Sps lighting kessil vs ati

[Jonathan Gill]

I have the wire kit. I'm wondering the connection to ceiling

 

[RobertP]

Maybe it is just me but there is no way in the world I would hang anything electrical over water using just sheet rock anchors....that is the kind of thing that would give me nightmares. Yeah I know they claim they are rated for a certain weight but if the dry wall/sheet rock gets damp or if it is cracked it will fail....or someone comes over and trips before they get to the tank and reach out and grab the light and rip it out of the ceiling....yeah nightmares remember? At least find the studs and screw a higher rated anchor through the sheet rock into the wood. We create all these failsafe options for our tanks and I would think you really want to make sure there is no possible way that light can fall in.

As an alternative....since we are in the process of selling our house I didn't want to drill more holes in my ceiling. So to hang my 48" 6 bulb T5 ATI unit (not very light) I attached a couple pieces of bent aluminum pipe to the back of my stand. Then hang the light from the 2 pipes. I cannot recall how long they were but I have them running from the floor to about 2 ft above the top of the tank. They are 1" pipe and had the local boat shops guys cut and bend the pipe. Most boat shops that make aluminum canopies or cooler racks can do this easily. Took them home and painted them black so they are not as noticeable. Drilled a several holes in the end of the pipes and run the cables through the holes so I can adjust the center point and the height of the unit. If you are interested I can take some pictures and post them up.

 

[jda]

I have hung old MH fixtures with the ballasts inside (75 pounds at least) with the drywall hangers. They are always fine.

If it freaks anybody out, get a 3" piece of oak, stain or enamel it to match your room, mount it to the floor joists above and then tap into that where ever you want. A screw into oak can handle a lot of weight.

 

[Jonathan Gill]

I removed my bathroom fan and stuck my head in the space between upstairs apartment and mine. Steel joists with 2x4 @24" oc. Two of the 2x4s run over my tank. What about a light rail, screw to two 2x4s and hang light to rail?

 

[29bonsaireef]

I would think some anchor screws would hold just fine if you cant get into a stud. Light rail isn't a bad idea if you're worried about just the screws holding it.

 

[ReeferBean]

ATI recommends using the anchors for their fixtures and should hold the weight just fine in drywall. I am with @RobertP though. I ran some 2 x 6 in between the ceiling joists and put screws through the ceiling and directly into the wood. I'm sleeping better. I have the 60" Hybrid and it weighs quite a bit. I'd feel a little better using the anchors with your fixture being its probably half the weight.

 

[Finatik]

Hello,

Just FYI if you decide to hang these from your ceiling, make sure you place a full size sheet over the top of your tank. You do not want sheet rock thingies falling into your tank. Have you considered, a machine shop? They can make a custom bracket per side and should be glass safe. The aquarium here where I live, has a machine shop make custom brackets. If I get a chance to visit the aquarium I can take pics. It was only like 80 dollars if memory serves me right.

I am interested in this too. I've been looking for some custom brackets to hold my lights.

 

[Lukas75]

I have a 6x39 watt hanging with one end into a stud (I actually hit it by accident) And the other end is just the supplied toggle bolt on Sheetrock it’s doing fine.

 

[OriginalUserName]

I did consider aquatic life but ended up with a great deal on the powermodule.
Issue is that it's a rental.
Fixture probably weighs 25-30 pounds.
Some folks are saying to just install toggle bolts thru the sheetrock ceiling and it will be good enough. The previous owner had them. My gut tells me to attach to a joist (2story) but they are steel bar joists and seems more complicated. Perhaps a light rail or 2x wood across - these seem kinda ugly to me and this is why I was wondering if I should just get a 3rd kessil with gooseneck and sell ati

I really like the screw in style drywall anchors. https://www.lowes.com/pd/E-Z-Ancor-50-Pack-1-1-4-in-x-1-2-in-Standard-Drywall-Anchor/1042133

I've mounted some fairly heavy items using this sort of thing and they are way easier to use than the toggle style. FWIW the weight rating is quoted for hanging from a wall, not ceiling. I'd wager that they would support more weight when mounted in the ceiling because the weight isn't perpendicular. I used 2 small ones on my DIY makers LED fixture in my rental apartment with zero problems. (I'd guess it's about 10 pounds)

 

[JBKReef]

If its not too late to jump on the Aquatic Life Hybrid bandwagon I'm with @crabs_mcjones getting the hybrid approach on a budget and aesthetically looks great too. I think which ever route you go, sell the ATI to pay for Aquatic Life, or sell Kessils you'll end up making a chunk of change either way.

