Kessil vs T5
- Thread starter Rileyf21
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What size of tank? What are you going to keep? What are your goals?
Couple kessils would look great. fantastic shimmer too. No bulbs to change either. If I did T5 it would have to be a LED hybrid of some sort. You could get a t5 fixture and use some LED tubes in it with the fluorescent tubes as well.
I sugest going around to some LFS and seeing some lighting in action. I'm partial to Kessil because I have them but many options out there.
I sugest going around to some LFS and seeing some lighting in action. I'm partial to Kessil because I have them but many options out there.
SashimiTurtle
Turtle
I run Kessil and love them. Color and shimmer are awesome, but on a larger tank you have to run almost one per foot to get rid of the shadowing a single point source of light has. In the coverage war, T5 is king but there is no depth or shimmer to the tank. It just looks stagnant. I would suggest going this route with T5 AND Kessil 360s...
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/li...-hybrid-t5ho-fixture-with-led-mounting-system
http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/li...-hybrid-t5ho-fixture-with-led-mounting-system
Good idea. Thank! Guess I just have to see what looks the best and see it on other tanks.
mcarroll
10K Club member
If you're not necessarily a T5 fan, then I can't recommend getting on the bandwagon now in 2017. If you were a fan, I would just say that any spotlight (Kessil or otherwise) is going to look dramatically different than T5's, but I'd still suggest going with the Kessils.
I think that's a minimal setup for that large of a tank though...it'll work, but you'll have a more limited range of intensity. Not a big deal for most corals, but clams might like more light than that.
See if you can find some 120G's that have your prosposed setup of two 360's and some that have more than two Kessils on top just to compare them.
I think that's a minimal setup for that large of a tank though...it'll work, but you'll have a more limited range of intensity. Not a big deal for most corals, but clams might like more light than that.
See if you can find some 120G's that have your prosposed setup of two 360's and some that have more than two Kessils on top just to compare them.
I am running t5 and 1 kessil over a 3-ft 70 and i love it. 2 kessils and 4 retrofit t5's over a 120 would be perfect imo
If you have a brace in the middle, then you might not be able to do three kessils and might end up with four. Don't underestimate the shadows and the narrow band of high output light that is only really directly underneath them. They do not spread very well at all. That being said, if you place stuff appropriately and plan ahead, this might be fine with only two - the stuff that you listed is not too light demanding.
The T5s will do quite well and they are easy and just work - 4 or 6 bulb would be fine. Bulbs do need replaced, but with lower light demanding inhabitants, you could go 18 months if you wanted.
When factoring your costs, cap the LED costs at 5 years and three is you are a gear-head and like to upgrade.. If people scoff at this, ask them how old their panels are... nearly nobody has panels older than 5 years.
Don't go to the LFS and don't look at what stores, suppliers and manufacturers use - they have different goals than you and often will use what they sell or got for free in agreement to schill for somebody, not because it is best. If you have a local club, go and see some tanks with folks who spend their own money - try and see a few with different kinds of lights.
The T5s will do quite well and they are easy and just work - 4 or 6 bulb would be fine. Bulbs do need replaced, but with lower light demanding inhabitants, you could go 18 months if you wanted.
When factoring your costs, cap the LED costs at 5 years and three is you are a gear-head and like to upgrade.. If people scoff at this, ask them how old their panels are... nearly nobody has panels older than 5 years.
Don't go to the LFS and don't look at what stores, suppliers and manufacturers use - they have different goals than you and often will use what they sell or got for free in agreement to schill for somebody, not because it is best. If you have a local club, go and see some tanks with folks who spend their own money - try and see a few with different kinds of lights.
