Adding a Kessil 360X to my current AP9X

[chrisjj625]

I have an IM 30L. Roughly 36" long by 10" wide. I am getting a lot of growth with my SPS and I am getting shading. I want to add another light to possibly help with these issues. Am I crazy for adding another light source? I know they made fill bars and brackets from reefbrite, but the depth of the system makes it basically unusable in my setup. Anyone have great ideas? I don't really want to hang anything. I want to add a light that would have a bracket on the back of the tank. Appreciate any info/ideas you can give me. Thank you!

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I have an IM 30L. Roughly 36" long by 10" wide. I am getting a lot of growth with my SPS and I am getting shading. I want to add another light to possibly help with these issues. Am I crazy for adding another light source? I know they made fill bars and brackets from reefbrite, but the depth of the system makes it basically unusable in my setup. Anyone have great ideas? I don't really want to hang anything. I want to add a light that would have a bracket on the back of the tank. Appreciate any info/ideas you can give me. Thank you!

I kinda have this same delima, but what hight are you mounting the ap9x at?

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I'm currently at 8 " for light spill in the room

 

[chrisjj625]

I kinda have this same delima, but what hight are you mounting the ap9x at?

I am 11.5" off the water line

 

[chrisjj625]

This is what it currently looks like.

 

[Kfactor]

This is what it currently looks like.

i would add 2 one on each side or get 2 light bars

 

[chrisjj625]

i would add 2 one on each side or get 2 light bars

There aren’t any light bars that fit the bill and adding two lights seems obsessive.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

There aren’t any light bars that fit the bill and adding two lights seems obsessive.

Yeah it does, it's hard because it's such a clean look and anything you add is going to throw that off, im not sure what can go with it to do what you want, but I understand. The problem is the ap9x doesn't play nice with other lights unless maybe a floating hood you could hide a strip light in and not see either one . I don't know, maybe 2 small ai primes on each side might work but the glare from them is terrible with the surface mount diodes and the color match would probably be noticeable.

 

[chrisjj625]

Yeah it does, it's hard because it's such a clean look and anything you add is going to throw that off, im not sure what can go with it to do what you want, but I understand. The problem is the ap9x doesn't play nice with other lights unless maybe a floating hood you could hide a strip light in and not see either one . I don't know, maybe 2 small ai primes on each side might work but the glare from them is terrible with the surface mount diodes and the color match would probably be noticeable.

I really think adding an 360X and sliding over the AP9x will give me what I need. It won’t look perfect, but what can you do.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I really think adding an 360X and sliding over the AP9x will give me what I need. It won’t look perfect, but what can you do.

They will colormatch the best obviously but your gunna throw off that awesome fengshui

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

So why not 2 on each side and mount them above the ap9x which will create a shadow under the 360's but be filled in by the ap9x then it will look symmetrical

 

[chrisjj625]

In

So why not 2 on each side and mount them above the ap9x which will create a shadow under the 360's but be filled in by the ap9x then it will look symmetrical

well 1 = 630ish, 2 = 1260ish. Hard to justify. I’m trying to get rid of shadows. I don’t need anymore par. Already running the ap9x at 30%. If it ticks me off I can grab another. I’ve also contemplated selling the ap9x and getting 3 360x, but again seems absurd

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

In

well 1 = 630ish, 2 = 1260ish. Hard to justify. I’m trying to get rid of shadows. I don’t need anymore par. Already running the ap9x at 30%. If it ticks me off I can grab another. I’ve also contemplated selling the ap9x and getting 3 360x, but again seems absurd

I get it i cant believe the prices for stuff, i thought about selling the ap9x too!! But id take a hit on it $$ and i really do like the clean look of it and mine is in the living room so the sunken diodes is one of the reasons i like the ap9x its not so blinding being on the couch or dinner table.

Only 30%?? Dang have you ever ramped it up from there here's mine for 12hrs. I have never measured par and have no idea what it's getting but I definitely have hot spots and low areas where I could probably produce any lighting needs in the tank for any mixed reef.

 

[chrisjj625]

I get it i cant believe the prices for stuff, i thought about selling the ap9x too!! But id take a hit on it $$ and i really do like the clean look of it and mine is in the living room so the sunken diodes is one of the reasons i like the ap9x its not so blinding being on the couch or dinner table.

Only 30%?? Dang have you ever ramped it up from there here's mine for 12hrs. I have never measured par and have no idea what it's getting but I definitely have hot spots and low areas where I could probably produce any lighting needs in the tank for any mixed reef.

I mean your tank is much bigger I have coral almost right on the water line and it’s only 13” deep. I actually just got a par meter yesterday and it is doing almost what I want. I may try and move it up, but want to figure out another light first so I don’t burn everything.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I mean your tank is much bigger I have coral almost right on the water line and it’s only 13” deep. I actually just got a par meter yesterday and it is doing almost what I want. I may try and move it up, but want to figure out another light first so I don’t burn everything.

Yeah a little bigger, still shallow, but i have 13" of water depth and light 8" off water surface, its only 29"w 24"deep its a 48g. If I was going away from the 9x. I would have rather had some radions or some full panel light on here, the single point light source on these shallow tanks doesn't seem to allow for enough spread.

So what is the ap9x getting for par, is it pretty good?

 

[chrisjj625]

Yeah a little bigger, still shallow, but i have 13" of water depth and light 8" off water surface, its only 29"w 24"deep its a 48g. If I was going away from the 9x. I would have rather had some radions or some full panel light on here, the single point light source on these shallow tanks doesn't seem to allow for enough spread.

So what is the ap9x getting for par, is it pretty good?

It is doing well for what I want. I measured to all my corals. Even with it turned down I am getting 350+ right under it.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

It is doing well for what I want. I measured to all my corals. Even with it turned down I am getting 350+ right under it.

Dang I'm probably roasting

 

[chrisjj625]

Dang I'm probably roasting

Could be, I started at 50% and slowly moved down until my stuffed quit looking bleached. I am surprised you're not burning stuff, but you have a lot more water the light has to go through as well. My top is only 3 inches under the water line, less when the pumps are off and taking a par measurement.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Could be, I started at 50% and slowly moved down until my stuffed quit looking bleached. I am surprised you're not burning stuff, but you have a lot more water the light has to go through as well. My top is only 3 inches under the water line, less when the pumps are off and taking a par measurement.

I worked up to it for 90 days from low o forget the acclamation but it took a while but yeah I'm roasting

 

[ScubaFish802]

at least the ap9x has the auto acclimation mode to ramp lights up slowly over a given period of time. I am up to 55% - 9” off the water (was 10 but my desk is near the tank and it burns my eyes after working all day )