Kessil 360we advice needed!!

Gwitness · Jan 25, 2015

I have a standard 180 gallon mixed reef tank with a heavy load of SPS....I have 1 kessil on each side of the tank and 2 in the middle section of the tank...I also have an 80 watt ATI blue plus bulb on the front and back part of the canopy..( kessils in the middle)....I have had them on my tank about 2 months now and my lps always look good but some of the SPS just look alright...Right now I have my color maxing out at 50% and intensity is 50% also for about 6 hours....My T5s are on with my kessils for 6 hours also...just curious if this was a common color percentage and intensity percentage for those that keep SPS??? I am only curious on how to get the best lighting for my SPS...lps will be fine regardless.......

Also, I understand that the kessils are full spectrum no matter what the color percent is at, but if I turn the color percent more towards the white spectrum will that burn corals easier? or be better or worse for them in some way?? EVENTHOUGH they stay in full spectrum regardless??

jolt · Jan 25, 2015

I keep my Kessil a360we at 40% intensity and 60% color. It is at 7.5" above water, and 22" to the sandbed. If I turn it much higher intensity than that I start to bleach SPS at the top of the tank. I know others who have different results using higher intensity, but that is what works for me.

Gwitness · Jan 25, 2015

Okay thanks! Great to know! Mine are about 8 inches off water

Gwitness · Jan 25, 2015

Anyone else??

jvb89 · Jan 25, 2015

I have 2 a360we's over a 40 breeder about 8 inches from the water and I have my peak photo period for 6hrs at 100% intensity @ 50% color with no issues

jvb89 · Jan 25, 2015

It can take a while for six to acclimate to led lights and really color up

jvb89 · Jan 25, 2015

Sps***

Gwitness · Jan 25, 2015

Okay got it...I'll just be patient then and keep everything as stable as possible in the mean time....ur 40 isn't deep at all...what did you originally start your kessils at before you got them up to 100%?

choff · Jan 25, 2015

I run 4 of the original Kessil 360s (15 pct weaker) and 4xt5s. I max out at 70 pct and my lights are 5" above the water line. It's a 150g tank 22" deep.

My sps are about halfway up and I have no issues with burn out. I do have some issues with Lps on the sandbed. I have to keep my acanthophyllias partially shaded.

I run mine through apex 
 
Intensity 
7.30 20pct 
11.30 65pct 
15.00 70pct 
19.30 12pct 
 
Color 
7.30 20pct 
11.30 60pct 
15.00 65pct 
19.30 10pct 
 
Front pair of t5 (blue plus, coral plus). 11.30 to 15.30 
 
Rear t5 (blue plus, 6500) 12.30 to 16.30

Gwitness · Jan 25, 2015

choff said:
I run 4 of the original Kessil 360s (15 pct weaker) and 4xt5s. I max out at 70 pct and my lights are 5" above the water line. It's a 150g tank 22" deep.

My sps are about halfway up and I have no issues with burn out. I do have some issues with Lps on the sandbed. I have to keep my acanthophyllias partially shaded.

I remember talking to you right when I got mine on....I was just curious to what people do....what did you start your kessils at when you first stared? And did you just go up 10% each week or something?? I know yours are 15% weaker so I'm guessing instead of 70% max for me I should probably mad at like 55 or 60% then.....I guess

Gwitness · Jan 25, 2015

That was supposed to be quoting you choff!

Gwitness · Jan 25, 2015

Also I understand no matter the color percent the kessil is in full spectrum regardless but are you more likely to burn sps the higher the color percent is??

mikellini · Jan 26, 2015

I think the UV in the kessil's is most likely to be what burns corals first, and I think that's even throughout the spectrum. FWIW I'm running at 50% intensity ramping up and down steadily over 10 hours. I started at 30 and went to 50, going one percent per day, and I saw burnt tips on an acro at the top of the tank right when I hit 50%. Thinking about continuing with a slower ramp (one percent every 3 days maybe) to try and hit 60

Gwitness · Jan 26, 2015

That is a great idea and a great point about the uv light in the spectrum!! Didn't even think of that...I don't have an apex so I think I can only go up 5% at a time...how deep is your tank and how high off the water are they?? I also have the 2 t5 bulbs that are on 6 hrs a day when my kessils are at the max part of the day

mikellini · Jan 26, 2015

I'm 8" above the water, 22" to the sandbed.

mr_gasket · Jan 26, 2015

my color looks kinda like this "_-/\-_" except the bottom of the ramps should align with the dash next to them. It goes 0%, 50%, 50-80%, 80-50%, 50%, 0%. I've slowly been increasing the peak of the ramp by 5%. The ramp up is 60 mins long and the ramp down is 60 mins. My light is about 7 inches off the water with acros popping out of the water directly below the light. I would wait a month before you increase the intensity/color instead of a week.

jvb89 · Jan 26, 2015

My 40 is pretty shallow. I didn't have the controller at first so a slowly ramped up the intensity over a 2 month period

choff · Jan 26, 2015

I don't recall exactly how I started, but I believe it was the 50 pct intensity and color I just did by eye.

A month ago when I replaced 2 of my blue plus bulbs I had some issues with my sps and I backed my intensity down 10 pct.

mikellini · Jan 26, 2015

Yeah 50% is really quite high only 8" above the water. I have a birds of paradise fairly high in the tank that has lost most of its colour, might have to move it lower...

Gwitness · Jan 26, 2015

mikellini said:
Yeah 50% is really quite high only 8" above the water. I have a birds of paradise fairly high in the tank that has lost most of its colour, might have to move it lower...

What is your photoperiod like?? And what's your schedule if you don't mind