Kessil H380 Grow Light is Crazy Good!

[apt220]

I read a few reviews on BRS sight and here about this light and everything I read was great except the price. Yeah was not overly thrilled about paying that to grow chaeto. However, I took the plunge and WOW am I glad I did. In the first week the chaeto doubled in size and filled my fuge. I left it there another week and it became this thick mat. Pulled 3/4 of it out yesterday and am amazed at how thick it was. When I spread out the remaining quarter of the chaeto it is now about the size when I first got the light 2 weeks ago. I really don't think I am exaggerating....this light is just that good. Beats the heck out of the clip-on light with the led grow bulb I had on it previously. I have it on a 12 hour schedule opposite the tank lights.

Awesome! Have you noticed a difference in algae in the display tank? How about any difference in nitrate and phosphate?

Gets me to thinking if chaeto responds this well to a great light, what will my corals do if I go from a 4 bulb T5 to a couple Radion G4 lights!

I'm just not so sure it's that simple with corals

 

[Lasse]

One remarks concerning whitening of Chaeto. It could be caused by too much oxygen in the micro environment surrounding the Chaeto. The photosynthesis produce too much oxygen (because of the heavy lighting) and if it not transported away rather quickly – active oxygen radicals will be formed. Try to rise the flow through the Chaeto or aerate the whole system

Sincerely lasse

 

[jdog1989]

Question wouldn't The H80 be a good enough and cheaper option for sumps?

 

[dangros]

I'm sure it can grow some but will it be enough to matter? It will certainly have a tougher time competing against the much stronger lights in the DT.
I'm ditching the tiny lights for ever after putting the larger Kessil on the fuge. BRS has a nice video on it.

 

[jdog1989]

I actually have The H80 on my Fuge , Radions on DT, Chaeto growing Great.

 

[Water Dog]

I just ordered an H80 too. Hopefully it will suffice for the 10Lx8Wx14H fuge area of my Eshopps R-200 sump. I'll be dripping my CaRx effluent into that section so hopefully the excess CO2 will help grow the chaeto as well.

 

[Behnken]

I was also amazed ar how fast the Chaeto grew after adding the H380. I stir up the chaeto every couple of nights to keep all sides of it under the light.

 

[apt220]

Just wondering though has anyone noticed better results in the display or does it just grow chaeto really well?

 

[hart24601]

Just wondering though has anyone noticed better results in the display or does it just grow chaeto really well?

I have noticed a reduction in algae in the display since adding the 380. It was never much before, but I gave away a urchin and couple turbos as I didn't think they are getting enough food now.

 

[Deniss]

I wonder if chaeto works the same way as corals, where the photo synthesis actually drops down when you go above 300 par.

 

[hart24601]

I wonder if chaeto works the same way as corals, where the photo synthesis actually drops down when you go above 300 par.

I would suspect it (and many types of macros) reacts more similar to freshwater and terrestrial plants rather than coral. However it's still a complex process with many variables and even with other plants some species have lighting preferences (to lower intensity) I would say based off the BRS videos that chaeto grows well, provided all else is met, under what would be near sunlight levels 1500-2000 PAR as the h380 puts out around 1500 PAR 12" away and it performed much better in BRS tests then other weaker lights.

 

[Deniss]

I'm working with a reactor, and led strip wrapped around. I have it set at 50 PAR now, when i max the lights out i can go up to a good 300 PAR. But this looks crazy much to the eye and the chaeto becomes transparant green, you can see through it. Maybe the reactor works different as you re lighting the chaeto from all angles? With a fuge the top layer gets most of the light i guess.

I'm running 6500 Kelvin btw.

 

[hart24601]

It's pretty hard to make a direct comparison between the two, flow rates for nutrient exchange and heat build up in the various layers plus the difficulty of measuring PAR in an enclosed reactor from 360 degrees. If I don't have a lot of flow on the chaeto, with two powerheads I use in the sump, it will suffer damage under the 1500 plus PAR, however with enough circulation the middle under the direct intensity does grow faster. The H380 penetrates very well with all that power directed down, plus my sump is white so it is really, really bright.

 

[Deniss]

So do you suggest turning the PAR up ? I can understand the burning if there isn't enough flow around, i'm prob not going to have this in a reactor.
Might turn the PAR up and see what happens.

 

[hart24601]

Sure doesn't hurt to play around, but if it's working well it's not a big deal. There are a lot of variables so some experimentation might be best.

 

[Deniss]

Sure doesn't hurt to play around, but if it's working not a big deal.

The only concern i had was "burning" the chaeto, but after your posts and experiences. Made me more comfortable with blasting more PAR in.

 

[hart24601]

Awesome! Let us know how it goes!

 

[Alexander serrano]

My wife jus won one from BRS the one they where giving away after the investigate video. So she said to me happy birthday this what I got for you lol. Is on its way can't wait for it to get here

 

[Jrco226]

I won the H1200....haha no idea where to put it

 

[RobertP]

Congrats guys! I keep filling out those forms but blanks so far.

I am fighting a bad case of green hair algae in the dt so no, this light doesn't necessarily mean it will help. My fuge is about 5 gal and dt is 130g so its not going to stop it. I mainly use thr chaeto as a nutrient export. Already making plans for a fish room with a big 80g refuge that should make a big difference. Of course that will ne a while.
Planning to treat the gha with fluconazole tomorrow.