Kessil A350

[gb530]

Originally Posted by dankreef

What % is everyone using these at? I got mine about 7' from water and had it at 50% right away I saw some bleaching the next day and burned a lepto pretty good. Been running at 35% over my chalice collection noticing some growth and every things been looking good I just squeak it up about 5% a week. But whats the highest % people are getting good results?

Ive got mine at 100% and roughly 6" from the waters surface ... I had a monti bleach out but everything else is OK

[gb530]

Originally Posted by amc78cj7

OK guys and gals, I've read almost every post in this long thread and see very mixed reviews. I'd like your opinion though on my Kessel experience

My tank 24 x 20 x18. I currently run 1 Kessel 150W 4.5" above the tank. SPS will grow, but only if they are directly below the light, about 6" below the water. LPS grows really well at the bottom of the tank.

The problem are the corners. The rear corners of the tank get almost NO light. My LFS has offered to let me swap the 150W for Kessel 350, although from reading this thread that might not solve my issues.

I really want to be able to grow SPS across a greater horizontal surface. What should I do on a limited budget? Swap 1 kessel 150w for 1 a350? Add a second kessel 150W? Keep the kessel but add a 24" T5 strip(s)?

TIA.

Just throw a single A350W on there. Get the wide to fill your corners and you should be good man.

[runintoluck]

I've had mine from 50% to 100% over my 100 with anemones and softies. The softies didn't care for either as they would always open up the anemones would move according to what they liked. However, I will note that I keep it about 6 - 8 inches above the water, I have a plastic lid over the tank, so I don't know how much light that reduces or refracts into the tank. My question would be to everyone with the 350s and 350ws, are you guys using tops/lids with these lights or you guys usually just running them open top?

[Lubecky]

Open top

[gb530]

Open top for me too... I think plastic would block a significant amount of light. Also suffocating your tank. If I were to use any type of lid it would be netting. Like the DIY kits sold at Bulk Reef Supply

[rfalvey89]

I have read all the posts in this thread and did a little bit if research on my own and have a question or 2 regarding which light you might recommend for my setup..
It will be a 24"x24"x12" shallow cube. It will only house 1 0r 2 RBTA's and a pair of clowns..No coral at all... My initial idea was a PAR38 bulb but then someone suggested a Kessil...I cn't determine if the 350 is overkill on a 12" deep tank or if the 150 is the way to go...also on the 150 I like a "Bluer" tone to my setup...Thanks!!

[Vpham97]

Originally Posted by rfalvey89

I have read all the posts in this thread and did a little bit if research on my own and have a question or 2 regarding which light you might recommend for my setup..
It will be a 24"x24"x12" shallow cube. It will only house 1 0r 2 RBTA's and a pair of clowns..No coral at all... My initial idea was a PAR38 bulb but then someone suggested a Kessil...I cn't determine if the 350 is overkill on a 12" deep tank or if the 150 is the way to go...also on the 150 I like a "Bluer" tone to my setup...Thanks!!

I kept RBTA in my 75G for several months with two Kessil A150 Ocean Blue. Drop by soon if you want to see what RBTA looks like under either Sky Blue or Ocean Blue Kessil A150 versus other full spectrum led.

[xexe12]

Hello everyone. I'd like to start off first how thankful I am to all of you for all the info I got from this thread and other threads with regards to reeding. This is why I bought a Kessil a350 for my biocube 29 and have been happy with it. I am new to reeding just turned 2 yrs this October and had this Kessil up for 4 months and I could already see tremendous growth in my opinion to my corals. I m posting pics of my tank nod would be happy with any suggestions.




I hope pics come through. If not sorry new to this.

[xexe12]

Here is a pic of my biocube 29 with kessil a350 for 4 months.

[gb530]

Originally Posted by rfalvey89

I have read all the posts in this thread and did a little bit if research on my own and have a question or 2 regarding which light you might recommend for my setup..
It will be a 24"x24"x12" shallow cube. It will only house 1 0r 2 RBTA's and a pair of clowns..No coral at all... My initial idea was a PAR38 bulb but then someone suggested a Kessil...I cn't determine if the 350 is overkill on a 12" deep tank or if the 150 is the way to go...also on the 150 I like a "Bluer" tone to my setup...Thanks!!

I would get an A350W. It might be a little much for a single nem but you can dial it down. My argument is that you only spend $150 more for a much brighter, adjustable light. When you get a 150, your stuck with the color, the 350 allows you to dial it to your color preference.

[brianspider]

Am I crazy or does anyone else think this light washes out blues and purples a little bit? Fairly new to the hobby so I don't have much experience with other lights to compare.

[Beenalongtime79]

Anybody ever solve the dimming issues? Would it be possible to replace the led drivers provided by kessil with a dimmable meanwell driver?

