Thinking of switching from my Kessils

[Devin6871]

Happy start to the Holiday season to everyone here.

I've got 4 kessil a360we on a Red Sea Reefer 525xl and my SPS just doesn't have the color I would like. I managed to color up a red planet and Lawoffice's Mad Titan that were browned out in a friends tank. My Walt Disney, Homewrecker, and RRC Elektra don't have nearly as much color as most of the photos I've seen around here. No pink hues on the Disney or homewrecker at all. The Elektra just has a bit of yellow around every polyp but besides that never colored back up after it's trip home.

It should be noted that I do have the spectral controller and spent many weeks getting the lights dialed in. I settled at a point where my coral all begin growing and the two transplants from my friends tank regained their color.

I was thinking of adding an aquaticlife t5 but after seeing the cost of the fixture plus bulbs I am drawn towards replacing the kessils and selling them.

I have two ideas in mind.

1. A pair of radion xr30 g5 Blue

2. A pair of 250w metal Halide fixtures supplemented by either t5 actinic or a pair of xho led strips

I already have a pair of mp40 that are mobius controlled on the tank which is why the Radions are number 1.

Before I took my ten year hiatus from the hobby I had succes with a single metal halide pendant on a smaller tank so I am already familiar with the upkeep and issues associated with that older technology.

What does the community think?

 

[Mical]

What are your color & intensities % and your timeline settings?

 

[Montiman]

If it were me I would just put the Kessil's in a Hybrid fixture. I love my Kessil's but the color and growth got much better after adding t5.

 

[Reef.]

Can I just say that going from photos on here or anywhere else is probably not a good idea. Most I would guess are photoshopped or use lens etc so what you see is probably not what you would see if you were in the same room as the tank.

Kessil don’t really need to be dialled in, the colour is just for you, you only really need to choose the intensity.

So many people have amazing tanks with Kessil, are you sure it’s not something else rather than the lights? An expensive swap and hassle to find it wasn’t the lights after all.

 

[Devin6871]

What are your color & intensities % and your timeline settings?

Lights are on for 12 hours a day.

First hour and last hour are 15% intensity all blue.

The lights run most of the day at 30% color 55% intensity.

There is a 3 hour peak in thr middle of the day at 50% color 80% intensity.

I had previously run at 30% color 75% intensity for the entire day but the tips of my New Dragon started to bleach and I slowly tweaked it over to the schedule I have now and settled once the bleaching stopped. That is also the point that the red planet and Titan colored up quickly.

The bleaching hasn't recovered completely but the yellow returned to all the tips.

 

[jda]

If you read up enough, you will see that nearly no hard-core SPS keeper is happy with Kessils alone - they are more of a mixed reef type of light. You might consider adding them to an Aquatic Life fixture with 4x T5s - SPS keepers have been happy one they did this. The G5 Radions might need T5s too someday - they just have not been out long enough for the jury to come back 100% (there have been a lot of "I just installed them and love them threads" that don't mean much) - G4s need doubled up or T5s added over an acropora tank. I am a huge Metal Halide guy and they just kick butt, but adding a AL fixture might keep a paradigm that are more familiar with and not cost that much. The Halides will require a bit of a paradigm switch, but if you want to go there, anybody can help. You can always get a AL for your Kessils to try out and then add the Radions later if you feel the need.

 

[minus9]

For your size tank I would be running double the fixtures, regardless if they are Kessil's or xr15's. Hybrid would work too. Your photo period is ok, but your peak is not, same with your intensity. Your peak should be 6 to 8 hours long and I would work my way up to 100% intensity slowly. I’ve been running Kessil’s for 6 years now and have no issues coloring up sps and I’m a hard core stick head. When using these lights or any puck/single point source light, you need more of them to create overlapping areas of light. The same applies to radions. Two xr30’s wouldn’t be enough for your tank either. First, slowly increase your peak period by adding 30 minutes each week (while observing your corals for any signs of stress), once you reach 6 to 8 hours, then increase your intensity by 2 to 5% a week, again, observe your corals, going slower and in smaller increments is better.
I run all LEDs on my tank, no T5’s, but I do have a couple Orphek bars on three sides for a little extra pop, they add a small percentage of my overall light, while my Kessil’s are providing at least 90% of my corals needs.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

50% sounds really low. Have you checked your par at those settings?

 

[minus9]

50% sounds really low. Have you checked your par at those settings?

Agree and with a really short peak period, things aren’t going to grow that much, if at all?

 

[User1]

Before you switch and to save you some money take a step back and look at the overall system as it relates to flow, nutrients, food, par, and spectrum. It isn't always about par numbers but rather the complete package.

You may end up swapping lights and be in the same position a few months later.

 

[Devin6871]

For your size tank I would be running double the fixtures, regardless if they are Kessil's or xr15's. Hybrid would work too. Your photo period is ok, but your peak is not, same with your intensity. Your peak should be 6 to 8 hours long and I would work my way up to 100% intensity slowly. I’ve been running Kessil’s for 6 years now and have no issues coloring up sps and I’m a hard core stick head. When using these lights or any puck/single point source light, you need more of them to create overlapping areas of light. The same applies to radions. Two xr30’s wouldn’t be enough for your tank either. First, slowly increase your peak period by adding 30 minutes each week (while observing your corals for any signs of stress), once you reach 6 to 8 hours, then increase your intensity by 2 to 5% a week, again, observe your corals, going slower and in smaller increments is better.
I run all LEDs on my tank, no T5’s, but I do have a couple Orphek bars on three sides for a little extra pop, they add a small percentage of my overall light, while my Kessil’s are providing at least 90% of my corals needs.

50% sounds really low. Have you checked your par at those settings?

I will try slowly ramping my intensity up over the next month and seeing if I get a positive response from my sticks.

I will also look at adding two xho bars since they are on sale this month.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I will try slowly ramping my intensity up over the next month and seeing if I get a positive response from my sticks.

I will also look at adding two xho bars since they are on sale this month.

I’m not suggesting you should increase your settings. I’m suggesting you check your par before you do anything. 50% “seems” low to me but I don’t have any experience with those lights.

 

[Devin6871]

I’m not suggesting you should increase your settings. I’m suggesting you check your par before you do anything. 50% “seems” low to me but I don’t have any experience with those lights.

I don't have a par meter but may look in to ordering a par sensor and building one out of a voltimeter.

 

[minus9]

I don't have a par meter but may look in to ordering a par sensor and building one out of a voltimeter.

Just rent one if you can? Just take measurements at different intensities and right it down.