Kessil A360W Tuna Blue

[malx]

Anyone have experience with these lights? If so, what intensity / color mix are you running them at? How deep is your tank? How long is our photo period? I'm running two of these on a new SPS dominant tank and would love for someone to share their experience. My tank is 36 x 20 x 20.


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[ThRoewer]

I have
3 over my 100 gallon tank (surface 40 x 28, 24 tall)
2 over my 40B
1 over my sump tank (a 40B as well)
1 over my 42 CADlight

This are the settings for the first 3 tanks:
Intensity (APEX code):
tdata 00:00:00,0,0,14,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 00:05:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 08:50:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 08:55:00,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 09:00:00,0,0,15,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 11:00:00,0,0,25,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 13:00:00,0,0,60,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 15:00:00,0,0,75,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 18:00:00,0,0,75,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 20:00:00,0,0,60,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 22:00:00,0,0,25,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 23:59:00,0,0,15,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0

Color (APEX code):
tdata 09:00:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 11:00:00,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 13:30:00,0,0,35,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 15:30:00,0,0,45,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 17:30:00,0,0,45,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 19:30:00,0,0,35,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 22:00:00,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 23:59:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0

Right now the values are a bit dialed down to limit cyanos.

Some Acropora do good, while others have issues with shadowing.
Monties usually do great
Blastomussa would do fine as well if the Regals wouldn't harass them.

Gigantea carpets seem to like it as well.

Many of the issues I have may go back to nutrient levels and water chemistry.
Though I plan on adding 2 or 4 T5s to the 100 gallon tank to reduce the shadowing.

[malx]

I have
3 over my 100 gallon tank (surface 40 x 28, 24 tall)
2 over my 40B
1 over my sump tank (a 40B as well)
1 over my 42 CADlight

This are the settings for the first 3 tanks:
Intensity (APEX code):
tdata 00:00:00,0,0,14,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 00:05:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 08:50:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 08:55:00,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 09:00:00,0,0,15,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 11:00:00,0,0,25,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 13:00:00,0,0,60,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 15:00:00,0,0,75,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 18:00:00,0,0,75,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 20:00:00,0,0,60,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 22:00:00,0,0,25,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 23:59:00,0,0,15,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0

Color (APEX code):
tdata 09:00:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 11:00:00,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 13:30:00,0,0,35,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 15:30:00,0,0,45,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 17:30:00,0,0,45,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 19:30:00,0,0,35,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 22:00:00,0,0,13,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0
tdata 23:59:00,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0

Right now the values are a bit dialed down to limit cyanos.

Some Acropora do good, while others have issues with shadowing.
Monties usually do great
Blastomussa would do fine as well if the Regals wouldn't harass them.

Gigantea carpets seem to like it as well.

Many of the issues I have may go back to nutrient levels and water chemistry.
Though I plan on adding 2 or 4 T5s to the 100 gallon tank to reduce the shadowing.

Thanks. You have a much shorter photo period than I do. Do you work 9-5? tell me about why this schedule is this way? I'm just asking for a little thinking. Mine is longer but much less intense.

[Brieninsac]

I have a couple of A360W lights with the Kessil controller. This is what my current schedule looks like.

7am 20% color/15% intensity
8am 40% color/40% intensity
10am 55% color/60% intensity
5pm 55% color/60% intensity
8pm 10% color/60% intensity
9pm 0% color/0% intensity

I was running at 50% intensity for a long time. Recently I have decided to increase the intensity 5% every couple of weeks. Depending on how the corals are doing I'll adjust accordingly.

[malx]

I have a couple of A360W lights with the Kessil controller. This is what my current schedule looks like.

7am 20% color/15% intensity
8am 40% color/40% intensity
10am 55% color/60% intensity
5pm 55% color/60% intensity
8pm 10% color/60% intensity
9pm 0% color/0% intensity

I was running at 50% intensity for a long time. Recently I have decided to increase the intensity 5% every couple of weeks. Depending on how the corals are doing I'll adjust accordingly.



Why'd you decide to change? What kind of coral do you have and how does it look?


