First impression of the Aquatic Life T5 LED Hybrid light

Newb73

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This is what happens when you take old t5 dual bulb fixtures sitting around and slap a strap on each end to tie it together and call it a new thing. I could immediately tell that these things are not built to any reasonable standard. They are basically a retrofit product and no BRS didn't point it out because they want to sell them. "Pre-Order Now Guys!" Imagine if they actually produced a brand new, one piece fixture that looked clean and had the cords all sorted people wouldn't have this issue.
I can't decide how to respond...

If you had read the BRS thread you would have seen the comment (paraphrased) "It looks like somone took two cheap dual fixtures and stuck a bracket on them".....followed by Ryan from BRS response "that's exactly what it is"...
e5068a7e2d2631701ea8b48d4fd759f3.jpg
 

lactose

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Very nice FishOfHex I have a 48in over my 75g as well and love it can’t decide between Kessil or Ecotech XR15PRO’s for mine .

I have a 48" for over a sps dominant 150G 48"x24"x30" high build I'm starting. I'm torn between xr15pros and kessil 360's (potentially narrow versions). Trying to gather opinions and data to decide.
 
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Roggio

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I have a 48" for over a sps dominant 150G 48"x24"x30" high build I'm starting. I'm torn between xr15pros and kessil 360's (potentially narrow versions). Trying to gather opinions and data to decide.
I have read about a lot of Kessils going bad. I'm happy with my H380. It all depends on what you want. The Kessil will have better shimmer but the Ecotech comes with way more control ability and power. They also have some of the best service and warranty out there. On my 250 cube I will end up having the Ecotech's as my main lighting and this fixture with a tuna blue wide angle for supplement lighting. IMO Ecotech is the best value. The upfront costs are more but I never have to worry about them breaking in being out a lot of money. I called their service department and even if it's out of warranty they're extremely good about getting it back to me right away for a low cost. I've never had any of their products break from regular use but I have had my MP 60 fall off of the tank and when I was ready I sent all of my MP40's to be upgraded to quiet drives.
 
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lactose

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I have read about a lot of Kessils going bad. I'm happy with my H380. It all depends on what you want. The Kessil will have better shimmer but the Ecotech comes with way more control ability and power. They also have some of the best service and warranty out there. On my 250 cube I will end up having the Ecotech's as my main lighting and this fixture with a tuna blue wide angle for supplement lighting. IMO Ecotech is the best value. The upfront costs are more but I never have to worry about them breaking in being out a lot of money. I called their service department and even if it's out of warranty they're extremely good about getting it back to me right away for a low cost. I've never had any of their products break from regular use but I have had my MP 60 fall off of the tank and when I was ready I sent all of my MP40's to be upgraded to quiet drives.
Thanks for your thoughts!
 
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Roggio

Roggio

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Kessil does similiar out of warranty Service...about $100 or so
I wouldn't say similar, 100$ is 1/3 of the price and IMO more likely to break. It's of course situational but my MP60 was 40-50$ to fix including return shipping.

Another positive note about both of these lights for me is they're made in America.
 

North Borders

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My entire tank is over 72 inches long and is over 2 feet front to back and deep.

After years of research, careful study, many consultations, experimentation and 6 years of mediating with monks i discovered a solution to the problem many of you seek.
7ccf32169a12994b40ba4a2bbc972d9b.jpg


I used outdoor grade extension cords to wire everything in my first tank. I had my Apex mounted in a cabinet 6ft away and ran extension cords like this inside my sump and to all my equipment on the tank.
 

Scorpius

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I've had my one Kessil A360 since 2013. Still running strong for 11 hrs a day.
Probably helps I tear it apart several times a year and clean the fan and heat sink
 

rtparty

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Might not be in everyone's price range so why not start somewhere. I believe this is a step in the right direction for a lot of reefers. Somehow I think it's more of a BRS thing with you. This fixture makes it easier for people to run there lights together without having to diy. If your worried about quality to perfection and don't have a limited budget then one could buy an ATI sunpower instead of an Amazon T5 fixture right?
Hammer meet nail
 

Newb73

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I've had my one Kessil A360 since 2013. Still running strong for 11 hrs a day.
Probably helps I tear it apart several times a year and clean the fan and heat sink
My two A360ws and A150s were bought 9/13/13 and have all ran daily since w zero problems.

FWIW the 360we versions run MUCH cooler so i would expect them to last even longer.

That said LEDs are supposed to last 10 years and im only at 4.

I'd be surprised if they last 10 but i reckon ill be fairly happy if the end up going 7 or 8.
 

markstubb

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@AquaticLifeProducts All you need to do is make the cord come out of the middle of the fixture, most likely from the top. It would solve most everyone's issues with symmetry. As every fixture has to hang from something, and you have to run wires from the LED lights in the middle anyway, it'd be easy to bundle everything together.

That, and possibly use an IEC connector.
 

Ebone

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what is the front to back width of that 36" fixture... I was debating adding it to my 40 breeder with my hydras but afraid it will spill too much
 

Jakepen

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I bought two 360s used, they were kind of different in color. Emailed kessil, told them what was going on and they sent me two brand new 360s no questions. So cant say that they are second in customer service to ecotech.
 

SteadyC

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Not to nit pick but my complaint was cords coming out of both sides of the fixture.
Not correct, you said and I quote “I understand this light is sold at a low price point, however the length of the power cables is simply unsat“. Not to nit pick, but you complained about more than cords coming out of both sides of the fixture. So yeah, people have replied to that as well.
 

wopadobop

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I’ve had a Radion gen1 over a 40 long for about 6 years no problems . That sold me on the xr15 pro over the kessil. I too read reviews that they went after a year.
 
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