brettinteriors
09/03/2012, 09:41 PM
This is Josh reviewing Kessil's a150w ocean blue, and a350, adjustable, tuna blue series led lights. Let me first say that I love, and now own, both of these units. As an avid reefaholic lighting is always on the surface of my mind Being one of the most important aspects of a reef both for health and appearance of livestock. There are a lot of lighting options out there and most, if not all, have had their positives and negatives. In the past I have stuck to t5 units based on proven results and large selection of bulb colors and combinations. Having been leary of led lights because of their newness, initial expense and limited color range I now see the future of reef lighting has arrived.
Let me start with the a150w. I have been using this as a stand alone unit for the better part of a year on a Cardif 28 gallon aquarium. I assume the w on the 150 stands for wide as it does on the 350 however, the 150 only comes as the w version. It has excelent coverage for an aquarium of the Cardiffs size and depth. The cardiff thmeasures 23x23x30. Initially I was wary of any coral other than lower light varieties but after everything I added had such excelent growth I have since added everything from softies up to some sps often with better growth than my 8bulb t5 at home. Heat gone, bulb changes-no more. Noise nope. I just love it. It has the shimmer of halide lighting without the hassle. The color output on this unit makes certain corals look insane. Greens, oranges, and floresant corals glow. Other colors like blue and purple are not as impressive. Overall I am extremely happy with it. The Kessil a150 with the Cardiff has been an incredibly easy and worry free setup.
At home I have a 140 gallon half round aquarium with an 8 bulb t5 unit. I am sure most of you are familiar with bulb changes, heat, and fans. The fact that it is like trying to fit a square in a half round hole left me with the sides of my reef not able to support most coral. The Kessils are a no brainer. I went with the 150 w on my medium light side and the 350 on my higher light side.
The a350 has blown me away. I'm sold and led's are my future. The a350 comes in two versions. The the a 350 and a350w wich has a wider spread and is recommended for tanks 24 inches or less in depth. I chose the a350, which kessil recommend for tanks more than 24inches or corals that need intense light. The a350 still has a spread that is comparable with the 150 but has a few major differences. It simply has two knobs to adjust the color and intensity. One for 10k and the other for actinic. Simple but amazingly effective. I spent some time playing with this and the vibrancy I have been able to get out of my coral is like nothing I have ever seen. The dullness I have experienced with other LEDs is gone. It has the intensity and look of a metal halide with the adjustability of,well, led! This thing is powerfull. At the bottom of my 30 inch deep tank the kessil is visually brighter than my 8 bulb t5. Not to mention I can get the exact color I like with the simple turn of a knob. I cannot stress enough how good this light is. It is a standalone with the power to grow anything.
Summary
A150w
Pros
Compact-think small can of soup size
No heat
No bulb changes
Long life without light output or color spectrum change
Shimmer like halides
Low energy costs-32 watts
Powerfull enough for most, if not all coral depending on depth
Cons
Light spectrum and brightness not adjustable
Not powerfull enough for deeper tanks.
A350/a350w
Pros
Compact-slightly larger than a can of soup.
Low/no heat
Incredible powerfull-much brighter at my 30 inch depth than my 8buld t5 unit.
Shimmer like halides
Color vibrancy and adjustability
No bulb changes
Long life without light output or color spectrum change
Flexibility- powerfull enough for anything yet dimable for use on smaller tanks or lower light corals.
Energy efficient
Cons......
See below picture of light spread with my t5 off. A350 left a150w right
Sent from my alien robot via triplanorum
Let me start with the a150w. I have been using this as a stand alone unit for the better part of a year on a Cardif 28 gallon aquarium. I assume the w on the 150 stands for wide as it does on the 350 however, the 150 only comes as the w version. It has excelent coverage for an aquarium of the Cardiffs size and depth. The cardiff thmeasures 23x23x30. Initially I was wary of any coral other than lower light varieties but after everything I added had such excelent growth I have since added everything from softies up to some sps often with better growth than my 8bulb t5 at home. Heat gone, bulb changes-no more. Noise nope. I just love it. It has the shimmer of halide lighting without the hassle. The color output on this unit makes certain corals look insane. Greens, oranges, and floresant corals glow. Other colors like blue and purple are not as impressive. Overall I am extremely happy with it. The Kessil a150 with the Cardiff has been an incredibly easy and worry free setup.
At home I have a 140 gallon half round aquarium with an 8 bulb t5 unit. I am sure most of you are familiar with bulb changes, heat, and fans. The fact that it is like trying to fit a square in a half round hole left me with the sides of my reef not able to support most coral. The Kessils are a no brainer. I went with the 150 w on my medium light side and the 350 on my higher light side.
The a350 has blown me away. I'm sold and led's are my future. The a350 comes in two versions. The the a 350 and a350w wich has a wider spread and is recommended for tanks 24 inches or less in depth. I chose the a350, which kessil recommend for tanks more than 24inches or corals that need intense light. The a350 still has a spread that is comparable with the 150 but has a few major differences. It simply has two knobs to adjust the color and intensity. One for 10k and the other for actinic. Simple but amazingly effective. I spent some time playing with this and the vibrancy I have been able to get out of my coral is like nothing I have ever seen. The dullness I have experienced with other LEDs is gone. It has the intensity and look of a metal halide with the adjustability of,well, led! This thing is powerfull. At the bottom of my 30 inch deep tank the kessil is visually brighter than my 8 bulb t5. Not to mention I can get the exact color I like with the simple turn of a knob. I cannot stress enough how good this light is. It is a standalone with the power to grow anything.
Summary
A150w
Pros
Compact-think small can of soup size
No heat
No bulb changes
Long life without light output or color spectrum change
Shimmer like halides
Low energy costs-32 watts
Powerfull enough for most, if not all coral depending on depth
Cons
Light spectrum and brightness not adjustable
Not powerfull enough for deeper tanks.
A350/a350w
Pros
Compact-slightly larger than a can of soup.
Low/no heat
Incredible powerfull-much brighter at my 30 inch depth than my 8buld t5 unit.
Shimmer like halides
Color vibrancy and adjustability
No bulb changes
Long life without light output or color spectrum change
Flexibility- powerfull enough for anything yet dimable for use on smaller tanks or lower light corals.
Energy efficient
Cons......
See below picture of light spread with my t5 off. A350 left a150w right
Sent from my alien robot via triplanorum