To swap or not to swap

[KnightReefer19]

Hello fellow RC users, have I got a question for you! All I seek are opinions so no one is wrong or right. So here's the question, Kessil a160w or ATI t5 fixture? Now, just as some background I've been using 1 a160w on my 30 gallon so far for about 3 months now and everything is thriving and doing exceedingly well. I've been using KZ additives which are making the colors really pop in my colors especially towards the night time when my tank is really blue. Now I do not NEED to switch my lights, it's just an idea of mine. The first tank I started out with I used a quad lamp t5 and had fish and coral thriving, I had coralline algae growing everywhere, every inch of my tank was lighted, it was breathtaking. I still have the same success with my Kessil but no coralline. I've read that people don't always have success with growing coralline under LED's but some do so I decided why not ask my fellow reefers. I'm starting over fresh on this new tank so brand new corals and fish so they're not entirely adjusted to me having them under LED lighting. I only have lps in it now but do plan on getting sps later on down the road. Would you fellow reefers recommend keeping my Kessil or maybe getting that t5 fixture. I want something dimmable like this Kessil without breaking the bank. I want control and I'm really a big fan of the way my Kessil dims with my controller because it looks very natural with the sunrise to sunset affect I have going on with it right now. Remember, all comments are welcome and no wrong answers here. Only opinions and advice


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[carlos danger]

Hello fellow RC users, have I got a question for you! All I seek are opinions so no one is wrong or right. So here's the question, Kessil a160w or ATI t5 fixture? Now, just as some background I've been using 1 a160w on my 30 gallon so far for about 3 months now and everything is thriving and doing exceedingly well. I've been using KZ additives which are making the colors really pop in my colors especially towards the night time when my tank is really blue. Now I do not NEED to switch my lights, it's just an idea of mine. The first tank I started out with I used a quad lamp t5 and had fish and coral thriving, I had coralline algae growing everywhere, every inch of my tank was lighted, it was breathtaking. I still have the same success with my Kessil but no coralline. I've read that people don't always have success with growing coralline under LED's but some do so I decided why not ask my fellow reefers. I'm starting over fresh on this new tank so brand new corals and fish so they're not entirely adjusted to me having them under LED lighting. I only have lps in it now but do plan on getting sps later on down the road. Would you fellow reefers recommend keeping my Kessil or maybe getting that t5 fixture. I want something dimmable like this Kessil without breaking the bank. I want control and I'm really a big fan of the way my Kessil dims with my controller because it looks very natural with the sunrise to sunset affect I have going on with it right now. Remember, all comments are welcome and no wrong answers here. Only opinions and advice


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Corraline grows best under more blue and less whites. Color blends are tough with LED's. I think coraline grows best under t5's and metal halides. I personally love Phoenix 14k's with ATI blue plus and true actinics.

The photons are a smaller more focused point with LED's where T5's and Halides I think spread out the light and it absorbs better. No shadowing. Kessels are a great supplemental light but I think combining 2 different light sources or 3 is best.:wave:

[azjohnny]

Corraline grows best under more blue and less whites

I agree with this. Recently my corralline has grown the best where the is natural sunlight hitting the DT

[Cabo2008]

When I was running Kessils, I had them very blue most of the time and coraline algae was growing so fast it was annoying.........it was everywhere.

As for whether to stay with the Kessl or switch to the T5's, T5's will be easier to use since there's not as much adjustment (in my opinion anyway). I like the power savings LED's bring and while it's a lot of back and forth with finding the right settings, you can grow pretty much anything under them if you spend the time.

[KnightReefer19]

Alright alright, so any input on the ATI dimmable t5 fixture?


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