lighting advice

[nathan212178]

i recently got a tank 36"x20"x20", it came with two kessil A160s with remote and im not sure if i should deep clean them as they dont function that well without cleaning or should replace them and get 2 Gen 4 xr15 Radions (8 month use)

i would really like some advice if this is a good decision or look for other alternative lights since they're an older generation as im on a bit of a budget

 

[TX_REEF]

what do you mean when you say they don't function well? Kessil 160s are excellent fixtures.

Unless you're doing wall-to-wall SPS those 2 fixtures should be plenty of light.

 

[nathan212178]

what do you mean when you say they don't function well? Kessil 160s are excellent fixtures.

Unless you're doing wall-to-wall SPS those 2 fixtures should be plenty of light.

I see, I mean the inside of the fixtures are caked in dust, I can’t really go inside them because I can’t find the right screw to open them. Because of this only one light works but the fan is insanely loud and the other doesn’t turn on and makes the battery pack light dim and flicker
But if they’re enough lights I will get a par meter to verify, I asked someone about it and they said it was not enough so I thought I needed a better light

 

[TX_REEF]

enough vs not enough light is fully dependent on what you intend to keep in the tank. What are your thoughts there?

You could try a can of compressed air, like they use for cleaning computer hardware, to blow the dust out?

 

[nathan212178]

enough vs not enough light is fully dependent on what you intend to keep in the tank. What are your thoughts there?

You could try a can of compressed air, like they use for cleaning computer hardware, to blow the dust out?

Maybe.. I’ll try that but i feel like it’s to the point I need to put some elbow grease into the inside vents.
I also want to keep a mixed reef

 

[TX_REEF]

2x 160s should be perfectly fine for a mixed reef of your size

A160WE Tuna Blue | Kessil LED

Advanced LED grow light, plant light, aquarium light solutions for horticulture and aquarium applications - A160WE <span>Tuna Blue</span>

kessil.com

 

[nathan212178]

2x 160s should be perfectly fine for a mixed reef of your size

A160WE Tuna Blue | Kessil LED

Advanced LED grow light, plant light, aquarium light solutions for horticulture and aquarium applications - A160WE <span>Tuna Blue</span>

kessil.com

Thank you! Just a bit scared it won’t be enough light for the bottom coral since there would be hotspots and light coverage wouldn’t be even

I was planning on getting diffusers if I went with the Radions

If I can’t clean them, should I replace them with Radions or find other kessil lights(360x/we) that are on the market here? Since I have the controller and two goosenecks

 

[TX_REEF]

it's completely up to you, if you choose to replace them. I favor Kessils (I use the AP9x on both of my systems) because of the immaculate shimmer, rivaled only by metal halides and natural sunlight. There is also documented evidence of superior color development using kessils (check out the vid linked below). On my system, I supplemented the kessils with an Orphek LED bar to reduce shadowing and increase PAR lower in the tank. Photo of this also below.

Some other excellent options:

Reefi: https://www.reefi-lab.com/product-category/lighting/

Reefbreeders Photon: https://reefbreeders.com/reefbreeders/

Orphek bars: https://amzn.to/3V2sH2r

 

[nathan212178]

a bit late to bringing it up, but sadly I was not able to clean the lights as the screws were too loose for any screw I’ve tried and I think it’s best to replace them.
I just want to ask if buying a radion G4 xr15 is a good investment still, to me it’s a lot of money and want to be sure it’s the best light I can afford at around 215 ea. But I want to be sure if this is the best choice, if there is a better light used/new I would appreciate anyone’s input.

 

[TX_REEF]

if you're on a budget, I'd go with a NooPsyche K7:

NooPsyche K7 PRO III kit with arm bracket

NP K7 PRO III v3 Aquarium LED Coral Light. Better spectrum out / Excellent Growth / Feed Almost all the of the SPS/LPS coral in one reef tank isn't a dream especially red coral / Natural perfect mixing and Shimmer / Superior Color Mixing / The best mixing spectrum technology / Affordable price...

noopsychereeflight.com

 

[nathan212178]

if you're on a budget, I'd go with a NooPsyche K7:

NooPsyche K7 PRO III kit with arm bracket

NP K7 PRO III v3 Aquarium LED Coral Light. Better spectrum out / Excellent Growth / Feed Almost all the of the SPS/LPS coral in one reef tank isn't a dream especially red coral / Natural perfect mixing and Shimmer / Superior Color Mixing / The best mixing spectrum technology / Affordable price...

noopsychereeflight.com

Thank you, I’ll look into them right now but do you think they’re better than the G4?

 

[TX_REEF]

Thank you, I’ll look into them right now but do you think they’re better than the G4?

Better? Probably not if we're not considering $, but you'd probably need 2 radions to cover your tank, whereas a single K7 would probably suffice.

 

[nathan212178]

Better? Probably not if we're not considering $, but you'd probably need 2 radions to cover your tank, whereas a single K7 would probably suffice.

Realy?! Wouldn’t that mess with the spread? and if the Radions are a bit better, I wouldn't mind the extra cost, I just want to be sure im getting the best lights for my cost range