Lighting suggestions
- Thread starter T33BLACK
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Biokabe
Valuable Member
My recommendation? Don't choose between T5 and Kessil (or some other LED fixture). Get both.
Aquatic Life (and possibly one or two others) make a T5 fixture with space in the middle to mount LED fixtures in between. Using that really lets you have the best of both worlds... the T5 bulbs give even coverage and consistent color across the tank, and the LEDs give strong PAR as the main drivers of your lighting. You can use Kessil pendants, Radions, Hydras or just about any other LED fixture in the center. For your tank, I'd probably go with 3-4 of the new Kessil 360X if you wanted to go with Kessil, or 3-4 Radion XR15 G5 (blue or pro, depending on your spectrum preferences).
It's definitely not the cheapest option, but it'll give great coverage and performance.
Aquatic Life (and possibly one or two others) make a T5 fixture with space in the middle to mount LED fixtures in between. Using that really lets you have the best of both worlds... the T5 bulbs give even coverage and consistent color across the tank, and the LEDs give strong PAR as the main drivers of your lighting. You can use Kessil pendants, Radions, Hydras or just about any other LED fixture in the center. For your tank, I'd probably go with 3-4 of the new Kessil 360X if you wanted to go with Kessil, or 3-4 Radion XR15 G5 (blue or pro, depending on your spectrum preferences).
It's definitely not the cheapest option, but it'll give great coverage and performance.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
I have the a360w. The 160s are made for nano and only cover half the coverage (12x24) of the 360s (24x24). I agree with the previous post that hybrid t5 led is the best option. However the price reflects it.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
With 4 kessil 360s you would be able to grow just about anything. Only difference between straight LED and hybrid T5s is that you would have to keep SPS toward the higher areas of the tank rather than absolutely anywhere.
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T33BLACK
Active Member
Yea hybrid does seem the way to governing pricey but worth it in the long run. I'm looking at the aquatic life 61" hybrid. Would it be OK if I got that and just ran the T5 's for now until I could save up to get the LEDs
I guess that I don't get the comparison. Are black boxes the chevy and Kessil the Ferrari? A Kessil 360 is only 90 watts, at full power including the fan. Your black boxes actually have more power and better coverage.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Black boxes are poorly made. They provide high par but not much coverage. May be 600 right under the light but 80 off to the side. Some have caught fire, usually last a year or so. I started with them and went to kessil. The difference is night and day.
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T33BLACK
Active Member
I have been very happy with my mars aqua for about 3 years now zero problems so definitely got my money worth. I just feel the corals need a better spectrum of light possibly and the color on Mars is not as pleasing as other options. For example the blues on my mars aqua are just like ridiculously blue almost to fake looking and not many options to adjust them even with the whites.
Jekyl
GSP is the devil and clowns are bad pets
Depends on what you're trying to accomplish. I have 2 on my 48 but after watching the BRS video where they had 4 on a 48 there's much better coverage. YouTube the brstv investigates kessil and decide how you feel.
What!? They didn't break after 1 year or burn your house down!?
Mywifeisgunnakillme
Valuable Member
160's have less spread and do not penetrate as far (half the wattage) and lack some extra spectrum (basically older light, but still very good spectrum, better than most LEDs).
If you tank is less than say 20 inches deep, the 160's are fine for penetration, unless you want SPS on the very bottom. One 160 ever 18-24 inches would be just fine for softies and some LPS, SPS at the top. Every 16 to 18 inches for lots of LPS, some SPS mid way down, would be fine. Every 12 inches and you can SPS just about anywhere in tank less than 20 inches IMO.
For 360's the tank could be say 30 inches deep. For softies and some LPS, every 24-30 inches, SPS at very top. LPS and SPS mid way down, softies at the bottom/mid level or between lights, every 20-24 inches. SPS everywhere, LPS and softies, between lights, go with 360's every 12-16 inches.
BAsic guidelines above. Rent a par meter and adjust coral placement based on those number actually read. The nice thing about kessils is that the spectrum is very healthy for corals so it's just about not frying corals with par..
