Thanks for posting that video. I always liked Kessils. I find them to be visually dim, and the spread isn't so great like you said, but the spectrum produced is impressive. Kenny's (poto) tank looked bright by stacking kessils close togther. He had one every 12" if i remember correctly? If I was to switch to them over my cube I would probably make a floating canopy and install 4 Kessils and retrofit in some t5s. My tank is doing extremely well now so I don't want to mess with it, but eventually once it grows out I will change over. Thanks for your input.
First, Rich... when you say the kessil a360WE seem too dim for you are you sure you saw the >>>A360WE<<< or did you see the a360??? the WE is a differant light fixture and some using the older a360's were complaining that it was too dim. Thats no longer the case with the WE's. I took a trip to Manhattan aquarium to see first hand befor switching to Kessils. they have the WE's set up and i was sold. Not dim at all. FYI, I have mine set to 80% and I'm fine at this setting. plenty bright for me.
NOW, are they dimmer than my old hqi's? perhaps a bit... are they dimmer than the single ended MH's I used to use a while back? I'd say about the same as those. I actually think that my old HQI's were too bright for my tank (an 18" shallow reef)...
so... brightness and intensity just isn't the issue with the kessils anymore. The issue for me is lineal light source vs. the sun. I'm not so sure hallides ever achieved true sun effect as reflectors are needed and used and we all know how much intensity is lost with halides due to the shape of the bulb, right? or the reflectors not being optimal, right? or not cleaning the glass and PAR goes downhill, right? LED are linear light source meaning they need to be pointed at what you are trying to light, However, paired with the right lense like kessils are and you have something totaly differant than typical LED's... I don't consider kessils an LED like others as I already entioned. its more a hybrid LED because of market trends the ecotec and ai brands caused. otherwise kessisl would be the standard in LED for the hobby... but thats a totaly differant subject.
as for spread not being so great... mnnn I wouln't say that either. because when you say the spread isnt so great than I would ask... as compared to what??? remember that I said that I had the same issue with spread with HQI's on the same 36 x 36 tank (see first comment). BRS video stated the spread is 30", Kessil sais the spread on the we's are 24" and i think the spread is 18" but even at 18" they are still half the cost as other halide fixtures. and i would say that halides are really 24" spread. again the figures above is when growing SPS. whould you take a tort frag and place it more than 12" from a light? same way I would place it further than 9" from a kessil.
Now, if you take the fixture price of two kessils over the long run (say greater than two years) plus thier operating costs when you also consider that no chiller is needed and the tank is more stable due to little to no heat transfer, and no need to spend $80 a bulb every year on halides, what you find is the LED's win hands down over any HQI or Halide competitor. Try it, I did with the unit I was using. as a rule of thumb I find LED's to be half the cost when all the above is considered. so when i get two more kessils (and I plan to go with LED Kessils over halides) I will still be paying half of what i would have with HQI halides or other single ended halide. so LED cost less, much less. Now when I put the proper amount of kessil fixtures over my 36 x 36 tank i will be all set and i dont think i would need T5's to suppliment or any other supplimentation for that matter like i did with hallides.
and Rich when you consider what you can do with LED's that you cant with halides it becomes clear that Halides really are yesteryear. having said this perhaps its time to sell off my old HQI fixtures and balasts... I held on to it just in case the kessils didn't work out but they are collecting dust now. You interested?
