Kessil Color % and temperature

[IanMauger]

I’ve had my Kessil’s for over a year and still haven’t figured out color temperature based on percentage of color. I like the bluer look and have noticed colors in my tank do not like color variable raised over 50% and intensity peaking at 50%. I have a mixed Reef, and even when I slowly increased the color variable my SPS became pale.

Anyone have any insights?

 

[reeferfoxx]

I’ve had my Kessil’s for over a year and still haven’t figured out color temperature based on percentage of color. I like the bluer look and have noticed colors in my tank do not like color variable raised over 50% and intensity peaking at 50%. I have a mixed Reef, and even when I slowly increased the color variable my SPS became pale.

Anyone have any insights?

They could just be adapting to the light change. Often times making adjustments like this isn't advisable but actions and reactions are real and take time to adjust. Might also be that you are lacking available nutrients to compensate for the increased intensity. Any adjustment made should be few and far between. Give SPS about 2-4 weeks adjustment period.

 

[Daniel Waters]

I’ve had my Kessil’s for over a year and still haven’t figured out color temperature based on percentage of color. I like the bluer look and have noticed colors in my tank do not like color variable raised over 50% and intensity peaking at 50%. I have a mixed Reef, and even when I slowly increased the color variable my SPS became pale.

Anyone have any insights?

Set the color to your preferred color and leave it alone. You don't need to move it throughout the day. The Kessil logic is designed to provide you with a spectrum that will work.

You can change your intensity as needed. Be aware, though, that the color at 30% intensity will look different than it does at 70% intensity for example. The Kessil logic will automatically adjust the led intensity and chips / diodes that are used depending on how high of intensity you are using. I've found I don't like going higher than 50% intensity because it starts utilizing more white Leds to achieve the higher intensity, and this takes away from my preference of the deeper blue I like.

 

[madweazl]

I’ve had my Kessil’s for over a year and still haven’t figured out color temperature based on percentage of color. I like the bluer look and have noticed colors in my tank do not like color variable raised over 50% and intensity peaking at 50%. I have a mixed Reef, and even when I slowly increased the color variable my SPS became pale.

Anyone have any insights?

Do you mean to say you don't like the look of the corals in the tank when you increase the color beyond 50%? If you don't like the look of the corals over 50% color, set them to where you like it and be done with it.

In regard to what @Daniel Waters mentioned, the effect is mainly noticed below 50% color.

Edit to add: these are images of an A360WE

0% color at 100% intensity

0% color at approx 10% intensity (where the light actually turns on)

 

[SashimiTurtle]

I can tell you from testing with my Seneye that 60% color gives the most PAR with it falling off about evenly in both dirrections. 100% color is slightly more PAR than 0% color. All color setting are not created equal. An A160 7" over the water will produce 500 PAR at the surface at 60% color, 350 PAR at 0% color and 400 PAR at 100% color. I like 30% color and 100% intensity on my A160s.

 

[Daniel Waters]

I can also vouch for the above. 60% color seems to produce the highest par values (i will avoid gettung into a PAR and PUR discussion). I would not worry about trying to get to a certain color % or feel like you need to have several different color settings. You said you are maxing your lights at 50% intensity. Thus, you have plenty of unused power. Set the color you like and leave it alone. Adjust your intensity as needed for your coral needs.

 

[Daniel Waters]

I have a mixed Reef, and even when I slowly increased the color variable my SPS became pale.

Anyone have any insights?

When you increased your color %, you also increased your par levels and slight changes in spectrum. SPS corals can be really finicky to lighting changes, especially if you are running an ULNS or are not offering enough flow. I suspect your SPS would adjust but I would advise using a par meter to know what levels you are at and have an idea of how much change you are creating. A 5% color change I found equated to around a 3 to 4% increase / decrease in par levels on my tank with kessils running less than 50% color (in other words, if I was at 30% color, and changed to 50% color, this would increase my par levels as much as 4 x 3% - 4%, so a 12% to 16% increase...a significant change without even touching the intensity control!

 

[IanMauger]

Thank you everyone for the responses, very informative!

In regards to color temperature and % settings, kessil returned my email and explained what the temperatures are at what %:

“In regards to the color, the tuna blue ranges from 20,000 k to 10,000 k. The lower the color %, the bluer the light and higher color % is the white spectrum. 14,000 k is around 60-70%. Please let us know if you have questions. ”

What I have noticed especially in my SPS in my tank is that whiter the lights the more pale they become. My color setting is at 45% and my intensity is at 50%. I’m not running ULNS either. Nothing else seems to be affected either way LPS and softies for that matter. I also have a Dersa clam which is gorgeous sitting 20” from the surface is doing fantastic and has been for months. Having bluer lights is more ascetically pleasing, so I don’t mind. I guess all tanks are different!

 

[oreo54]

When you increased your color %, you also increased your par levels and slight changes in spectrum. SPS corals can be really finicky to lighting changes, especially if you are running an ULNS or are not offering enough flow. I suspect your SPS would adjust but I would advise using a par meter to know what levels you are at and have an idea of how much change you are creating. A 5% color change I found equated to around a 3 to 4% increase / decrease in par levels on my tank with kessils running less than 50% color (in other words, if I was at 30% color, and changed to 50% color, this would increase my par levels as much as 4 x 3% - 4%, so a 12% to 16% increase...a significant change without even touching the intensity control!

