Jestersix

What’s better 2 Kessil 360 or 1 Kessil 700?

The form factor is important, flat and integrated vs 2 separate taller rounded units.

Also you should consider control/programming, they are different in that respect too.

I considered both and went with the AP700’s, and have been happy with the choice.
 
I had to make the same decision. I actually went with the dual a360s for two reasons
(1) the 700 lamps are fixed at 12” apart. I felt the freedom of repositioning or removal was more important to me. I plan to space my lamps at 11” on center over my 23” cube tank
(2) though i did get a kessil controller, i like the ability to run the lamps individually or in series with just the knobs on top of the lights
 
Thanks for all the inputs. I think I’m going with the 700. I think the selling point for me is the controllability. I currently run the 160 with the Kessil controller and I’ve always thought the controller was a bit awkward to use once you’ve got it mounted on the wall. I like the 700’s WiFi feature and being able to do all the adjustments on my phone or tablet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
The XR15 is an attractive option because it literally cost half the cost of the XR30 but you have the option to place where you want without being stuck into one orientation.

That said, it really can be a tough decision to make as all of the higher end LED setups are pros and cons but are for the most part on equal footing as far as function.
 
I'm a big fan of kessil.

The reality is every from Chinese sh!t boxes to radion are more than capable of growing jg coral. It's all about how many creature comforts you want.

The ease of using kessils on apex is the winner for me.
 
I'm a fan of radions, especially with the diffusers. If you want to check them out, you're welcome to swing by and check them out.
 
RandyC said:
I'm a fan of radions, especially with the diffusers. If you want to check them out, you're welcome to swing by and check them out.
Click to expand...
I was just watching a video on the diffusers, do those things affect the intensity of the lights at all?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
jepoy said:
I was just watching a video on the diffusers, do those things affect the intensity of the lights at all?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

Decrease PAR by around 20%. I was running only about 50% before diffusers, so had plenty power left to compensate.

But definitely looks better with much less disco effect.
 
jepoy said:
Hmmm.. never really looked into Radions. What are your thoughts on it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Click to expand...

I love radions we have about 20 on display in our store. We also have 2 kessil 360 for low light corals. I personally prefer radion because its has multiple leds per puck in each fixture. I noticed shadowing issues with the kessil on larger corals. That being said i think kessil is easier to set up and program but if you want to do primarily sps i would do radion. Not to mention they are the same price as the 360 and include a built-in controller.
 
There have been a few head-to-head comparisons of coral growth between Radions and the AP700 and the AP700 has won all that I've seen. The caveat to that though is these were mostly shorter term comparisons (6 months) and not in a lab. However, BRS did do a longer term comparison as I recall and the AP700 was a clear winner.
 
Bruce Spiegelman said:
There have been a few head-to-head comparisons of coral growth between Radions and the AP700 and the AP700 has won all that I've seen. The caveat to that though is these were mostly shorter term comparisons (6 months) and not in a lab. However, BRS did do a longer term comparison as I recall and the AP700 was a clear winner.
Click to expand...

Link? I'd like to read this test/comparison.
 
I used to have it bookmarked before my HD crashed, but BRS compared all the major brands on LEDs. I'll see if I can dig it up later. It was also interesting watching a comparison that Robert Brilliantes did on the two. He set a Kessil 360 and a Radion up on the same 36" frag tank and put a light block in between the two. He took two near identical frags from the same colony and ran the lights for about 6 months as i recall. The frag under the Kessil completely encrusted and had about 20% more growth than the one under the Radion.

Admittedly, that's not a huge sample size :))) and the truth is people have seen great success with both. Although my own experience is that T5's are still superior for growth.
 
Bruce Spiegelman said:
I used to have it bookmarked before my HD crashed, but BRS compared all the major brands on LEDs. I'll see if I can dig it up later. It was also interesting watching a comparison that Robert Brilliantes did on the two. He set a Kessil 360 and a Radion up on the same 36" frag tank and put a light block in between the two. He took two near identical frags from the same colony and ran the lights for about 6 months as i recall. The frag under the Kessil completely encrusted and had about 20% more growth than the one under the Radion.

Admittedly, that's not a huge sample size :))) and the truth is people have seen great success with both. Although my own experience is that T5's are still superior for growth.
Click to expand...

Truth are really in the details, what spectrum were the lights set up as, intensity, mounting height, etc.

I would venture to guess that neither is that far superior to the other in terms of growth if set up with similar spectrums and intensity. Radions have a lot more control over spectrum (which isn't necessarily a good thing). So understanding the test parameters and settings is something I'd interested in reading about.
 
RandyC said:
Truth are really in the details, what spectrum were the lights set up as, intensity, mounting height, etc.

I would venture to guess that neither is that far superior to the other in terms of growth if set up with similar spectrums and intensity. Radions have a lot more control over spectrum (which isn't necessarily a good thing). So understanding the test parameters and settings is something I'd interested in reading about.
Click to expand...
I'll see if I can find his thread. I don't remember if it was RC or R2R

I saw the tank in person. He didn't have a divider on it when I was there but he used ecotech coral growth preset for color. The tank was also lit by two t5 that mixed with both lights.

The BRS video did a good job explaining the effort kessil has put into their lights. I really wish I had gotten to go on the facility tour.
 
RandyC said:
Decrease PAR by around 20%. I was running only about 50% before diffusers, so had plenty power left to compensate.
.
Click to expand...
Gotta love this hobby, when LEDs came out it was all about the punching power with lenses, tight narrow beams of death to maximize the PAR values. Then it was more about spread and 800 PAR isn't necessary anymore, SPS grows fine under 200-300PAR, now the upside to this is less LED fixtures to cover the same space, win for the hobbyist! Now a diffuser to even further spread out/blend, something that other lighting has been doing for decades. Really has been fun watching both sides of this, the DIY hobbyists who tend to lead the way and do this years before the commercial side but I understand the commercial side changing things up is a little more involved... either way great stuff!

Does make me wonder though, as light intensity drops, and you need to do more power to compensate at what point are we in the same boat of "not saving any energy of MH bulbs".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top