KESSIL KESSIL KESSIL !!!

[Captmcfly]

I have had it probably 3 months and the button has had zero problems for me. Only issues I have is that when I reach over it my arm rubs the sensor and the light changes but that's because I'm touching it lol

 

[vladimir4076]

So, we all know kessil lighting costs an arm and a leg. But i wanted to go with them, was wondering what kind of kessils i would need ! I have a 60 gallon reef tank 2 feet deep about four feet in length and a foot & a half wide

I have 3 A360we plenty of light running them only on 50%

 

[tgionet]

I'd go with 4 360s or an ap700 and 2 360s for a 4' tank. Shadowing is a big issue with kessils (I have an ap700 t5 combo over my 3' for full disclosure). I'm going to go with 3 ap700s and a 4 bulb t5 when I upgrade to a 180 in the near(ish) future.

 

[rabbithazen]

Kessil are notorious for burning out shortly after their 2 year warranty. I have owned 5 a360s tuna blues and 2 160 amazon sun's and in 5 years I'm down to only a single 160 amazon sun. I used to love kessil, as you can see I bought enough of them. But honestly in my experience kessils come with an expiry date and that date is about 2.5 years. With all things considered that's pretty horrible since the biggest pro to LEDs is that they are supposed to last almost forever. I have since moved on to Radion g4 pros. And have been way happier. Radions actually make enough light for acros unlike the pop can kessils. And kessils cause a ridiculous amount of shadowing to the point where I have had sps colonies die from lack of light on the shaded side of the acro.. How many people here own a pop can kessil that is more then 4 years old and still works?!

 

[madweazl]

I cant speak to the longevity of the A360s as mine aren't two years old yet but if you had things dying in your tank from them, you tried to get away with fewer lights than Kessil recommended to begin with. Two mounted 15" apart over a four foot tank will work for a mix reef if the SPS are placed smartly. Three would work very well and open up your options for just about anything regardless of placement. I ran this configuration for a little over a year without any issues. I recently went SPS dominant and supplemented with a pair of 54w T5s to combat potential shadowing issues.

The recommendation of four A360s or an A700 with a pair of A360s is ridiculous on a mixed reef of these dimensions.

 

[kilgoretrout]

It sounds like your tank is more of a 90G based on your dimensions.

That said - I'd go with a minimum of two AW360s. I run two on my 70G and it's hardly enough. But I also have acros.

Great looking tank too!

 

[ebushrow]

4ft long tank would need 2 AP700's not just 1. They have a 2'x2' spread

 

[Rimsky]

Why not consider Nanobox?

 

[1stNoel]

I own both the AW360s and the AP700s. From hands-on experience, the difference in color pop between the AP700 and the AW360 is extremely noticeable. Plus the AP700 has so many more features. For the price, go with the AP700.

Look up some of my posts and you'll see pictures of the AP700 spread over my 300 gallon tank (8 ft wide). As far as power, you'll run the light at way less power than its 100% max (if you plan on keeping a mixed reef).

 

[ZAB]

Ati make t-5 led fixture...
Bulk reef supply also have some t-5 retro kits that you could hook up some leds...black Friday is just around the corner can sometimes pick up on some sweet deals...if you join there preferred reefer..you can get 10 time reward points on the 3rd Wednesday of each month..if you use pay pal can get 6 months no interest. .can save hgourself some serious cheddar. .I have also seen here on reef2reef ati have a scratch and dent lights with a considerable discount. ..

 

[Isabella rubalcaba]

Ati make t-5 led fixture...
Bulk reef supply also have some t-5 retro kits that you could hook up some leds...black Friday is just around the corner can sometimes pick up on some sweet deals...if you join there preferred reefer..you can get 10 time reward points on the 3rd Wednesday of each month..if you use pay pal can get 6 months no interest. .can save hgourself some serious cheddar. .I have also seen here on reef2reef ati have a scratch and dent lights with a considerable discount. ..

I own both the AW360s and the AP700s. From hands-on experience, the difference in color pop between the AP700 and the AW360 is extremely noticeable. Plus the AP700 has so many more features. For the price, go with the AP700.