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[minus9]

I have two 160's over a 22g nano sps tank. I run them for 12hrs, 3hr ramp up, hold peak for 6hrs, then 3hr ramp down. I run them with T5's, so my color ramps the same time as my intensity (color 0% to 25%, them back to 0%) If you're running them on their own, I wouldn't go above 50% color, but that's just me.

[malx]

I have two 160's over a 22g nano sps tank. I run them for 12hrs, 3hr ramp up, hold peak for 6hrs, then 3hr ramp down. I run them with T5's, so my color ramps the same time as my intensity (color 0% to 25%, them back to 0%) If you're running them on their own, I wouldn't go above 50% color, but that's just me.



I think that was my mistake. I was at 80% color and the spectrum was probab harsh on my coral and good for the algae. I'm leaving them off for 3 days then going back to my intensity profile with a revised color spectrum based on all the feedback here. May add T5s later. Is that what you did?


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[slief]

I run 10 over my 480g display which is 8'x4'x2' tall. Here is my light graph. The orange line is intensity and blue is color. My SPS, LPS and Soft Corals grow like weeds under these lights without any supplemental lighting.

http://i390.photobucket.com/albums/oo347/shleif/Tanks/Kessil/image_zpssdaspdya.png

[Brieninsac]

Why'd you decide to change? What kind of coral do you have and how does it look?


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I have mainly softies and felt I wasn't getting the growth I should be after a year. So I started with increasing the duration for a few months and have now been slowly increasing the intensity. As for the blue, I adjust it based on what I think looks good for that intensity. BRS did a great video on the a360w lights and found that the ultraviolet rays didn't change drastically when using less blue.

[Ron Reefman]

I don't have any experience with your specific fixture, but I've used leds over an sps & lps tank for 4 years. They were 2 channel full spectrum. My new tank, I'm downsizing) has a couple of Reef Breeders Photon V2 fixtures which do have 6 channels.

On my old fixture, after about a year I decided I didn't like the red leds and covered them up with electrical tape. Now I have the control so I just run them at very low levels.

I've been doing a 4 hour sunrise that starts out all blue for 2 hours. By close to midday I'm up in the 90% blue and 40% white range (I do have a PAR meter) for 6 or 8 hours. Then I do a 5 hour sunset that is all blue the last 3 hours. I'm home all day and I enjoy seeing the tank change during the day.

From what I've read, coral's zooxanthellae only do photosynthesis when light is intense and only for 4 to 6 hours, even if there is more than enough light. It's been built in genetically for millions of years where the light that penetrates the tropical reef is only bright from mid morning to mid afternoon. I read on RC every once and a while people saying "In the tropics the sun is out for 12 to 14 hours!" That's true, but during dawn and dusk the angle of the sun into the water is too great and the PAR at the bottom is too low for photosynthesis. More hours of light isn't thought to cause any issues, but doesn't do much for the coral's health either.

[malx]

I don't have any experience with your specific fixture, but I've used leds over an sps & lps tank for 4 years. They were 2 channel full spectrum. My new tank, I'm downsizing) has a couple of Reef Breeders Photon V2 fixtures which do have 6 channels.

On my old fixture, after about a year I decided I didn't like the red leds and covered them up with electrical tape. Now I have the control so I just run them at very low levels.

I've been doing a 4 hour sunrise that starts out all blue for 2 hours. By close to midday I'm up in the 90% blue and 40% white range (I do have a PAR meter) for 6 or 8 hours. Then I do a 5 hour sunset that is all blue the last 3 hours. I'm home all day and I enjoy seeing the tank change during the day.

From what I've read, coral's zooxanthellae only do photosynthesis when light is intense and only for 4 to 6 hours, even if there is more than enough light. It's been built in genetically for millions of years where the light that penetrates the tropical reef is only bright from mid morning to mid afternoon. I read on RC every once and a while people saying "In the tropics the sun is out for 12 to 14 hours!" That's true, but during dawn and dusk the angle of the sun into the water is too great and the PAR at the bottom is too low for photosynthesis. More hours of light isn't thought to cause any issues, but doesn't do much for the coral's health either.



You're right that's a good point. I probably only need my lights up to the intensity I want for about 4 hours. I'll try that when I put my lights back on, eventually work up to that.


