Kessil Lights: Why is everyone selling them?

AI Hydra
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Kessil lacks power and the full spectrum. My eyes can see clearly the low light level, don't need a par meter for that.
Its like I'm not a garage mechanic but I know a flat tire when I see one.
I have (3) 360W Tuna Blue & (3) 360W Tuna Sun on my 120 gallon reef tank and the lights aren't as bright as the Giesemann. Infinity Moon fixture I had. I'm thinking of going back.
 
BRS
I'm used to seeing these type of threads pop up on RC periodically. With different manufacturers - Well if Kessil/Radion/Whatever is the popular LED then it's going to be the one you see listed for sale as used.

I've used AI Hydra, Kessil 160, 360, AP700, Radion G3, G4. My favorite lights were the AP700 - full spectrum and no need to mess with different channels. You just choose the color you want to see. I've never seen anything like the Kessil shimmer, reminds me of going to the beach when I was a kid growing up in Jamaica. Some people just want simplicity and Kessil offers that to an extent - you don't need to mess with 6 different channels.

I changed my lights because I needed two units and the software for the AP700 was terrible and I couldn't get two lights to sync and work well together and I was tired of waiting for a software update as the light had already been out a year already.

I like my Radion G4 now but I miss the Kessil shimmer. New build I'm going back to Kessils.
 
I think kessil's on a goose neck have a huge advantage: you can have a mainly T5 lit SPS tank and have the gooseneck kessils pointed in at an angle. I have seen several tanks do this really well. It helps to light all sides of the acropora and make the side view as colorful as the top-down.
 
BRS
gpwdr said:
Kessil lacks power and the full spectrum. My eyes can see clearly the low light level, don't need a par meter for that.
Its like I'm not a garage mechanic but I know a flat tire when I see one.
I have (3) 360W Tuna Blue & (3) 360W Tuna Sun on my 120 gallon reef tank and the lights aren't as bright as the Giesemann. Infinity Moon fixture I had. I'm thinking of going back.
Click to expand...

Lacks power, does a black light look bright/intense? Lacks full Spectrum, what do you define full spectrum as, because it does depend on the Degrees Kelvin. What we see as Daylight is 5500 to about 6500 and your right if you look at a 6500K full spectrum light source it will appear to the Human eye as brighter/more intense than light at 10,000K full spectrum but don't think it is less intense or powerful as the 6500K full spectrum.
 
This right here is why I dont like leds. Thats 450 each unit.

Shading is a huge problem. And the fact that you have to buy several units and configure them accordingly defeats all teh selling points of leds for me:
Are they compact, no because you have to buy a ton of them; are they really cheaper in the long run, no because you have to run a ton of them; do they really last forever, there are alot of articles coming out lately about how leds do lose efficiency over time; are they simpler to run than T%s or halides, no theyre actually alot more complex therefore not beginner friendly.

The only thing going against t5s is that MAYBE theyll cost more in power output cost each year. For me thats a smal price to pay for all the benefits.

Thats why you see so many kessils, and other leds, for sale. Theyre not practical.

I also dont think theyre as efficient at growing and coloring coral as t5s or halides. Sure they grow coral but t5s grow em faster and color em up alot better.

Even when I look at "elite" tanks and compare them against other tanks; sure theyre beautiful tanks but theyre not in the same league as those lit with more traditional, proven options.

led.jpg
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Jose Moreno said:
This right here is why I dont like leds. Thats 450 each unit.

Shading is a huge problem. And the fact that you have to buy several units and configure them accordingly defeats all teh selling points of leds for me:
Are they compact, no because you have to buy a ton of them; are they really cheaper in the long run, no because you have to run a ton of them; do they really last forever, there are alot of articles coming out lately about how leds do lose efficiency over time; are they simpler to run than T%s or halides, no theyre actually alot more complex therefore not beginner friendly.

The only thing going against t5s is that MAYBE theyll cost more in power output cost each year. For me thats a smal price to pay for all the benefits.

Thats why you see so many kessils, and other leds, for sale. Theyre not practical.

I also dont think theyre as efficient at growing and coloring coral as t5s or halides. Sure they grow coral but t5s grow em faster and color em up alot better.