Look up some of my posts and you'll see pictures of the AP700 spread over my 300 gallon tank (8 ft wide). As far as power, you'll run the light at way less power than its 100% max (if you plan on keeping a mixed reef).

Why not consider Nanobox?

4ft long tank would need 2 AP700's not just 1. They have a 2'x2' spread

Kessil are notorious for burning out shortly after their 2 year warranty. I have owned 5 a360s tuna blues and 2 160 amazon sun's and in 5 years I'm down to only a single 160 amazon sun. I used to love kessil, as you can see I bought enough of them. But honestly in my experience kessils come with an expiry date and that date is about 2.5 years. With all things considered that's pretty horrible since the biggest pro to LEDs is that they are supposed to last almost forever. I have since moved on to Radion g4 pros. And have been way happier. Radions actually make enough light for acros unlike the pop can kessils. And kessils cause a ridiculous amount of shadowing to the point where I have had sps colonies die from lack of light on the shaded side of the acro.. How many people here own a pop can kessil that is more then 4 years old and still works?!

Wow thank you all for joing in on the thread ! Good topics & opinions, very helpful .. im actually going to make a new threwd covering my final decision & will reveal with what i went for !!! Thank you all !!!

 

[lou dog420]

For SPS on a 4 foot tank you will need atleast 3 pendants.

 

[K100286]

Would like to clarify a comment couple of answers. 1) 2 360's do not equal 1 ap700. The people at Kessil told me that the ap700 is equal to 4 360's. 2. The spread is not 24in by 24in. Kessil states that for sps the spread is 36 by 36 and for lps and soft corals 48 by 48.

 

[HB AL]

I see some people say 160's or 360's don't grow acros well, please don't tell mine that, for me they seem to do just fine growing acros and anything else I throw in the tank. Only thing that doesn't seem to grow well under my 160's is any kind of nuisance algae, the softies, lps and acros are all thriving and growing under my Kessils.

 

[K100286]

Very nice tank. Any reason you have 5 160's instead of 360's or even the ap700's? And yes I don't know why there are those who question the ability of Kessil lights to grow any type of coral? The company has told me they are working on literature to help dispel all the misinformation you see on these forums.

 

[HB AL]

Very nice tank. Any reason you have 5 160's instead of 360's or even the ap700's? And yes I don't know why there are those who question the ability of Kessil lights to grow any type of coral? The company has told me they are working on literature to help dispel all the misinformation you see on these forums.

Well before this tank i had a smaller one with 2 160's on it and had great results and liked the look not to mention not needing a chiller. Then i got my current tank so i bought a couple more. Then after the tank was completely cycled and growing corals i was at the lfs and bought 1 more to add just for giggles. So thats how i ended up with the 5 160's. As far as the look of the lights in the tank and success of how corals grow under them i can say for sure they work really good. Bottom line i love the way they illuminate the tank and the corals like em so i ask myself why change to the latest and greatest. I think the fish(all 15 of them) actually like em too as they are all fat and sassy

 

[madweazl]

I think many LEDs in general get blamed for our shortcomings as reefers.

 

[minus9]

I think many LEDs in general get blamed for our shortcomings as reefers.

I can't stress this enough. You can grow virtually any coral with LED's or any suitable light (T5, MH, etc..), but if you can't keep the water, then all of this doesn't matter. Also, if you don't know how everything works in a system, water chemistry, flow, lighting, nutrients and so on, then it's just a guessing game. You can be successful for a period of time, but you really don't know why and when the crash comes, you're surprised it's happening.
Anyway, back on topic. Kessil's are great lights (as are many others), but know how to use them for your system and you'll be fine.

 

[SomethingCool]

Agree 100%. Its all about knowing your system. Imo Kessils are great lights providing u understand your tank and each lights capabilities.

 

[SomethingCool]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170830/82a84744224e60479618646c8e49d161.jpg[/IMGIMG
I've had good growth from everything from acros at the top right under the light to yumas hiding off in the corner and everything else between lol all in a 28g hex under one a80 tuna blue with mindful placement of each specimen