KESSIL VS CHINESE BLACK BOX

[Reeferguy365]

Corals are happy and polyp out just fine and I only spent $240 for both lights and they have built-in timers and A 2 year warranty

and this is on the bottom of my tank

 

[elisa h]

@elisa h Did ALL you Guys forget the little Lady.
elisa a short time ago i too was looking for my first Led lights and it was very confusing and i stumbled into the same battle fields , as you can see all the lights will perform, get what you like, I went with Kessils and bought the controller but now i never use it, did you check out the videos at bulk reef supply and marine depot , good place to start. FYI i just bought 2 Radion xr15's for a frag tank i'm building, check out the videos. good luck

How did the kessils work for you? Also let me know how you like the radions, those could also be an option for me. My LFS was trying to get me to go with them

 

[McArcher]

Beautiful! I'm still debating just pulling the trigger and buying the kessils.. for the clean look, simplicity, and all the success stories. The main thing stopping me is blowing another 100 on a little controller.. with that money you could buy a bb light that comes with a controller.. just seems like they are trying to milk the most money they can out of you. Do you think it's necessary to have the controller with the kessils?

If you have an Apex, you don't need the controller. If you don't, you will eventually so you can just run it on lamp timers until you get your Apex.

 

[elisa h]

For that tank you would only need one black box and I would go with the viparspectra or bloomspect they are both on Amazon and qualify for Amazon prime I use 2 of the bloomspect's over my 180 and they work great. I run my blues at 100% and my whites at 12% my sps is growing and lps look great

Your tank looks great!

 

[Reeferguy365]

Your tank looks great!

Thanks! It's a fun work in progress

 

[Reeferguy365]

This is my 29 BioCube with the standard SB Black Box light. It's more of a softy tank like what you want so just my two cents I'd save the money on lights and spend it on Coral lol

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'd save the money on lights and spend it on Coral lol

Winner winner chicken dinner!!!

 

[elisa h]

This is my 29 BioCube with the standard SB Black Box light. It's more of a softy tank like what you want so just my two cents I'd save the money on lights and spend it on Coral lol

Sounds good to me! I think I will go with a black box.. your tanks are proof that they sure do work. And if anything I can always upgrade in the future

 

[spiraling]

How did the kessils work for you? Also let me know how you like the radions, those could also be an option for me. My LFS was trying to get me to go with them

I had compact PC (came with red sea 35 gallon), and have upgraded that tank to radion xr15.
I have a 40 breeder with an ocean revive light (chinese BB off amazon). Ive had it 3+ years without issue.
I have a reefer 525 with 3 radion xr30
(I will have a kessil refugium light in about an hour, but I cant yet compare them)


the pc (and any T5s) will have a softer lighting and more dispersed. No shimmer. good all over coverage.
The one xr15 tends to look like a spotlight if the rest of the house lights are off. (This is also due to having it only 4" off the water, any led you can raise up will help disperse the light)
The 3 XR30s get rid of the spotlight (because of the multiples) and have shimmer. Some like the shimmer, some don't. Kessil, I have heard, has a better shimmer, more uniform. The radions sorta have little colors all over.
If you have "hockey puck" lights you have to have more so you get more overlap without shadowing. Both the kessil and the radions try to dispurse the light, but they are still hockey pucks. I would take two hockey puck syle over 1, just to help with shadowing.
The Ocean Revive does not have the spotlight, but you have some different colors in different parts of the tank because of the spread of colored LEDs. some areas are a bit red, some blue, etc. But it still looks good to me.

ALL will grow all types of coral. All of my LEDs are turned down about half way so I don't bleach everything, so you should have plenty of power on the deeper tank with any newer LED for any type of coral (or clam or whatever)

I chose the radions for my big tank because I like the look and control (I have the reeflink which makes them wifi because I have 4 lights, 3 power heads, and 1 pump that are ecotech) I can change the color spectrum for coral growth and my viewing pleasure.

Since any of the lights will really work for your tank, I would decide what is important to you. After you get them set you never really adjust them. You do need timers.

If I was starting out again I would get a reputable BB (or other inexpensive light) and save the rest of the money for things you don't even know you need yet. When you change to your dream build (we all upgrade at some point!) then you will have a better / different idea and newer technologies to choose from. Remember that the LED lights are developing fast and in two years no matter what you buy will be obsolete and considered a piece of junk. But it will still grow fantastic corals.

 

[Bob Escher]

I agree it's all about pricing but I Radions and yes they are pricey but for the co trol?
8 Channels plus intensity can't be beat

 

[siggy]

@reefguy amazing corals you and all the other gladiators batteling no dout have the success with what your doingbut i for one have to consider aesthetics and mounting to pass muster and the black box did not pass, as for the newly acquired xr15's im combining with the t5 framing sys aqualife is due to release

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

@reefguy amazing corals you and all the other gladiators batteling no dout have the success with what your doingbut i for one have to consider aesthetics and mounting to pass muster and the black box did not pass, as for the newly acquired xr15's im combining with the t5 framing sys aqualife is due to release

Yea the new SBreeflight did change their look with the release of the ultra. Pretty sleek now.like a max razor. Hopefully the same exact spectrum. Kept the multi emitter array too to combat the shading and dead spots of the pucks.
Reefbreeders did the same with the last Release as well.

