Hydra 26 vs kessil 160 tuna blue

[joshbbert]

Thoughts?

 

[DMan]

I think you meant 360 tuna blue. I'm not not sure if there is a 160 or even a 150 tuna blue. Anyhow, I have 3 kessils. One a350 (normal) over a red sea max 130 and I love it. Looks like sunshine coming into the tank. I have 2 a360 (wide) over a standard 90g and I'm not so crazy about them. They don't look anything like the 350 over a smaller tank. I'm not totally displeased with them, but there is one thing that irks me. When the 360's came out I jumped right on them. I already had the 350 and loved it but I wanted the controllability. I purchased the 360's (they weren't out all that long) and kessil goes and releases the 360E. Supposed to be higher output. I would have held off the inferior model for the newer ones had I known. Having said that I can only recommend the 350 normal over a shallow tank (maybe up to a 75g) as I have not tried the a360 (normals) or the newer a360E either. I know I'm not impressed enough to stay with kessil on my next purchase. But I can recommend the a350.

 

[hart24601]

I like my hydra 26s and would pick them again. I like I was able to mount them all on the AI rails and control them all with the director, even change how each light is run. Currently have 5 over my 120 in my sig.

 

[Shep]

Love the Kessil A160, its a great light and its at a great price. It has done a really nice job of keeping my corals alive and growing. You can pick on the controller for $100 and make the light even better.

 

[joshbbert]

I have both laying around I'm just torn the kessil has such great color but the hydra has a lot more control spectrum wise and all around but you can't beat that kessil shimmer

 

[Wilsoni]

Kessil shimmer VS Hydra digital disco effect?

I recently bought a Prime to test it against my Kessil and I definitely prefer Kessil. Kessil lights offer way more UV penetration than AI's and the shimmer is aesthetically pleasing. I also feel like Kessil's blue spectrum helps keep LPS (especially acans) looking their best.

Just my two cents. (]:

 

[hart24601]

Kessil shimmer VS Hydra digital disco effect?

I recently bought a Prime to test it against my Kessil and I definitely prefer Kessil. Kessil lights offer way more UV penetration than AI's and the shimmer is aesthetically pleasing. I also feel like Kessil's blue spectrum helps keep LPS (especially acans) looking their best.

Just my two cents. (]:

I have never experienced any digital disco effect with hydras at all, but I have never run a single fixture either.

 

[joshbbert]

I have never experienced any digital disco effect with hydras at all, but I have never run a single fixture either.

Haha he's kidding its just a different shimmer not nearly as beautiful the kessils shimmer is much more vibrant

 

[Wilsoni]

I have never experienced any digital disco effect with hydras at all, but I have never run a single fixture either.

I suppose I may be more sensitive to it after only having experience with Kessil's and MH. Haha

 

[Wilsoni]

Haha he's kidding its just a different shimmer not nearly as beautiful the kessils shimmer is much more vibrant

Exactly

 

[Wilsoni]

I will however give the Prime a ton of credit for it being one of the most innovative lights to date, with killer light output at an awesome price point.

It will serve it's purpose well, above my IM Fusion 10g

 

[joshbbert]

Kessil shimmer VS Hydra digital disco effect?

I recently bought a Prime to test it against my Kessil and I definitely prefer Kessil. Kessil lights offer way more UV penetration than AI's and the shimmer is aesthetically pleasing. I also feel like Kessil's blue spectrum helps keep LPS (especially acans) looking their best.

Just my two cents. (]:

I keep the UV on my hydra pretty low like 35% because it scares me still kinda new so I'm not sure how much UV is necessary I don't want to burn em up

Kessil shimmer VS Hydra digital disco effect?

I recently bought a Prime to test it against my Kessil and I definitely prefer Kessil. Kessil lights offer way more UV penetration than AI's and the shimmer is aesthetically pleasing. I also feel like Kessil's blue spectrum helps keep LPS (especially acans) looking their best.

Just my two cents. (]:

 

[hart24601]

I assume we are talking about color blending for disco here, but many others call disco effect the shimmer - since the traditional disco balls are just mirrors that lights reflect off and normally it is just white light used. Although there are colored disco balls and color lights off the mirrored balls I hear many reefers say disco referring the shimmer too and not just color blending.

 

[mrred]

Whould you recommend 2 a360's for a 90 gal or 360w's?

 

[DMan]

I currently use 2 a360w (first generation), and if I had to choose again I would pick the regular a360. I think you loose a lot of penetration with the wides. If the 360 would look anything like the a350 I use over a 29g I'd be very happy.

 

[nanoman28g]

No experience with the Hydra 26, but I just got a Kessil A160we two days ago for my NC28G and I love it! My Rainbow Acan has never looked better. Oh and that shimmer is so beautiful.

 

[ontop27]

I never had the 26 but I had the regular hydra, wasn't a fan. Then went to two 160s and I couldn't be happier

 

[Tippfish]

Love my Kessil A160WE x2 w/ controller. My corals love them too. Have patience when ramping up the light and intensity. Nice and slow

 

[nanoman28g]

Love my Kessil A160WE x2 w/ controller. My corals love them too. Have patience when ramping up the light and intensity. Nice and slow

I have one A160we over my rimless Nanocube 28G and have it less than a foot from the surface of the water, so I started with 50% intensity so that I don't fry my Acan and my LPS. I'm a total fan of Kessil only after two days! I had seen it in action before at the LFS, but now that it's on top of my tank, I can appreciate the benefits of its dense matrix so much more.