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[RCS82]

I started my 90 last year with 2 - 360w tuna blues and have been very pleased. On my 4 ft tank 3 might be even better but for your 3 ft tank 2 will be great. I run mine off the kessil controller and they come on around 8 am and slowly ramp up til noon to about 50 color / 70 intensity. At 6 pm they ramp down for a few hours and off at around 10 pm. Many people like running them in the 70 to 80 range, color and intensity, which is great as long as you acclimate things to a higher range, but I like the softer intensity with a little more blue.

Now I have added 2 T5 bulbs a couple of months ago and will not look back. I dropped my kessils down to about 40 color / 60 intensity and love how things look. Still have the great shimmer but with a very appealing color. My tank is mainly lps, zoas, some leathers and a few new sps frags to try. After adding the T5s almost immediately I noticed better polyp extension and colors on several pieces, mainly the sps frags.

Just my 2 cents.

[malx]

I started my 90 last year with 2 - 360w tuna blues and have been very pleased. On my 4 ft tank 3 might be even better but for your 3 ft tank 2 will be great. I run mine off the kessil controller and they come on around 8 am and slowly ramp up til noon to about 50 color / 70 intensity. At 6 pm they ramp down for a few hours and off at around 10 pm. Many people like running them in the 70 to 80 range, color and intensity, which is great as long as you acclimate things to a higher range, but I like the softer intensity with a little more blue.

Now I have added 2 T5 bulbs a couple of months ago and will not look back. I dropped my kessils down to about 40 color / 60 intensity and love how things look. Still have the great shimmer but with a very appealing color. My tank is mainly lps, zoas, some leathers and a few new sps frags to try. After adding the T5s almost immediately I noticed better polyp extension and colors on several pieces, mainly the sps frags.

Just my 2 cents.

I really need to add some T5s to this tank this thing would pop!

[malx]

I started my 90 last year with 2 - 360w tuna blues and have been very pleased. On my 4 ft tank 3 might be even better but for your 3 ft tank 2 will be great. I run mine off the kessil controller and they come on around 8 am and slowly ramp up til noon to about 50 color / 70 intensity. At 6 pm they ramp down for a few hours and off at around 10 pm. Many people like running them in the 70 to 80 range, color and intensity, which is great as long as you acclimate things to a higher range, but I like the softer intensity with a little more blue.

Now I have added 2 T5 bulbs a couple of months ago and will not look back. I dropped my kessils down to about 40 color / 60 intensity and love how things look. Still have the great shimmer but with a very appealing color. My tank is mainly lps, zoas, some leathers and a few new sps frags to try. After adding the T5s almost immediately I noticed better polyp extension and colors on several pieces, mainly the sps frags.

Just my 2 cents.

You only added two T5 lights? Think I can get away with that on a 20" deep tank? Geissman makes a really nice retrofit kit. If so what bulbs do you use? I want to use KZ bulbs. I'm thinking Fiji Purple since the A360s have STRONG white and Blue channel.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/razor-t5-retro-kit-giesemann.html

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/korallen-zucht-coral-light-t5-lamp.html

[bryanr]

wrong thread :)

[malx]

wrong thread :)

Mine are controlled by my Apex so can't help you there :(

[malx]

Added T5s today! Here's what it looks like.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161006/26d0d4fe3352b437d9569a597dd06673.jpg


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[Grayhead]

I run 4 T-5 with 3 360w kessils. All my corals have responded positively. My DOS are coloring up, all the LPS are flourishing for being a new tank. With the addition of T-5 lighting, it simply adds to the system. I have always thought that t-5/led gave you the best of both worlds. My tank is still new, but only have had positive results so far

[malx]

I run 4 T-5 with 3 360w kessils. All my corals have responded positively. My DOS are coloring up, all the LPS are flourishing for being a new tank. With the addition of T-5 lighting, it simply adds to the system. I have always thought that t-5/led gave you the best of both worlds. My tank is still new, but only have had positive results so far



Nice job dude! Did you aclimate your corals to the T5s? Like run them 3 hours for a few days, than 5, 7, 9 etc? What are the levels of your kessils?


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[Grayhead]

I will look later this evening. I Diyed a frame to mount them. Tank is 2' deep. I keep them at 9" from surface. The T-5s are on from 3pm till 9pm. LEDs ramp one hour before and one hour afterward