The puck are turning to small diffusers to gain spread but it's still a small source.

 

[Eddie7144]

i got reef radiance black boxes over my 150, I got sps ,lips, softies and a clam,all doing well. Although when I upgrade I'm gonna go kessil may e radio, reputation and customer service is important. I've had the RR fixtures for like three years and never an issue. so my 2 cent will be to go with what u can afford and enjoy the hobby.

 

[elisa h]

I had compact PC (came with red sea 35 gallon), and have upgraded that tank to radion xr15.
I have a 40 breeder with an ocean revive light (chinese BB off amazon). Ive had it 3+ years without issue.
I have a reefer 525 with 3 radion xr30
(I will have a kessil refugium light in about an hour, but I cant yet compare them)


the pc (and any T5s) will have a softer lighting and more dispersed. No shimmer. good all over coverage.
The one xr15 tends to look like a spotlight if the rest of the house lights are off. (This is also due to having it only 4" off the water, any led you can raise up will help disperse the light)
The 3 XR30s get rid of the spotlight (because of the multiples) and have shimmer. Some like the shimmer, some don't. Kessil, I have heard, has a better shimmer, more uniform. The radions sorta have little colors all over.
If you have "hockey puck" lights you have to have more so you get more overlap without shadowing. Both the kessil and the radions try to dispurse the light, but they are still hockey pucks. I would take two hockey puck syle over 1, just to help with shadowing.
The Ocean Revive does not have the spotlight, but you have some different colors in different parts of the tank because of the spread of colored LEDs. some areas are a bit red, some blue, etc. But it still looks good to me.

ALL will grow all types of coral. All of my LEDs are turned down about half way so I don't bleach everything, so you should have plenty of power on the deeper tank with any newer LED for any type of coral (or clam or whatever)

I chose the radions for my big tank because I like the look and control (I have the reeflink which makes them wifi because I have 4 lights, 3 power heads, and 1 pump that are ecotech) I can change the color spectrum for coral growth and my viewing pleasure.

Since any of the lights will really work for your tank, I would decide what is important to you. After you get them set you never really adjust them. You do need timers.

If I was starting out again I would get a reputable BB (or other inexpensive light) and save the rest of the money for things you don't even know you need yet. When you change to your dream build (we all upgrade at some point!) then you will have a better / different idea and newer technologies to choose from. Remember that the LED lights are developing fast and in two years no matter what you buy will be obsolete and considered a piece of junk. But it will still grow fantastic corals.

Thank you for all of the good advice

 

[Christopher Davis]

Kessil because in this hobby cheap can be a nightmare spend that coral coin lol

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I have both SB Reef and Kessil and ill say it's like comparing a Fiat to a Ferrari... they'll both get you from a to b, but the Kessil is way better at it. S B Reefs will grow coral but there's the disco ball effect(even with the lenses removed) and you can't beat the look a Kessil gives a tank. If you haven't owned a Kessil, you don't know what that look is, and once you've had the look you don't want to give it up.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have both SB Reef and Kessil and ill say it's like comparing a Fiat to a Ferrari... they'll both get you from a to b, but the Kessil is way better at it. S B Reefs will grow coral but there's the disco ball effect(even with the lenses removed) and you can't beat the look a Kessil gives a tank. If you haven't owned a Kessil, you don't know what that look is, and once you've had the look you don't want to give it up.

Why would you call a kessil a fiat?
Fiat releases the specs on all their models. .

Aren't you having shading issues with the kessil? That was your thread wasn't it.

 

[Reefrookie220]

The corals are only a couple months old and still growing out. The tank is 2 years old, and I've only had the kessils since november-ish of last year and started adding sps corals not to long after that. . But I just wanted to show that Kessil's can handle them.

Dude, I'm sorry if the impression you got was me calling you an idiot for owning them! Not my goal in any shape or fashion.

My only point is the fact that the evidence is out on the black boxes, and I'm not seeing it with the kessils, I want to see it and I want to be proved wrong! Your sps are doing great from the looks of it, and i hope they grow basketball size.

I work in an environment where I am supposed to push reefers in the direction of purchasing kessils, but can't find the evidence to back the selling point of superiority!

Meanwhile the pics of black box gown colonies pour in!

In the end, as stated above, I want to see the evidence and photos, it'll make my job easier lol.

 

[Reefrookie220]

C'mon man, saying kessils can't grow colonies now. That's a bit ridiculous. No need to call others out. Kessil makes an awesome light, especially the AP700. What's next, because radion users have T5 supplement then that means they alone can't grow coral colonies? I use halide and T5 so I guess with your logic my halides can't grow colonies alone? Give me a break. These lighting wars are getting old.

Can I see your awesome ap700 grown colonies, please?

Bring something to the table if your gonna eat lol of course halide grows colonies, isn't this the look kessil is tying to replicate?

 

[LatinKing]

Just throwing it out there that there are black boxes with 2 year USA warranties. Also throwing it out there that mine have been going without issue for over 2 years. Be happy with whatever light you want to go with but you certainly dont have to drop crazy coin on good lights.

+1