Kessil AP 700 "Cookbook"

coastal_kid · Jan 1, 2020

Hi. Long time lurker, first time poster.

I am a new owner of two Kessil AP 700s. I want to optimize the lighting schedule, but I'm overwhelmed by the variables. Hunting for advice in threads on the many forums is tedious and has not been productive. I am looking for something like a cookbook or recipe book. Given the types of animals in the tank and the dimensions of tank, the cookbook would list successful lighting schedules for those conditions. Maybe such a thing exists and I haven't been able to find it?

minus9 · Jan 1, 2020

The recipe that I've used for the past 4 or 5 years has been a 12hr cycle with a few hours ramp up, hold peak, then ramp down. It's pretty simple and works. Make adjustments slowly, wait and observe, then move forward. Kessil logic makes it so you really don't have to worry about spectrum, just adjust to your visual liking and you're off. I can give you my programming for my 2 ap700's if you like and you can use it as a launching pad?

coastal_kid · Jan 1, 2020

Thank you. Please share your lighting schedule in as much detail as you can. Also, please let me know what kind of system you have (sps dom/mixed reef/...) and the dimensions of your tank.
Thanks!

minus9 · Jan 1, 2020

Sure, tank is a custom 90g shallow sps tank, 36x36x16. I have two ap700's, one a36x (in the center) and three Orphek OR2 blue plus bars (one in front and one on each side, left & right). The OR2's are on about 11hrs now, slowly increased duration over a period of months. The Kessil's are on from 8am to 8pm. I ramp up for 3hrs (starting at the bluest setting and 0% intensity), hold peak @ 90% for 6hrs (color setting is between 2nd & 3rd blue), then ramp down for 3hrs. I use a mid day point to increase intensity in smaller increments, I find this to works well for me. I use this mid day point to increase by 2% at a time and it makes me increase intensity slower and more gradual.
Here's what it would look like.
7:55 - 0% - (1st blue / deepest blue)
8:00 - 10% - (1st blue)
10:55 - 85% - (2nd blue) (no longer needed with firmware 4.2)
11:00 - 90% - (2nd blue)
14:00 - 90% - (half way 2nd & 3rd blue) (adjust this by 2%, wait a week, then adjust 11:00 & 17:00 by 2%)
17:00 - 90% - (2nd blue)
17:05 - 85% - (2nd blue) (no longer needed with firmware 4.2)
20:00 - 10% - (1st blue)
20:05 - 0% - (1st blue)
The points at 10:55 & 17:05 are left over from before I updated to the latest firmware, which fixes the color transitions. I'm going to remove these this week and move their color settings to match the mid day point of half way between 2nd & 3rd blue.
What are your dimensions and what are your plans with coral, sps, mixed, etc?

minus9 · Jan 1, 2020

Just a couple screen shots for reference.

coastal_kid · Jan 6, 2020

I think I'm starting to see why no one has done this. There is no way to get the exact RGB values of a particular color -- there is only a nominal position on a color wheel. You have to describe the color as the number of steps from a known position, and add any half steps. As an engineer, this makes me cringe. If there is no way to export/import programs in some textual format (e.g. CSV, JSON, or XML), then a collection of people's programs is a pretty hopeless endeavor.

The manufacturer could have gone about it like Google does -- when install something they ask permission to collect statistics to improve the product. Kessil could the same.

Cook · Jan 7, 2020

Welcome! The optimum color spectrum for the AP700 is set using Kessil logic, so no matter what color setting you choose on the color wheel for personal preference, you should get good results. I started with 30% and used the acclimation mode to get to 50% over 60 days. I set my AP700 up in about 10 minutes and I just let it do it's thing for the last year. Mine is mounted 10" above the water surface on a 90 gallon mixed reef. I also run mine for 12 hours with 6 hours peak intensity during midday @50% with ramp up and ramp down in the morning and evening.

Below is a link to an article from @Dana Riddle that I found helpful when I wanted to learn more about each setting on the color wheel. Take a look at the spectrum graphs I think that might help but let me know if I have misunderstood what you are trying to do.

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icedearth15324 · Jan 8, 2020

I was actually going to come on here and ask a similar question. I'm going to give that article a read through.

jace · Jan 8, 2020

Great article let me share mine.

I go moonlight so it goes on 7:15am it stays there until 2pm doesn't really ramp just stays at 20%

At 2pm my aps go to 65% and my t5 x 4 go on. Both units are 10 inches off the water. The light stay on until 730p and stays at 20% until 11pm. Hope this helps ... My tank is 40 inches long and 20 inches tall and 24 wide. Mixed reef.

wasafuzz · Jan 8, 2020

I don't mean to hijack this thread. Just a little sidebar. I will soon be in the market for a AP 700 and am hoping to get the outside to outside measurements of the mounting brackets. I have 17 inches available on the back of my 30L and hope they will fit between that space. Thanks, and I will also use this info to program mine.

SashimiTurtle · Apr 29, 2020

I know this thread is a few months old, but does anyone mix some red into their AP700 spectrum? I'm thinking about adding maybe 5 or 10% during peak to see if I can get better color out of my sticks. I'm running one AP700 and 4 T5, 2 Giessman super actinic and 2 ATI blue plus over a 36x24x24.

flyfisher2 · Jul 19, 2021

Quick question I just got two AP700's and in playing with the red moon light only one kicks on. Both do the blue. Is it a problem? Just wondering itf anything else would be affected

minus9 · Jul 21, 2021

flyfisher2 said:
Quick question I just got two AP700's and in playing with the red moon light only one kicks on. Both do the blue. Is it a problem? Just wondering itf anything else would be affected

Maybe just the red diodes are bad on that unit? Can you add reds during the normal program and see if they come on?

Tony Salernitano · Jul 21, 2021

minus9 said:
Sure, tank is a custom 90g shallow sps tank, 36x36x16. I have two ap700's, one a36x (in the center) and three Orphek OR2 blue plus bars (one in front and one on each side, left & right). The OR2's are on about 11hrs now, slowly increased duration over a period of months. The Kessil's are on from 8am to 8pm. I ramp up for 3hrs (starting at the bluest setting and 0% intensity), hold peak @ 90% for 6hrs (color setting is between 2nd & 3rd blue), then ramp down for 3hrs. I use a mid day point to increase intensity in smaller increments, I find this to works well for me. I use this mid day point to increase by 2% at a time and it makes me increase intensity slower and more gradual.
Here's what it would look like.
7:55 - 0% - (1st blue / deepest blue)
8:00 - 10% - (1st blue)
10:55 - 85% - (2nd blue) (no longer needed with firmware 4.2)
11:00 - 90% - (2nd blue)
14:00 - 90% - (half way 2nd & 3rd blue) (adjust this by 2%, wait a week, then adjust 11:00 & 17:00 by 2%)
17:00 - 90% - (2nd blue)
17:05 - 85% - (2nd blue) (no longer needed with firmware 4.2)
20:00 - 10% - (1st blue)
20:05 - 0% - (1st blue)
The points at 10:55 & 17:05 are left over from before I updated to the latest firmware, which fixes the color transitions. I'm going to remove these this week and move their color settings to match the mid day point of half way between 2nd & 3rd blue.
What are your dimensions and what are your plans with coral, sps, mixed, etc?

Tony Salernitano · Jul 21, 2021

Hi can you tell me how high is your ap700 from the water mine is about 10 in above the water I slowly ramp up to mid-day to 65% intensity don't know if that's enough for SPS. My tank is 36 in Long 65 gallon