 

[OriginalUserName]

If its not too late to jump on the Aquatic Life Hybrid bandwagon I'm with @crabs_mcjones getting the hybrid approach on a budget and aesthetically looks great too. I think which ever route you go, sell the ATI to pay for Aquatic Life, or sell Kessils you'll end up making a chunk of change either way.

Having a cord on each end really kills the aesthetics for me. I think I'll be doing a DIY kessil/t5 hybrid myself.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Having a cord on each end really kills the aesthetics for me. I think I'll be doing a DIY kessil/t5 hybrid myself.

There is a workaround to that. You do have to modify the Aquatic Life fixture though. I've done it myself, its not to bad to do. But basically you bridge the cord from one fixture to the other, and then tie into one power cord.
Crab's 40G Breeder Mixed Reef Tank

 

[Midrats]

Or just get a third Kessil and be done with it. Adding fluorescent light to Kessil ruins the look IMO. You get the washed-out look of fluorescent coupled with a big clunky fixture over your tank.

 

[OriginalUserName]

There is a workaround to that. You do have to modify the Aquatic Life fixture though. I've done it myself, its not to bad to do. But basically you bridge the cord from one fixture to the other, and then tie into one power cord.
Crab's 40G Breeder Mixed Reef Tank

I was wondering about that. I'm not sure I love the look of the basic hanging hardware. I need to do more research and see what my options are. I really prefer a side mount, but as I'm going with a peninsula that's going to be tricky.

Or just get a third Kessil and be done with it. Adding fluorescent light to Kessil ruins the look IMO. You get the washed-out look of fluorescent coupled with a big clunky fixture over your tank.

I'm thinking about the t5s to help reduce shading and provide some extra color saturation. I plan on running them during the day when I'm not around because I've heard that the look is spoiled. I have no t5 experience so I'm just basing this plan on what I've read about optimal tank lighting.

 

[Jonathan Gill]

Or just get a third Kessil and be done with it. Adding fluorescent light to Kessil ruins the look IMO. You get the washed-out look of fluorescent coupled with a big clunky fixture over your tank.

I'm so close to adding 3rd kessil at this point because of difficulty mounting however I got the powermodule for 600 bucks and just can't deny the par it provides, along with better coloring and less shadowing

 

[Midrats]

Your lighting is already optimal. The amount of light that people think they need, and the amount that corals actually need are often two different things. I don't get the whole zero shadow thing. If you don't like the color of the Kessil then I understand.

 

[Jonathan Gill]

I'm thinking that I will install ATI and run for a few weeks to get a feel for them. I'll hold the kessils in the mean time and make a decision in a few weeks. Kessil looks are amazing but with 2 or 3 single light sources in a line it makes anything outside that line white. For example, my frags on the overflow wall are beautiful on one side. Turn them around and they're white

 

[29bonsaireef]

You can't go wrong with the ATI. Definitely a much better light source than the Kessils for SPS. IMO, it's not the amount of light they put out, but the spread and spectrum that the T5s give that make them work so well. If you've never ran T5s over your tank I guarantee you will be impressed with the over all look and health of your corals after switching.

 

[Jonathan Gill]

Load testing with toggle in 1/2" sheetrock. Light is 20# - 10# per fastener. This bag has 15 pack cans at approx 15#. No deflection in sheetrock.

 

[OriginalUserName]

Your lighting is already optimal. The amount of light that people think they need, and the amount that corals actually need are often two different things. I don't get the whole zero shadow thing. If you don't like the color of the Kessil then I understand.

Personally, I love the look. Just hoping I can get some extra coloration by running something else a few hours a day.