Kessil ap700 vs A360we

Alex villa · Oct 12, 2015

Just got mine yesterday for a new tank build hopefully it is as wonderful as it sounds

Ladysaber · Oct 12, 2015

Please, if you have questions or even want to pass off ideas for programming, please send them to Kessil.

They are extremely responsive if you email/call/facebook them.

I love the lights and I want to see them succeed. I'm just as impressed with their customer service as I was with the lights. Top notch and detail oriented

Alex villa · Oct 12, 2015

If you want to keep updated on the lights here's my build https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/90-gallon-upgrade.217288/

Reef_Junkies · Oct 13, 2015

Ok. I finally pulled the trigger on a pair of AP700's! I was super impressed with them at Reef-A-Palooza. The staff is super friendly. I was one of the first ones to visit their booth and they were still setting up so I told the guy that I would come back later once it's all ready. 2 hours go by and I totally forget to come back to check the lights out and the gentleman that I spoke to at Kessil actually hunted me down to let me know that the tank was all set up and ready. THAT WAS COOL! I mean, who does that nowadays with the amount of customers they deal with? Kudos to them.

Anyway, I got a super good deal for (2) AP700 units from my buddies at UltraGem Fish & Coral that was too good to pass up. The only thing I'm disappointed about is they don't really have a mount for the lights ready yet, just the free hanging kit and the canopy kit which I don't like. I might just have to build one on my own to my liking. Full write up soon but if anyone is interested in (3) A360WE, they will be up for sale within the next couple weeks.

Reef_Junkies · Oct 13, 2015

scardall said:
Build a hood and hang the lights inside. I recommend ceder as it doesn't rot like pine. This is my 75g reef with a 17+ year old stand and hood made from ceder.

To be honest, I hate the look of hoods/canopies. Never liked them. I feel like it makes the tank look small and suffocated. I'm all about aesthetics so I'm going to build something that will hide all the wires within 1 loom.

AllSignsPointToFish · Oct 16, 2015

I, too, have been toying with the idea of installing the AP700s. I've also been looking at the A360WE.

However, I have a dilemma. I was considering installing two A360WEs, but my tank is 125 gallons and six feet long, so I'm afraid if I only use two I will have a lower intensity area right in the middle of the tank between the two lights.

Has anyone used an A160WE to fill the void between two A360WEs?

Reef_Junkies · Oct 16, 2015

AllSignsPointToFIsh said:
I, too, have been toying with the idea of installing the AP700s. I've also been looking at the A360WE.

However, I have a dilemma. I was considering installing two A360WEs, but my tank is 125 gallons and six feet long, so I'm afraid if I only use two I will have a lower intensity area right in the middle of the tank between the two lights.

Has anyone used an A160WE to fill the void between two A360WEs?

Yes you can do that. However, IMO it's not aesthetically pleasing since the pendant size of the 160 is significantly smaller. It's always nice from a design standpoint to have a cohesive look with matching lights. For a 6 ft tank you'll probably need 2 extra A160WE. It would be cheaper to just buy another A360WE. I have 3 of them over my 5 ft tank currently and it's perfect.

AllSignsPointToFish · Oct 16, 2015

Thanks, Joe. I'm planning on a canopy, so the difference in size will not be apparent most of the time.

I'm still having a hard time learning how much LED light to apply to a tank. The last time I did this, I had metal halide lights. LEDs have definitely changed the game.

scardall · Oct 16, 2015

Yo_Im_Joe said:
To be honest, I hate the look of hoods/canopies. Never liked them. I feel like it makes the tank look small and suffocated. I'm all about aesthetics so I'm going to build something that will hide all the wires within 1 loom.

A hanging Canopy that matches you stand would be less confining. This is my next major project once I have the Funds. I do have to amitt that a full hood is, as you say suffocating. The middle front piece on mine is always removed except for full tank pics.

1stNoel · Nov 21, 2015

I just purchased the Kessil AP700. Here are my opinions, from the perspective of someone that owns A360WE's and was deciding between AP700s or Radions for my new 300 gallon tank build:

BACKGROUND

My local LFS is really cool and we set-up an A360WE and a Radion XR30 Pro side-by-side on their frag tank. I had a bit of buyer's remorse, as the corals "popped" much better on the Radions. Purples and yellows looked really crisp on the Radions, compared to the Kessils.
Based on price, the shimmer, and wanting the latest technology, I went ahead and purchased the AP700. Call it a leap of faith.

