Kessil AP 700 Owners Gather Here!

[frogspawn74]

How do I get Kessil to send me 3 more ap700 for better testing lol.
The growth I get with running a ap700 combo plus t5’s is amazing. I do wonder though what doubling the ap700’s and ditching the T5’s would do.


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[dimasv]

Finally my lights are all set with diy mounting arms

[ElementalJ]

Originally Posted by dimasv

Finally my lights are all set with diy mounting arms

Looking really good!


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[LQT]

Those are some seriously sweet DIY skills!

[biecacka]

those are some sweet looking mounts! how high do you have them mounted above the tank?

corey

[ktownhero]

I don't know how hard those arms were to make, but given that the Kessil arms are $65/ea you could probably easily sell them for ~$100/pair if you wanted to make a few extra bucks. Might not be worth it depending on the labor involved though.

[CaptD103]

Currently have a 4 bulb T5 fixture. AP700 should be arriving soon to replace. I read all of the guides online but truly have no clue how to get started.

Mixed reef tank, 65 gal display (36 wide, 18 deep, 30 tall I think!). Having problems with Zoas thinning out and reaching for light which is reason for change.

Any help on how to go about getting started would be greatly appreciated. I've heard things like "never go above 40%" and all sorts of advice that seems like nonsense. Looking for some solid advice on things like times, ramping, lunar cycle, etc. My lights now are on a simple timer.

Thanks in Advance!
Dan

[vhuang168]

Originally Posted by CaptD103

Currently have a 4 bulb T5 fixture. AP700 should be arriving soon to replace. I read all of the guides online but truly have no clue how to get started.

Mixed reef tank, 65 gal display (36 wide, 18 deep, 30 tall I think!). Having problems with Zoas thinning out and reaching for light which is reason for change.

Any help on how to go about getting started would be greatly appreciated. I've heard things like "never go above 40%" and all sorts of advice that seems like nonsense. Looking for some solid advice on things like times, ramping, lunar cycle, etc. My lights now are on a simple timer.

Thanks in Advance!
Dan

Start at 20%, leave it and don't touch it for a few weeks. Monitor how your corals are doing. Then start moving up a few % every 2 weeks or so until you reach your desired light level.

They will looks super dim compared to your T5s but don't be in a hurry to bump them up. Your corals will give you plenty of notice if they need more light. It is easier to kill corals with too much light than with too little.

[Sdmeltz79]

Hey new ap700 owner here and new to kessil can anyone please share their schedule for me for good coral lighting as well as livestock


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[WarfReefer]

Hey Guys,

Totally new to the reefing game. I'm trying to decide between the Radion G4 XR's and the Kessils AP700s for my first set up and due to return policies I have until Dec 30th to decide. I literally read through this entire thread. I've seen all the BRS vids.

Tank is 48Lx18Wx24H. It's a 90g aqueon with the center brace about 3" wide. I have a matching flip-top canopy with my stand that I spent a good deal of time refurbishing that only has 6" of clearance to the top of the tank and 8" to the top of the water. No good options for drilling the canopy.

Started looking at the AP700s since they are rated for the 5-7" off the water. In my case they'd be at 6" if mounted within .5 inches of canopy roof. I could go lower for more airflow but I do plan on using a few fans and the entire back of the canopy is open.

Since I have the middle brace and the low clearance I'd need two, but I don't plan on starting with a majority of SPS. Mostly LPS, Softies and some SPS. Though things can change. My questions:

- Could these be turned down enough to support a mixed reef with 2 on a 48" tank mounted 5-6" above the water level? Two LFSs I talked to seem very biased against them and potentially frying everything.

- If these could be turned down enough at this height. Will I have enough for a very slow ramp up/down so I can see my tank late at night? Will turning them down cause dim parts of the tank?

- What's the minimum clearance you'd recommend? BRS said I could do within .5 inches from the top. I also think I need to consider clearance on the sides. even with the fans, the side exhausts will be maybe 2.5" from the side of the canopy and 4" from the other units exhaust.

I think with the spacing of the pucks about 12" apart I'd have 4 pucks, each 12" away from each other and 6" from sides. 6" away from middle so with the spread I could get some light under that middle bracket. I thought this might be a better setup than 2 XR30 G4s which are a bit closer together and may cause shadowing in the center of the tank with my clearance.

Thanks for your help!

[WarfReefer]

Sorry not sure how to edit. When I say within .5" clearance from the top of the canopy I mean .5" minimum of clearance. I obviously wouldn't go less than that.

[CTaylor]

Did anyone figure out the random flicker? I work at home and my tank is 3 feet from me. So when it flickers I see it (if it's day time ). I only do not know if it's going all the way off in the flicker, or just changing brightness, color, etc. I think it is off and on, not sure. I caught it two separate times of day in the last week total of only two times. Its not a big deal to me. But I read in the past many pages of this great log discussion thread, that others have seen in. I'm sure most have not seen it b/c most people are not planted next to their tank all day like I am :-D .

[BlownGT99]

Originally Posted by CTaylor

Did anyone figure out the random flicker? I work at home and my tank is 3 feet from me. So when it flickers I see it (if it's day time ). I only do not know if it's going all the way off in the flicker, or just changing brightness, color, etc. I think it is off and on, not sure. I caught it two separate times of day in the last week total of only two times. Its not a big deal to me. But I read in the past many pages of this great log discussion thread, that others have seen in. I'm sure most have not seen it b/c most people are not planted next to their tank all day like I am :-D .

I think your noticing that when changing colours. I would try and stay with one colour for day and adjust intensity until night than change colour to a more actinic blue colour for dusk and dawn. Another reason could be a set point for cloudy is happening, you would see that in the program though.