Even when I look at "elite" tanks and compare them against other tanks; sure theyre beautiful tanks but theyre not in the same league as those lit with more traditional, proven options.

led.jpg
Click to expand...

I am all about running whatever you want lighting wise. But as for other light growing faster I won the acro grow out here a few years back with reef breeder value fixtures for half and AI for the other half and even had a tank transfer. There were people running t5 and MH and combos but I still won.

I like t5 but dang that bulb cost but w/e someone wants to do. My new build uses v2 reefbreeders photons to totally cover the surface.

As for color here is the 120 that coral was in. IMO lighting isn't that big of a deal now.

Although many people love their equipment I think this thread has done a pretty good job of answering the OP.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/harts-acro-growout.176670/

IMG_7261.JPG
 
I have had mine for two months now and am still learning, I have 2 360's over a 75 gallon 48x18x20" @ 12-14" above and at 50% I totally bleached out a yuma rock on the sand bed , it happened fast and had to dial it back to 40% my zoas are standing tall and my sps are getting nice polop extensions, I do see a problem with new tank mates, even putting them low on the sand and the lights set to anything other than their lowest setting you can smoke the tops if they are placed directly under the light . I would like to see a diffuser for the 360'S to even things out.
 
ReefBot Lab, Automated Water Tester
I'm noticing the only kessil that people are not happy with is the 160 and 360... I'm ordering an ap700 this week so I got my fingers crossed it'll do a 36x18x18 well
 
My 130 dollar china light dose just as good as all your kessil light. My sps, lps, and soft corals are all doing great with lots of growth. I can control it , it has sun up and sun down,it has the lunar cycle,and it grows coral just as good if not better that the kessil.set it and foget it is what i love but the price was why i bought it.
 
Mr_Banana_Pants said:
I'm noticing the only kessil that people are not happy with is the 160 and 360... I'm ordering an ap700 this week so I got my fingers crossed it'll do a 36x18x18 well
Click to expand...

It's going to look and perform incredible. I see a lot of folks here generalizing the Kessil AP700 in the same group as other LEDs. Kessils are far and away in a group of their own. Their popularity clearly demonstrates the versatility, effectiveness, aesthetics, and life like shimmer. I would not trade my AP700s for any other reef light.

I've heard Kessils can't grow coral. The shading will kill Acros. Kessils don't have power for deep tanks. AP700 is too expensive, not true because the light costs less than other highend LEDs per linear foot. One AP700 WILL cover 36" easily no problem! Hearing from other owners it's clear that all those things are false and others are either just haten or promoting their own choices naturally this occurs especially with lighting choices.
 
Top Shelf Aquatics
I have owned the other kessils but I have never seen the AP700 in person but I would very much enjoy seeing one or getting my hands on it for a couple days and looking at shadows and PAR.
 
Should be getting mine in a few days. Apparently, the AP700 is able to diffuse the spectrum to reduce or eliminate shadowing. There are also the Kessil optical kits that diffuse the light even further and reduce the shimmer somewhat. I can't wait to hook it up. I have A160s now and they are okay. Just not seeing the growth. Intensity is there like with many LEDs but the light is more direct so the spread of the PAR is not ideal.
 
hart24601 said:
I have owned the other kessils but I have never seen the AP700 in person but I would very much enjoy seeing one or getting my hands on it for a couple days and looking at shadows and PAR.
Click to expand...

Having two pucks and the built in reflectors really soften shadows.


If you take a look right here you can see and area of my Sunset Monti that doesn't receive direct light but it's growing and coloring in that area. The light is pushing light out so well in all directions that it will bounce off the glass, sand, and anything else. It does this so well that it can support SPS without getting direct light, WOW!
And here is the proof, looks darker in the photo than it really is:
ade06bc7e8ddc2b3d8baf31c31bc30de.jpg


7f7026025a4818030e3715e9453cdade.jpg
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
Tidal Gardens
The a150s were my first led and I loved them.....until I got a good deal on a radion g3 pro. The light output and adjustability makes them much better. I do still run older a150s on a few nano style tanks with good results.
 
AI Hydra

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