Lighting test on kessil 160?

[rishma]

I think I have watched every BRS video, but I don’t recall one on the kessil 160 tuna blue. I am planning a new nano and sure wish I new the light distribution and idea mounting height. I know the 160 is long in the tooth but nano keepers need your awesome help too!

 

[minus9]

I think I have watched every BRS video, but I don’t recall one on the kessil 160 tuna blue. I am planning a new nano and sure wish I new the light distribution and idea mounting height. I know the 160 is long in the tooth but nano keepers need your awesome help too!

What size tank? Dimensions would help. 6" to 8" is the norm.

 

[rishma]

18” x 18” cube.

I think kessils are typically mounted much higher.

 

[minus9]

18” x 18” cube.

I think kessils are typically mounted much higher.

Not really, they're designed to be mounted rather close, but can go higher. I would mount it high enough that light just starts to spill out. I'm a long time kessil user and have owned a few different models for nanos to larger tanks. I've found 6" to 8" (or 9") to be the sweet spot, unless using the narrow reflectors.

 

[rishma]

Not really, they're designed to be mounted rather close, but can go higher. I would mount it high enough that light just starts to spill out. I'm a long time kessil user and have owned a few different models for nanos to larger tanks. I've found 6" to 8" (or 9") to be the sweet spot, unless using the narrow reflectors.

Thanks for the info and experience. I think I read (maybe on kessil site?) to mount them 12-18” awl but I could be mistaken. I’m considering the A160 because I have an H160 fuge light and had A80 previously. I like kessil a lot. I haven’t pulled the trigger on an A160. If I do, I think I may rent a par meter to optimize setting and height unless I can find some data.

 

[rishma]

From BRS


Light Spread/Coverage

• A160WE will cover a 12” - 24” area, at a height of 12” - 24” off the surface of the water respectively

 

[minus9]

Depends on what corals you want to keep. Mounted that high, you'll get a lot of light spill. If it's a mixed reef, then 8" or so, but not a lot higher. Trust me, I've got the kessil lighting thing down (sorry, that sounds arrogant) but if you want to use these lights, then get first hand experience.

Here's my kessil lit beast.

My old 22g with three 160's

 

[Bulk Reef Supply Verified Sponsor]

We've not run the A160 through the BRStv Investigates par tests, but would make an educated guess that the results would be similar to AI's Prime fixture. What we've found with most of the Kessil lights, like the A360WE and A360X, is that a mounting height of about 8" off the water surface is ideal. You can certainly mount higher to get more coverage, but you'll see reduced par numbers in doing so. It's definitely a double edged sword. Sometimes mounting higher is the answer, sometimes an additional fixture is the answer.

 

[rishma]

Depends on what corals you want to keep. Mounted that high, you'll get a lot of light spill. If it's a mixed reef, then 8" or so, but not a lot higher. Trust me, I've got the kessil lighting thing down (sorry, that sounds arrogant) but if you want to use these lights, then get first hand experience.

Here's my kessil lit beast.

My old 22g with three 160's

Wow! Fantastic. 3 160s on a 22 gal? That’s a lot of light, but the results are undeniable.

 

[minus9]

Wow! Fantastic. 3 160s on a 22 gal? That’s a lot of light, but the results are undeniable.

It's about coverage, not intensity. Point source light creates hard shadows, so you either need fill light or multiple fixtures, there's no way around it when keeping acropora. I eventually had to add a T5 fixture for fill light because of the amount of growth and shading the colonies were creating in my 22g. I love Kessil's, but they are not a stand alone light for acropora without multiple fixtures.

 

[jiffyjhn]

I have a 32G aio(23"x19"x16" total, 23"x16"x16" display). Planning to have mostly LPS corals. Currently I'm running single kessil 350we.
I plan to switch to 2x kessil 160we with controller that's currently on my 75G garage tank once I take that tank down.
Is 2x 160we too much for the 32G? should I only run 1?
light will be about 10" from water

Thanks

 

[minus9]

I have a 32G aio(23"x19"x16" total, 23"x16"x16" display). Planning to have mostly LPS corals. Currently I'm running single kessil 350we.
I plan to switch to 2x kessil 160we with controller that's currently on my 75G garage tank once I take that tank down.
Is 2x 160we too much for the 32G? should I only run 1?
light will be about 10" from water

Thanks

2 is perfect for that size. I started with one, then two, then eventually three. I like overlap with point source lights, it creates a more even spread throughout.

 

[jiffyjhn]

2 is perfect for that size. I started with one, then two, then eventually three. I like overlap with point source lights, it creates a more even spread throughout.

Thanks!!! tested with 1x 160we it cannot cover the 23" length of the tank at this height(no problem with the 350we with some bleeding over the short width of the tank). I will use the 2x160we, and set lower intensity for the LPS, I think it will be perfect with no bleeding