Cali Kid Corals

Kessil / AI / Radion / etc??

Whilst I wait for my wife's hardwood floor to be installed, I am planning out my new 210. In a recent life I used the Aqua Space light - 3 x 250 w DE MH + 4 actinic PC's.

Looks like there has been a lot of change in lighting since then, so I have my eyes on LED's now. Hopefully cheaper to run + less heat.

But would love to hear from the experts on what is really "good". Colour/Shimmer and of course growth.

Thanks!
 
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I don't qualify as an expert, but I have tried a bunch of different lights. I am currently using Kessils on one tank, T5's and Reefbrights on two others. Of all the tanks I've seen nothing compares to the look of Kessils. Go take a look at the BRS videos on Kessils (especially the AP700's) for consistent Par value and on a large tank I think AP700's are the clear choice.
 
Thanks for the replies - I actually reached out to Kessil and they, surprisingly, recommended 1 AP 700 + 1 A 360. I was originally looking at 2 x AP 700, as much for uniformity as anything else.

Now I am back to think 2 x AP 700 would be a perfect set up .... Too much light?
 
I have ran them all and like them all. They are all great lights to grow corals and comparable in pricing when trying to cover 210. Orphek is something to serious consider though because they have more options and pretty competitive in pricing with the sale going.

 
Some other members are using mitras by GHL and maybe they can chime in as well. I find Orphek and Mitras are great bang for the buck out there now.
 
Let's hope Black Friday has something good going on ... I would need a couple at $900 a piece. My wife is gonna kill me for getting back into this hobby again :)
 
What sort of color do you like???

Opinion:
If you like a fairly Blue tank, then Kessil is great.
Unless price is a big issue, go with 2 x ap700, so you have more flexibility on light intensity + uniformity.
I like more daylight looking white, so I went with AI. Great color, but 2 of 12 were bad, and the fans are audible.
 
I would probably be looking for something on the blue side, although not all the way up, little brightness to it as well. Last time around I did mainly LPS with very few SPS. I think I'm gonna venture more into SPS this time, so want to make sure the lighting is up to par (yes pun intended!) :)
 
I have two AP700s over my 160g display. They are great lights but I would definitely not have fewer than 2 for a 210g display. Maybe 3, depending on the shape of the tank and your lighting needs. I have been using Kessils since they started and for some reason they consistently recommend fewer fixtures than are actually required.


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What's the size of the 210? 5' tank? 6' ? 30" wide? I almost want to scoff at the notion that 1 AP700 plus 1 360WE is adequate for a tank that size, I find the "footprint" that LED manufacturers give to be a bit sketchy. Local member Kris, Ksmosf (or something like that) uses I think 7 Kessil 360s over his tank (it's 7' long tank though), plus he uses some of those XHO strips I believe. Maybe some Kessil owners will chime in, but how does 2 360s compare to 1 700? if they're the same I would suggest smaller ones so you can place them where you want.

Overall though, as long as you stick with a known brand I don't think you'll have many issues. There are subtle variations between most, but for the most part they all do the same thing just in slightly different ways.
 
Hey Mike - Tank will be ~ 72" x 24. I don't have much more space :)
Not sure I want multiple 360's as it would appear the light would not be even / consistent through the tank and I don't want shadows. Seems that the 700's would be better at least in that regard.
 
My RSR750 is 71” long and 25” wide and in my opinion my 2 AP700s are about right. For sure I would not go less than that, you may want 3 units if you will be growing sensitive SPS. It is hard to avoid shadows with the point light sources of the Kessils, Radions, and similar lights, even when they overlap.

The only real way to minimize shadows is to have light coming from everywhere above the tank, which puts you into the large obtrusive light fixture category (or a hood). That approach also decreases the sense of depth, reduces areas of differential lighting that can be interesting, and eliminates shimmer, all of which are subjective factors but are negatives in my opinion.
 
Hey Mike - Tank will be ~ 72" x 24. I don't have much more space :)
Not sure I want multiple 360's as it would appear the light would not be even / consistent through the tank and I don't want shadows. Seems that the 700's would be better at least in that regard.
Well multiple 360s could be spaced the same distance as the emitters on a single 700, so effectively you'd get the same result. But on 72" tank it seems like they're doing the ol' 2'x2' foot print is what our lights will do. I would probably go with 2 700s if you're going that route though. I'm not a huge fan of the Kessils though. Of course I only have metal halides to compare against, and there really isn't any comparison in total output.
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I got an AI Hydra 52 HD because it came in white =P That was how I chose!

I know the white LED's they have are pretty harsh, and can't be bumped up more than 30% or so before SPS start doing badly. I have them up to 50% these days over anemones without a problem, and they don't look too blue. I'll probably be trying a digitata under the lights soont o see what happens...
 
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