High Tide Aquatics

Abandoning Kessil 360s

Wlachnit

Wlachnit

Past President
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Well...yet another Kessil 360 has died on me. I've been running 6 of them for 5 years and over that time I now have SIX dead Kessils (not including two that Kessil replaced a few years ago) and only 4 over my tank at the moment. So frustrated with this...
  • I just can't see myself replacing my dead lights with yet another Kessil. Have others had as bad of a track record as this?
  • What should I replace them with? Radions?
 
I’m starting to have a similar experience with AI lights. Some days one doesn’t turn on, other days some of the LEDs shut off. The T5, however. Keeps on ticking.
 
Wlachnit said:
Well...yet another Kessil 360 has died on me. I've been running 6 of them for 5 years and over that time I now have SIX dead Kessils (not including two that Kessil replaced a few years ago) and only 4 over my tank at the moment. So frustrated with this...
  • I just can't see myself replacing my dead lights with yet another Kessil. Have others had as bad of a track record as this?
  • What should I replace them with? Radions?
Click to expand...

I can say that I have yet to have a Radion fail on me. My two oldest XR15w gen 4 pair are from sept 2016. I won’t admit how many XR15w lights I have at home, but my sample size is fairly sizable. And I don’t clean them like I should. I even just dropped one in the tank yesterday (while it was off, but plugged in) and after a freshwater bath and a overnight drying session, it is still surprisingly working.

A number of people I know rave about orphek. They say the spread and color is great, but the software is lackluster. I have no idea about the durability of them though.
 
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Givin the price of the 360’s I’d replace them. I would struggle replacing my radions if they failed me often
 
Have you been able to figure out why they've died on you? I know it's not the easiest question to answer, but seems like it might be worth delving into, if possible. Would be a bummer to switch, only to have the same issue in a few years (if the root cause is something environmental - like they get too hot, or are exposed to too much humidity). I've bought all of my kessils used, and have had pretty good luck running them years at a time.
 
No one seems to write about Rapid LED. I purchased two Onyx fixtures prior to 2014 and they are still working fine. Maybe Rapid is not the trendiest company since much of there business comes from the DIYers, but I cannot complain after this many years.
 
time to get AP9X. but don't use the Kessil app. It's cumbersome, unreliable and inaccurate. Dim to 1% is comparable to 10%. Use the Spectral X controller instead.

Wlachnit said:
Well...yet another Kessil 360 has died on me. I've been running 6 of them for 5 years and over that time I now have SIX dead Kessils (not including two that Kessil replaced a few years ago) and only 4 over my tank at the moment. So frustrated with this...
  • I just can't see myself replacing my dead lights with yet another Kessil. Have others had as bad of a track record as this?
  • What should I replace them with? Radions?
Click to expand...
 
I’ve had a kessil fail on me same as everyone else. I pretty much put the failure on myself. I never cleaned it, and after it died (approx. 3 years old). I pulled it from the system and discovered layers and layers of dust clogging the fan area. I chalked it up to wear & tear and mostly my fault.
Out with the old.. in with the new. No difference than changing out T5 bulbs on the yearly. Just another expense of this expensive hobby.
 
I have three a360w and X. No problems to speak of that were not my fault. One of the lights started to shut off on its own. I gave it a good cleaning. Never failed again. I think they're pretty bullet proof provided you blast a little compressed air through them once and a while. Pickup these or the like. Will save you in the long run
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Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
If your light shut off occasionally then clean them. I’ve seen exactly two rations that would randomly turn off, bit belonging the the same guy who was running several. We eventually figured out that both had dead fans and would shut off when they got too hot. Once the fans were replaced there were no more issues.
I’ve seen a lot of dead Kessils. I suspect their design is just a bit more sensitive to actually needing to be cleaned.
I personally use Radions, but the decision was driven by how their light output looks to my eyes, not reliability or price*.

*Ok, if cost were really not a factor I would be using over driven Raduim B halides, replaced on a staggered 6 month interval, and supplemented with blue and UV LEDs. As it would be, I don’t want to single handedly fund PG&E.
 
I dropped a brand new Kessil in the tank while setting it up. Gave it a quick rinse, used pressurized air to get as much of the water out and let it sit (forgot about it) for months on end. Still worked like a charm.
That said, I’ve had my fair share of 360s die for no obvious reason.

AIs on the other hand... still chugging along and they’re all I run now with the exception of 2 straggling Kessils I’m too lazy to remove.
 
Galoot said:
I have three a360w and X. No problems to speak of that were not my fault. One of the lights started to shut off on its own. I gave it a good cleaning. Never failed again.
Click to expand...
Same here.

A friend gave me an old Kessil a few weeks ago. It seemed to work, so I installed it. Afterwards I noticed it would cycle off every 10 minutes or so.

It didn’t look very dusty inside, but I blew it out with some canned air and a shop vac anyway. It’s been working fine since.
 
In my opinion t5 or radion is the best. In the past 8 year I've had 8 t5 fixtures 1 has burnt out. I've had over 30 Radion fixtures and never had a problem. Rapid LED is really good for the price they just don't look as nice. I have one 360 it's fine, I use it on a 12 gallon bta tank.
 
jccaclimber said:
*Ok, if cost were really not a factor I would be using over driven Raduim B halides, replaced on a staggered 6 month interval, and supplemented with blue and UV LEDs. As it would be, I don’t want to single handedly fund PG&E.
Click to expand...

Now that's a sweet setup....I used to run Three 250w Radiums supplemented with T5 Actinics/CoralPlus...but yeah, the costs and heat
 
Thanks for the feedback so far. I definitely did not blow the Kessils out in the early days. But, I do blow them out ~4 months or so. BTW, when they die, they usually trip the power supply and I have to go test them on another power supply which it then trips. Sometimes, the power supply comes back...sometime not.
 
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