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[CTaylor]

It's not at a color change point, though. And i'm sure almost no other ap700 owner would know it's happening since I caught it only 2 times in a week sitting right next to my tank

[reefer31]

Originally Posted by WarfReefer

Hey Guys,



Totally new to the reefing game. I'm trying to decide between the Radion G4 XR's and the Kessils AP700s for my first set up and due to return policies I have until Dec 30th to decide. I literally read through this entire thread. I've seen all the BRS vids.



Tank is 48Lx18Wx24H. It's a 90g aqueon with the center brace about 3" wide. I have a matching flip-top canopy with my stand that I spent a good deal of time refurbishing that only has 6" of clearance to the top of the tank and 8" to the top of the water. No good options for drilling the canopy.



Started looking at the AP700s since they are rated for the 5-7" off the water. In my case they'd be at 6" if mounted within .5 inches of canopy roof. I could go lower for more airflow but I do plan on using a few fans and the entire back of the canopy is open.



Since I have the middle brace and the low clearance I'd need two, but I don't plan on starting with a majority of SPS. Mostly LPS, Softies and some SPS. Though things can change. My questions:



- Could these be turned down enough to support a mixed reef with 2 on a 48" tank mounted 5-6" above the water level? Two LFSs I talked to seem very biased against them and potentially frying everything.



- If these could be turned down enough at this height. Will I have enough for a very slow ramp up/down so I can see my tank late at night? Will turning them down cause dim parts of the tank?



- What's the minimum clearance you'd recommend? BRS said I could do within .5 inches from the top. I also think I need to consider clearance on the sides. even with the fans, the side exhausts will be maybe 2.5" from the side of the canopy and 4" from the other units exhaust.



I think with the spacing of the pucks about 12" apart I'd have 4 pucks, each 12" away from each other and 6" from sides. 6" away from middle so with the spread I could get some light under that middle bracket. I thought this might be a better setup than 2 XR30 G4s which are a bit closer together and may cause shadowing in the center of the tank with my clearance.



Thanks for your help!

I have found that my ap700 needed to be at around the 10-12 inch height. I felt that if lower it’s too much light at the top of the tank. Plus spread is much better at that height. Sooo. To answer your question. The higher the better in my opinion. Brs seemed to conclude with my same thought process in their video. I would place them as high as you could go. For a mixed tank you could easily turn down intensity. It just seems dim but at first you go slow. It’s a huge learning curve and every tank is different but a good starting area is around 30%. I think I kept it around there for a few weeks then slowly turned up intensity. I’ve been doing about 3-4% each week but that’s just recently. In the beginning it was 1-2% a week. I’m currently at 71% and I think I’m finding the sweet spot since my lower light corals are shriveling up the more I increase my light. I love these lights and cannot say anything too negative about them. The only thing is the software app but they have fixed basically everything that was harming the name of this light. The color mixing is the best out of all the led I have seen. I have dominant sps and they are taking off in growth now my intensity is higher. If you have two ap700 you won’t need t5 supplemental. Also to answer your dim question. I ran mh before these led and now that I have raised the lights up from where I started at 7” the light spread is the same as I had with the mh and fills the whole tank with even light. Clearance should be just enough to exhaust the fans. So pretty shallow clearance I would say.


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[reefer31]

I also started with a hood but took it off and that’s how I have my lights higher up. Way more spill over but the tank is in my unfinished basement so not a problem for me.


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[Xxxtremewv]

Been skimming through hoping to find so
Ething on this and not had any luck, but anyone had any luck adding a360s to an ap700? Recently upgraded from a 4’ to 6’ tank, so the ap700 i had on the other wont reach the whole tabk. Bought an a360 to add on to that end, anyone have any suggestions of making then mesh well?

[reefer31]

I would think blending them together will be tough. I’m not sure you can connect them together via controller. Plus WiFi is only for ap700. You would have to visually match them.


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[Xxxtremewv]

Yeah I actually went ahead and bought it (Used one fron a guy the trader section). Alos have a controller coming. Wont be able to control them together but from what research ive done, will just have to work with the coloring and all that to match it. Ill let you know how it tirns out, should all be waiting when i get back in town on the 2nd

[dnguyen1]

Hey guys just realized I posted this in general interest but found out about this page!!

Hey guys, I've tried to google search mounting ideas for a kessil AP700 but the way my tank sits the back width is up against the wall. I like the additional length display but this makes it a bit tricky to mount the Kessil ARMS (2 of these https://www.marinedepot.com/Kessil_M...LTACMO-vi.html)
-
since the bars would go down across the side of my tank and it'd look unsightly, I can't mount the kessil on the back side unfortunately because then the unit would run widthwise.
-
I had two options in my head. the first was to CUT the bars so they just sit in housing and don't go down the length of the tank... or use the GOOSENECK mounts to mount the light w/ the 90 degree adapter. any thoughts or opinions otherwise would help a lot.

[Xxxtremewv]

Can you hang it from the ceiling? They make ceiling hanging kits

[LQT]

Agreed. If you could hang from the ceiling, your set up would look stunningly clean!

[dnguyen1]

Originally Posted by LQT

Agreed. If you could hang from the ceiling, your set up would look stunningly clean!

Hey guys yah I didn’t want a bar coming out in case I ever decided something else with the space so I ended up with this

IMG_4922.jpgIMG_4925.jpg


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[Zitadel]

Here is my first reef tank, one and a half year old peninsula that has been using Kessil AP700 from the beginning. I am aiming to have more acropora in there (currently 8 different kind). I can definitely from own experience that these lights can grow all kind of corals. Lights are now set 7inch from the surface and running 5h peak at 75%. Total light period is 12h and starting from blues and peak color is the middle setting.

[Zitadel]

oh for some reason the link to my tank did not appear on my message

https://ibb.co/e0eeBb

https://ibb.co/e0eeBb