Examining the Kessil A360 Tuna Blue deeper than ever before! | BRStv Investigates

[Crabs McJones]

I have been reading along and some of what I'm reading from this post seems to be contradictory to what I and other posts I've read are getting directly from Kessil. I quote here from an email I received, "The A360s are designed to always deliver the best spectrum to your corals, regardless of the color setting, so it is really the intensity that is key to coral growth and coloration.". Which I have translated to mean that changes to the color channel have no impact on the light output set by the intensity channel or actual spectrum for that matter. I also translate that the color setting is just for human visual aesthetics. I could be translating this incorrectly. If that is the case I am not the only one. As info, I am running a standard 75 G mixed reef, SPS dominant. Since watching the BRS vid, I slowly bumped my 2 A360WEs to 100 intensity over a few week. Color I keep relatively low, more blue. So far I believe I'm seeing good results on growth since the bump, still TBD long term. Anyway, I'm just throwing this in there for discussion, as I am still trying to educate myself on this subject. Very confusing and cryptic sometimes.

|"The A360s are designed to always deliver the best spectrum to your corals, regardless of the color setting, so it is really the intensity that is key to coral growth and coloration.". Which I have translated to mean that changes to the color channel have no impact on the light output set by the intensity channel or actual spectrum for that matter. I also translate that the color setting is just for human visual aesthetics.

That was my translation of it as well.

 

[oreo54]

"The A360s are designed to always deliver the best spectrum to your corals, regardless of the color setting, so it is really the intensity that is key to coral growth and coloration.". Which I have translated to mean that changes to the color channel have no impact on the light output set by the intensity channel or actual spectrum for that matter.

Using the above a350 chip as an example..both channels have UV, violet and blue..Only differs by white content (suspected cool white so blue tinted anyways).
Since there is no "exact" nm pattern proven to be more effective than another "similar" pattern (photosynthetic organisms have a tendency to compensate for light spectrum differences) the statement is correct..
Assuming that like spectrum content (not equal spectrum content) will produce like responses there should be (may be) little visible changes going from ch1 @ 100% or ch 2 @100
There definitely will be major changes going from 10% to 100% output..

Shifting from all blue to heavy blue w/ white (neither channel having much red in them) will make little difference in general..

Spectrum WILL change. How it impacts corals is apparently minimal.....
You are basically diluting the blue w/ yellow/green but not enough to impact anything..

To be honest I assume they are referring to the "most likely" scenario where one isn't running any one channel exclusively.........

 

[madweazl]

Maybe someone could clear this thought of mine up..

Kessil logic has a cost. What I mean by that is the light is basically a 2 channel design
and if one want to maintain power going from ch1 full..to 50/50.. to ch 2 full that means that you are under-utilizing the lights "potential"..

In other words it will never run both channels at 100%.. Can't..
To make it a bit clearer think of this.. When you shift it to 100% ch 1 and ch 2 is off as you blend you have no choice but to go to decreasing output on one channel by increasing output on the other..

In other word both channels will never run at 100% together..
At a 50/50 blend each channel is running at 1/2 of its potential..To keep it at 100%..

Just find this interesting...Wonder if the cooling could handle both channels at 100%

Since intensity has its own setting, my assumption going in is that PAR will be relatively constant regardless of color setting so I don't understand your comment regarding "potential." It is a 90w light, period.

 

[oreo54]

Since intensity has its own setting, my assumption going in is that PAR will be relatively constant regardless of color setting so I don't understand your comment regarding "potential." It is a 90w light, period.

How do you maintain equal intensity as you shift color?

100% intensity ch1, 0% intensity ch2= 100%.........................50% intensity ch1 50% intensity ch2= 100%.............................................0% intensity ch1 100% intensity ch 2=100%

Say 90W Ch1, 0 W ch 2............. 45W ch 1, 45w ch 2......................o w ch 1, 90w ch 2

PAR won't change (much) since both channels are fairly equal in the 400-700nm range w/ only nm differences. you are supplying the same current at a part. setting.

ch 1 and 2 are independently "capable" of 90 W.. So "potential" is 180W w/out the logic restriction..

Ch1 and ch 2 can never be at 100% together..Couldn't "do" the above..Technically light is capable of 200% IF you threw out the "logic".........

 

[madweazl]

And for giggles, this is an A360WE. Not sure if I have two diodes out or if those are UV and just don't show up.

0%

50%

100%

 

[oreo54]

True UV's won't show up....
Are those in the right order?

Anyways how about one going from one color to the next...Same intensity (doesn't matter which)

3rd picture looks odd as well..may not be a simple 1,2 channel design.. concept is the same though..

 

[madweazl]

Yes, the order is correct. What do you mean one color to the next? The A360 has a single color knob that goes from 0-100%. The pics were taken at about 10% intensity (where the light actually turns on).

 

[iemsparticus]

..may not be a simple 1,2 channel design..

 

[oreo54]

Not like the 350
Maybe something odd at 10%...

Try 30% or so.. Just underexpose it..

 

[oreo54]

Still can't overcome simple electrical concepts..

 

[madweazl]

Not like the 350
Maybe something odd at 10%...

Try 30% or so.. Just underexpose it..

It's not an A350, dont expect it to look like one.

 

[iemsparticus]

Still can't overcome simple electrical concepts..

I don't need to try and overcome simple electrical concepts. The light works as intended and grows corals. As I stated, what matters is the the intensity is able to be set at an adequate level to grow corals at your spectral choice - which is what the light is designed 100% to do. You can wax philosophical regarding wasted potential, and that's fine... I told you that I see what you are saying... but there are pro's and cons to each light and therefore has "wasted potential" depending on one's point of view... what matters in the context of this discussion is "can the light grow SPS?" And the answer is yes. What you do with the data from there... that is completely up to you with your own individual desires/needs/style of reefing.

 

[oreo54]

It's not an A350, dont expect it to look like one.

Not that different either..

 

[Midrats]

@madweazl So this is 100% color 100% intensity?

 

[oreo54]

The pics were taken at about 10% intensity (where the light actually turns on).

and 0, 50, 100 color...

that is what I gathered..

 

[madweazl]

@madweazl So this is 100% color 100% intensity?

0, 50, and 100% color at 10% intensity.

 

[madweazl]

100% intensity

0% color

50% color

100% color

 

[Fitzreefer]

By the way folks. I just added 2 more A360WEs to my 75g this morning. 4 altogether. 1 per ft. I'll tell you what. Huge difference in coverage and reduction of shadowing. I have some plating acroporas part way out to the margins of the tank and they are now getting direct light down between the branches where there was previously shadowing.

 

[Fitzreefer]

Here's a pic

 

[Fitzreefer]

Also, weird but another initial observation is that the fish are acting more "normal" than usual. Achilles actually picking at everything. Yes achillies. This will be a 210 by end of year. Hard to explain. But those that watch their fish all day will understand when I say I notice different behavior. Normal behavior from my estimation.