). I like the 360x a lot, though already had one fail within 2 years, so reliably claims are suspect; but I’ve no use for a 500X. Would MUCH rather have seen an X version of the 160.

This!!
That was why I posted the Light saber picture, it's just gotten ridiculous how much light they are directing into a small area. Kessil did not need more PAR vs the 360X, what they needed was more spread.

Anyway for those who have the cash, go for it.

 

[The Last Strider]

Having a hard time ‘understanding’ this light. I’ve loads of Kessil of various models and vintage, and they all suffer from the same shortcoming .... point source shading. The way around this is to have more lights NOT a stronger light. I’ve a 30” tall tank, and both the 360N and 360x with lens are more than sufficient. How many people actually have 42” plus deep tanks. Seems like a tiny addressable market ... well other than the folks that are either high on the marketing gullibility scale or just must have the newest shiny object (pun intended). I like the 360x a lot, though already had one fail within 2 years, so reliably claims are suspect; but I’ve no use for a 500X. Would MUCH rather have seen an X version of the 160.

Got 2 of the newest shiny objects today. My gullibility scale is reading off the charts! Go team Kessil!

 

[ca1ore]

Got 2 of the newest shiny objects today. My gullibility scale is reading off the charts! Go team Kessil!

Little disappointed you didn’t proclaim it to be the best light ever .... you’ve apparently had it a whole day.

 

[BurgerFish]

Can it really cover 36x36?

Use it with ATI 6x39W won't be too much PAR for 48 inch tank?

 

[SPS2020]

I have to see that, let me know how it goes with the mounting of the Hydras and if anything else was needed. Also, I know many questions, what size fixture? I was thinking 2 - 36". Thanks in advance.

See my build thread in my signature. Just posted info and pictures. Didn't mean to hijack the Kessil thread.

 

[Harold999]

It's a step in the wrong direction for me. Ran a 360x and was not impressed with it at all. Shimmer is far too heavy. Extra money to control ramp up and ramp down is just ridiculous in 2021. I personally could see the color separation but I see it with all LEDs.

The same tank had a G4 XR15 Pro on the other half and the Radion side was much healthier overall. Better coralline growth and better coral health. Kessils have a terrible shadowing problem and you need twice as many as claimed or find another fill light.

I ended up back at halides. Better spectrum, better shimmer, better color, better everything. I'll throw on some XHO strips for my LED pop.

Kessil combined with T5 is the magic number. Exactly the right shimmer and no shadowing.

 

[Harold999]

I am sorry, what I mean is, if the fan goes out on the Kessil I should be able to buy a replaceable one from Kessil that does not cost an arm and a leg, right now this is not possible, Kessil knows it has issues with there fans, if this not addressed with this light I will not buy it, I do have 360X and 160, so I am a player so to speak.

I have opened a 360x once and it has a GPU (videocard) fan in it you can buy for a couple of bucks in a computer store.
Needs to cut the wires and resolder though because the connector is hidden in epoxy.

 

[rtparty]

Having a hard time ‘understanding’ this light. I’ve loads of Kessil of various models and vintage, and they all suffer from the same shortcoming .... point source shading. The way around this is to have more lights NOT a stronger light. I’ve a 30” tall tank, and both the 360N and 360x with lens are more than sufficient. How many people actually have 42” plus deep tanks. Seems like a tiny addressable market ... well other than the folks that are either high on the marketing gullibility scale or just must have the newest shiny object (pun intended). I like the 360x a lot, though already had one fail within 2 years, so reliably claims are suspect; but I’ve no use for a 500X. Would MUCH rather have seen an X version of the 160.

Kessils failing around the 2 year mark is far more common than people think and the big names aren't willing to come out and say it.

 

[rtparty]

Kessil combined with T5 is the magic number. Exactly the right shimmer and no shadowing.

I ran it for a few months. Wasn't impressed to be honest. It takes quite a bit to WOW me these days though. Almost no LED on the market wows me at this point. I just sold off my G5 Radions.

For some context, been reefing since early 2006 and have tried every light technology out there. Halides, T5s, power compact, VHO, and countless LEDs. Nothing has beat halides. The ONLY LEDs on market that peak my interest are the Coral Care and Straton. They are on the right path. Bigger panels, more LEDs, diffused, no fans. Coral Care has a WAY better UI than ATI. One of the biggest weaknesses these LEDs have is control. Hats off to Kessil for getting that right. Don't allow the end user to screw it up. 99% of us have no clue what we are doing. Changing percentages, mixing this, mixing that, and screwing everything up in the process. Companies need to reign that in big time.

Kessil misses the mark on easy things. Contol built in. Not a dongle. Not a separate $100 controller that has to be wired. Let me control it over WiFi. Not tough to do.

I find the Kessil shimmer to be too much. Made me sick TBH. It doesn't match a halide shimmer like so many claim. I am rocking halides again and always kick myself for ever changing. They work. Plain and simple. On, off, success.

 

[hart24601]

I do think they are marketing these a bit odd, for deep tanks or unique mounting options like in the ceiling, sure. Of course orphek and maxspect already have these for year now, they are less attractive of course. Maxspect has 150w to 1000w correctly labeled as for public or other large aquariums. It's a bummer the wifi is needed to control other channels like the violets with kessil.

Kessil already had the 360NE and narrow angle lens for the new 360x which provides plenty of PAR with it's tight beam angle at the tradeoff of coverage. I had hoped a specific SPS product from kessil would have been a panel like their AP lights but perhaps with with many smaller clusters of leds across the fixture, so they could keep the blending and cluster they are known for, just have like 12 smaller ones and not just two pulled from existing fixtures - but I suppose that is a lot more cash to develop. Kessil has always been very good with marketing. For example the superiority of kessil logic being for the reefer's benefit of just two knobs - that wasn't to keep cost down, it was to assist us! Well until the new models came out with the ability, if you buy another controller, to adjust red, green, and violet/indigo..... whoops guess kessil logic was, as many suspected, marketing for cost control particularly as violet is very powerful for photosynthesis.

I do like kessils in some applications, I have a few, but they carry a premium price for what they do and I wish they would tone down the marketing. This is from their website on the new light: coverage: 36"x36" for SPS dominate system... That is at 24" deep as they say is fine, one point light for 130g square tank for SPS.... I mean it's almost a joke to anyone with some SPS colonies.

It does seem the opposite direction they need to go with leds like the ATI and orphek providing panels of light, but that would be expensive for kessil to develop items like that so I guess it's back to marketing.

FWIW I have used panel LEDs for many years now and like them. I think people should run whatever style of light they like - i wouldn't have a tank if I still had to run MH, I hated them, thankfully we have options.

 

[Paullawr]

When I worked at an LFS we had over 20 LED lights throughout the store. Any time a staff member needed to adjust the lights having a wired control option mounted on the wall was way easier than having 20 lights each broadcasting their own wifi signal. All 12 employees would all need to have the app and login info stored on their phone in order to adjust the lights it was just way easier to have a wired connection.

Also consider this. I have done installs in Dr's offices or restaurants where there was no wifi or where the staff may want to turn the lights on and off. Once again a wired controller is just so much easier.

Wifi is cool but I personally love how it is not included. It would just increase the cost of the light more and since you only need 1 dongle, Kessil can actually get a price advantage over the competition when more than 1 light is used.

I think most A500X users will use at least 2-3 lights.

Adding a WiFi module would not increase the overall cost by anything significant. Quite honesty small fry (no pun intended ) in the scheme of things.

Still as far as devices go this thing looks insanely good.