Then "Kessil logic" is failing... sort of..
Since it's probably on a "watt" basis different "colors" can have different output efficiencies per watt (on a quantum/photon level)...thus different par levels..
LED are also known to become more "efficient" as you lower drive current..
Ignoring the UV which will technically NOT be included in PAR measurements w/ a correctly calibrated sensor..

It is good to know how "Kessil logic" can "fail" so to speak..

Guess, in a real world sense, this is not unexpected..

 

[oreo54]

I’ve had my Kessil’s for over a year and still haven’t figured out color temperature based on percentage of color. I like the bluer look and have noticed colors in my tank do not like color variable raised over 50% and intensity peaking at 50%. I have a mixed Reef, and even when I slowly increased the color variable my SPS became pale.

Anyone have any insights?

food for thought............

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2008/3/aafeature1/view?searchterm=t5 bulb

 

[SashimiTurtle]

Then "Kessil logic" is failing... sort of..
Since it's probably on a "watt" basis different "colors" can have different output efficiencies per watt (on a quantum/photon level)...thus different par levels..
LED are also known to become more "efficient" as you lower drive current..
Ignoring the UV which will technically NOT be included in PAR measurements w/ a correctly calibrated sensor..

It is good to know how "Kessil logic" can "fail" so to speak..

Guess, in a real world sense, this is not unexpected..

With the addition of more white spectrum, it's only "logic"-al that PAR will increase. I can tell you that the further away from 0% color you get, the less PUR you have. That extra PAR from going whiter is very possibly wasted light. What Kessil does is ensure that where ever the color knob, or controller, is at, that you have a spectrum that will grow corals. Other lights that just give you a bunch a sliders can be a little challenging to get that perfect spectrum. With the Kessil logic, from what I've found, set the color you like and adjust intensity based on how your corals are growing. It's really a set it and forget it light.

 

[oreo54]

With the addition of more white spectrum, it's only "logic"-al that PAR will increase

no........... depends on drive current and driver efficiency..PAR can easily increase with less white if the blue diodes are more electrically efficient than the white.

With the Kessil logic, from what I've found, set the color you like and adjust intensity based on how your corals are growing. It's really a set it and forget it light.

Yes w/in reason.. As noted this isn't Perfect" .. what is..
50% color @ 50% intensity is not "perfectly" equal in PAr as 0% color 50% intensity..
both should be equal.. in a perfect world..

sorry, I know it "may" sound like I'm bashing Kessil in this regards but it is ONLY acknowledging a MINOR lack in "perfection"...
W/out a PAR "feedback loop" (closed system) no light will reach that goal. Kessil does FINE in this regard.. 10% variation is not normally a "big deal".. for most things..

I can tell you that the further away from 0% color you get, the less PUR you have.

not really. w/out knowing an organisms specific response to all wavelengths it is impossible to state what PUR it "likes"..

well you are more correct than incorrect .. since green/yellow is in general less effective than other wavelengths..

PUR is nothing more than an "assumed" subset of PAR..

You can also think of it this way.. Say your PUR "blues" emit 1/3 the photons of the whites at a particular current.. Shifting that current to "white" will increase PUR, even considering some of the wavelengths are less "efficient"...assuming the internal "wiring" of the organism is not strictly "blue dependent"..

Extreme case though and really not likely..

 

[Daniel’sReef]

I currently have a innovative marine 50 gallon. I have one Kessil a360we and I really need some help with the color and intensity settings. I mostly have Soft coral but would like to try hard coral eventually later down the road. I just can’t seem to get the best color and intensity settings so the corals can thrive... Thanks for the advice

 

[madweazl]

I like to run 40-60 for color but this is largely your preference so set it to what you like looking at and quit messing with it after that.

 

[Hecticdude]

15-65 peak 1200-1400 Slow ramp up slow ramp down

 

[Aquadan82]

15-65 peak 1200-1400 Slow ramp up slow ramp down

How is the slow ramp on the color working out for you so far?

 

[HB AL]

I've had Kessils over my current mixed reef (70% acros) filled with many types of different corals. Currently 4 360we's and 3 160we's and have them on a wifi timer so from the minute they turn on till they turn off they are at 100% intensity. I run them all at 100% intensity 100% of the time. They are on for 13 hours a day and as far as color is concerned the 1st 2 and last 2 hours they are on the color is at 100% blue and the 9 hours in-between they are at 50/50 with around an hour or so of that time they are at 100% white. By having that many pendant lights i also have them at times where every other one is 100% blue or 100% white which gives the tank a cool different look. Here are a few pics showing what it looks like when they are at 100% blue, 50/50 blue and white and 100% white. These 3 different light variations seem to keep all the corals vibrant in there natural color depending on what color variant shows them off the best and all are visually appealing in there own way as each coral looks different depending on the light setting at the time.

 

[Midrats]

I want a clown trigger in my tank!

 

[HB AL]

I want a clown trigger in my tank!

Then just do it!