Really liking my Helix Reef Crest bar!

[BriDroid]

I ended up pulling the 3 Kessil pendants off my 40 breeder and replacing them with a Reef Crest Helix bar. I LOVE the full spectrum that it’s adds to my 2 Meso Blue bars. The corals haven’t skipped a beat either, they all seem really happy with the new light.

BTW - The Kessils are for sale in the dry goods forum

The pics were taken with my iPhone 17 with no post processing.

No filter


Orange filter


Yellow filter


Both orange and yellow filter stacked

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

here’s mine - thinking of possibly getting a 4th but it may be overkill
(first bar went off after 4:30)

 

[BriDroid]

Eventually I want to come up with a different mount. Right now this one is best since the tank has to move temporarily soon for a flooring install. What do you have you’re mounted with?

 

[Rocks reef]

I ended up pulling the 3 Kessil pendants off my 40 breeder and replacing them with a Reef Crest Helix bar. I LOVE the full spectrum that it’s adds to my 2 Meso Blue bars. The corals haven’t skipped a beat either, they all seem really happy with the new light.

BTW - The Kessils are for sale in the dry goods forum

The pics were taken with my iPhone 17 with no post processing.

No filter


Orange filter


Yellow filter


Both orange and yellow filter stacked

How far off the tank are the lights with the included leg mounts?
Also, are you using a controller for the bars?
I REALLY like the color of the Reefcrest with the Mesos!!

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

i bought the tank mount legs that i don’t use because i dont like how they look. So, I used my old beat up ati t5 fixture and made it a hanging from the ceiling. Pretty easy and so much cleaner than mounting on tank

 

[BriDroid]

How far off the tank are the lights with the included leg mounts?
Also, are you using a controller for the bars?
I REALLY like the color of the Reefcrest with the Mesos!!

I’m using the 3 bar mounting kit. They are about 5.5-6” off the water surface. Yes, I’m using a Hydros 0-10V to control the brightness. I am running the Mesos at 70% peak and the Reef Crest at 60%. They’re both on a parabola curve.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

i use my neptune to turn on and off. I don’t use any dimming function as it really doesn’t matter to me.

 

[BriDroid]

i bought the tank mount legs that i don’t use because i dont like how they look. So, I used my old beat up ati t5 fixture and made it a hanging from the ceiling. Pretty easy and so much cleaner than mounting on tank

Yeah, I’m not a big fan of them. It’s really hard to get into the tank. They serve a purpose for now but I’ll change them once the floors are done someday! The contractors are moving SLOW!

 

[KrisReef]

Yeah, I’m not a big fan of them. It’s really hard to get into the tank. They serve a purpose for now but I’ll change them once the floors are done someday! The contractors are moving SLOW!

Flooring replacement, I feel your pain. Godspeed, and nice lights!

 

[Rocks reef]

I’m using the 3 bar mounting kit. They are about 5.5-6” off the water surface. Yes, I’m using a Hydros 0-10V to control the brightness. I am running the Mesos at 70% peak and the Reef Crest at 60%. They’re both on a parabola curve.

So the Hydros ramps up and down? Do the lights turn completely off or are they on a timer for that? I am not trying to sound ignorant, I’m gathering information about how to control the bars before I make the purchase. I know they don’t have an app…yet. Luca is coming out with an app to control his products soon.

 

[Rocks reef]

How much PAR are you getting from the 3 bar setup? You have a 40 breeder which is 18” deep minus sand, correct?
@ChrisfromBrick same question to you sir though I know yours isn’t a 40.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

my 100 was getting about 375 the top acros. Nothing crazy. Either the lid, it’s definitely less. Now, i also wasn’t using an apogee par meter so it could have been higher. that was for 2 meso blue bars and one reef crest bar.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

one thing i noticed with the quanta is that the par was traveling to the sand bed. like 200 on the aand in some spots.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

I’m using the 3 bar mounting kit. They are about 5.5-6” off the water surface. Yes, I’m using a Hydros 0-10V to control the brightness. I am running the Mesos at 70% peak and the Reef Crest at 60%. They’re both on a parabola curve.

i’m blasting mine at 100%. Could be why some zoas got mad. however i also have a lid and my bars are higher up than uours

 

[BriDroid]

So the Hydros ramps up and down? Do the lights turn completely off or are they on a timer for that? I am not trying to sound ignorant, I’m gathering information about how to control the bars before I make the purchase. I know they don’t have an app…yet. Luca is coming out with an app to control his products soon.

I haven’t measured PAR but I’ll try soon. I have a DanoPlus meter, so not the best but it gets the job done.

As far as the Hydros controlling the brightness and the on /off, I have these setups. I do run the minimum brightness at 10% (1V). I’ve noticed that below 1 volt they sometimes will flicker. Not always, but sometimes. So I just have the XP8 turn them on a few seconds before the light schedule kicks in.

 

[BriDroid]

I just did a quick PAR reading with my gyres still on with my DanoPlus meter. I was reading around 200PAR on the top of my flat rock, roughly 14" below the lights. The 2 Meso's were at 60% and the Reef Crest was at 45% when I took the reading. Depending on which correction factor you use for the DanoPlus (X1.3 or X1.6), That is anywhere between 260 and 320 at 14" deep. I know that my crocea clam that is sitting there seems pretty happy with the light.
This is very similar to what I was getting with the 2 Meso's and the 3 Kessil A160's, but no hot spots where the PAR was high like I had with the Kessils.

 

[Boehmtown]

I have 3 bars, 2 quanta originals and a helix- 24 inch sps dominate 112 gallon . Love them. I keep a kessil on it for moonlight ramp up and down. A dim kessil on a tank before lights out can't be beat