PROS:

That color "pop" I complained about not having...is now there! My A360WEs are set-up over my frag tank. I turned them off and hovered the AP700 over the tank, and I was amazed. I was seeing colors and definition that I didn't know my corals had. No buyer's remorse feeling on this one. This is a great light!
The spread is amazing on the AP700. My local LFS put it over their tank...not sure of the size but it looked to be 3 ft x 3 ft shallow rimless. The AP700 definitely covered the tank.
Another issue with the A360WE, is that you can't really turn up the white without losing the color in your corals (i.e. corals have color as long as you're in the blue spectrum, and then they look brown once the white comes in). With the AP700, I was able to crank up the white and still clearly see the colors in my corals. So for those of you that prefer a whiter tank, look into the AP700.
The shimmer with the AP700 feels a bit more "restrained", which I like. For those complaining that the A360WEs had too much, the Ap700 seems to be better in that respect. The beautiful shimmer is still there, but it doesn't feel like a strobe light anymore.
The colorwheel programming app has great potential, but still has bugs to be worked out. Based on feedback from Kessil, it will eventually allow you to make custom colors (right now, there are about 16 preset colors you can use...ten shades of blue, red, pink, purple, green, etc.).
Kessil customer support has been excellent.

CONS:

I can understand delays with the programming app, but why a glass mounted bracket wasn't available at launch is beyond me! I don't like hanging my lights, and I don't use a canopy...so I searched and found some third party options. I just bought these for my tank:
The programming app has too many bugs. Once everything works right, it will be a great app...but for now it's very frustrating to use.

SUMMARY:

If I was buying a light for a small cube, I would recommend the Radion XR15 over the Kessil A360WE.
For my 300 gallon build, I have the Kessil AP700 and am very pleased with the light. The combination of color, coverage, shimmer, and price make it a better option for me. If the programming app was working properly, I'd say there's no doubt about this choice.
And I'm not saying the A360WEs are bad; they are good lights. I'm just giving an honest comparison as to how the Radion is better...and how the AP700 vastly improves on it.
This is my opinion, for what it's worth. Please "like" if you found this helpful.

Alex villa · Nov 21, 2015

What mount is that I love it

Scubabum · Nov 21, 2015

Alex villa said:
What mount is that I love it

Its a LeRusso mount. I just put one on my tank. It's Awesome!

1stNoel · Nov 21, 2015

Scubabum said:
Its a LeRusso mount. I just put one on my tank. It's Awesome!

"They're the best...around!"

Eckolancer · Nov 22, 2015

I'm running 3-360s on my 4 ft tank and have been thinking about switching. But I have a future plan of upgrading to a 5ft tank not sure I can justify 2 of them when 3-360s work just fine.

scardall · Nov 22, 2015

I have a 4' 75g tank. do you guys think One Kessil AP700 cover well enough or do I really need 2 of them. I have a wooden hood. Presently this:

ermartin · Nov 22, 2015

scardall said:
I have a 4' 75g tank. do you guys think One Kessil AP700 cover well enough or do I really need 2 of them. I have a wooden hood. Presently this:

your going to need 2. especially since you have the high rock wall... As I also have. The obstructions with the line of sight of the beam will create more shadowing than I know I could live with

1stNoel · Nov 22, 2015

Eckolancer said:
I'm running 3-360s on my 4 ft tank and have been thinking about switching. But I have a future plan of upgrading to a 5ft tank not sure I can justify 2 of them when 3-360s work just fine.

I'm not saying to switch your set-up. The A360WEs are beautiful lights. The AP700 vastly improves on it, so if you were buying new I would recommend you spend the extra money and get the AP700. There is a noticeable difference between the two lights. Nice tank BTW!

IronVulture · Nov 22, 2015

scardall said:
I have a 4' 75g tank. do you guys think One Kessil AP700 cover well enough or do I really need 2 of them. I have a wooden hood. Presently this:

You can probably get away with one if you also supplement it with some t5 but if you wanted full coverage for sps dominated tank you would need two

1stNoel · Nov 22, 2015

scardall said:
I have a 4' 75g tank. do you guys think One Kessil AP700 cover well enough or do I really need 2 of them. I have a wooden hood. Presently this:

One works perfect for your tank. Kessil recommended 2 for my 8 ft - 300 gallon tank, which is both deeper and wider than your tank. I asked Kessil about my set-up, and whether I should supplement the 2 units with my A360WE pendants, or use an AP700 in the middle with 2 A360WEs on the ends. They recommended 2 AP700s for the entire tank.

Here is a picture I took to try and get a feel for the spread. Keep in mind that the lamp is partially obscured by the box it's propped up on, and look at how much coverage I'm still getting from one lamp sitting 12" above my 8 ft long tank.

scardall · Nov 22, 2015

IronVulture said:
You can probably get away with one if you also supplement it with some t5 but if you wanted full coverage for sps dominated tank you would need two

What if I install the Kessil on the left with my SPS and Have both AquaRays on the right where I have LPS,zoo's,mushrooms and a clam only. A pick of the right side.