We have so many electronics guru on here, you would think someone would have figured this out already or even attempted it.

http://www.rapidled.com/mean-well-hl...mmable-driver/

Would it be possible to splice this guy in and then run it off an apex or other controller?

Cheers,
John

[tp5056]

Just had one of my units fail but Kessil's customer service was very quick on helping me get a new one.

My broken unit was about 6 months old.

[Beenalongtime79]

Originally Posted by tp5056

Just had one of my units fail but Kessil's customer service was very quick on helping me get a new one.

My broken unit was about 6 months old.

That's good to hear! Glad to hear their customer service is up to par.

[Bilk]

Originally Posted by rufio173

That's good to hear! Glad to hear their customer service is up to par.

I actually received a reply from a Kessil sales associate a few minutes ago after emailing a list of questions to them regarding the A350. I did the same with Orphek, but nothing yet

I suggested that if they provide interactivity with the various controllers out there and make them dimmable, they'd have a really good hold on this market.

It seems natural that this company would be in the aquarium lighting business considering their horticulture lighting business, but also the parent company is a lighting specialty company with a division in medical and industrial applications. If they move into the reef lighting business with any intensity, they could seriously get a strong hold on the sales. I found their web site to be very lacking in detail about what is being sold, how it operates and various other specifications and parameters, but they aren't lacking in R&D for this implementation.

I'm looking froward to getting the A350 up and my system rebuilt.

[ultimate125]

what's the kessil recommendation for a 6' 125g?
3 150s?
2 350s?

I have an aggressive tank with some hardy corals...
would these lights be overkill for me?

thanks!

[coit]

Originally Posted by Bilk

I actually received a reply from a Kessil sales associate a few minutes ago after emailing a list of questions to them regarding the A350. I did the same with Orphek, but nothing yet

The most impressive thing they did for me was mail me back within a couple of hours when I emailed them on new years day year before last. That's pretty sweet.

I haven't had to test their warranty support myself (yet) but from what I understand they will even reach to helping you with refurbs on stuff that has been directly dropped into a tank.

Oh one other thing - there now seems to be a legit australian dealer for the 350s - (mods can snip this if they want, but it's the first aussie supplier I've seen crop up in the whole time there have been Kessil lights)

Aquariums@Asquith
Phone: (02) 9987 0913
385 Pacific Hwy Asquith
Sydney
NSW
2077 Australia

The prices are ... reasonable-ish - $650 inc gooseneck. So alright if you price it against ordering either one single unit or more than two units from the US (which would push it over the aus $1000 tax exemption), if you wanted two and want to risk an overseas return you could get a slightly better deal out of a US supplier.

[i Tuna]

Originally Posted by Marco Madeira

After 4 months of kessil A350... tank its 27" deep and kessil its at 7" from the water.

What are your other lights that you use? I really like that color combination.

Regards, Walid

[Marco Madeira]

Hi Walid...
the other lights are Par38 lamps. One 20K from Ecoxotic, and 2 Rapid Leds (about) 12K.
Kessil its 100% on the blue channel and 50% on the white channel.
I notice that if you keep the white channel at 100% you will have some problems with acclimatization of new corals and some LPS will actually burn!

[meshwheel]

Marco,
Would you attributre this to a high dose of radiation? Running the whites at 100%?

[chuckbuc]

How many would I need for a 6ft by 3 ft by 27" high im thinking 6

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2

[Marco Madeira]

Originally Posted by meshwheel

Marco,
Would you attributre this to a high dose of radiation? Running the whites at 100%?

Well... leds are very difficult to measure Par values and even their true power in Watts. I don't understand very well the power of the different leds colors and their effects on corals. What I can measure its what I see with my experience on my reef tank, and its very difficult for some corals, even for sps to acclimate well when the white channel its on 100% even with the kessil being 7" from the water.

I recently visited a friend of mine with 2 Vertex ilumina on a big SPS tank, and he stated the same kind of experience with the whites. He changed from T5 to LEDs and he had to turn them down to 40 or 50% because almost all the SPS were burning the tips or with a bad coloration. After that change, every sps are now with great coloration.

Any of you guys with Kessils notice this on your tanks?

[meshwheel]

Marco,
That's interesting and what I wanted to hear. I have not ran LED's as of yet. Would you compare the power of the A350 to a 250 watt metal halide?
Thank you

[Marco Madeira]

Originally Posted by meshwheel

Marco,
That's interesting and what I wanted to hear. I have not ran LED's as of yet. Would you compare the power of the A350 to a 250 watt metal halide?
Thank you

With the kessil white and blue channel at 100% yes..., for sure!

With 100% blue and 50% white:
Humm... visually no!!... but in power and sps response its for sure more powerfull then an 250W halide.

Please read this article, it will help you and maybe have some responses to some of your questions. It ha a lot of good info regarding leds and light on a reef tank.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2012...aign=clickthru

[meshwheel]

Superg info! VERY informative. Thank you!