Help me understand....

Yeah, I've seen todd's lights for some time now. It's fun to drink beers and stare at lit up tanks. Plus, Todd has excellent taste in beer!

It's not about being an equipment snob as so much it's about spending where you want to spend. I have a very sour taste from my last LED experience. So, I've decided to put my money into something I believe in and that's some lights with some more gusto. Then I turned around and bought jebao RW-15s for my upgrade. I'm with you, there's no way I could imagine paying for a WP40.

 

Was going to start my own thread but did a search on Kessil and found this.

Need to upgrade my LEDs. Kessil?

Anyone use Kessil? The 360W looks awesome. But expensive as I would need 2 on my 90 gallon.
What there are different models. 150, 160, etc. what's the different?
Would like to stay at the $450-$500 max for both units combined. Other options? What I don't know is how to figure out which model is best for me. Do I even need the 360? It's only a 90 gallon.
Would prefer to keep my glass top canopy. Tank is in the basement where kids play and wife works. But wife allergic to cats so she puts a special powder in the carpet and then vacuums it up to help with allergies. Worried the air is contaminated.

I have a mixed reef. Just started getting SPS. Chalice, zoas, stylo, Monti, scroll, and birds nest.
Right now I have the Fluval Sea Full Spectrum. It's good but colors don't pop.
Thanks

 

It would require two 360s to light a 90. The different units are their smaller light which are spiffy, but would require even more lights. They are lovely, well designed lights, but you are not lighting a tank with them on that budget.

There are cheaper options that others have had experience with around here. Some of them have very good reviews. Considering the cost savings on bulbs and electricity, it's at least worth considering upping the budget a bit to accommodate these if you like them.

 

Thanks. I can increase budget if it's worth it. And sounds like it is.
Also most models are all in same range. Do you know if I can put the pendant on top of my glass canopy? Or do they have to be suspended above without a glass top? Can see my cat getting wet
Thanks

 

I think you meant the cost of an MP40 Matt.

 

I have seen my cat wet. I took the canopy off for a water change, turned around and she was swimming angrily. There are few things less dignified than a cat in a 90g.

You can suspend them over glass as far as I know. No worries.

 

yup, I always get them backwards. But now there's the RW series and that's been my favorite so far!

 

haha youre so right! I can him jumping up there thinking the glass is on only to find out its not!

What lights do you have on your 90g?

 

I no longer have that 90. It was a while back and I used halides. I currently have a 130 and I use an ATI Powermodule which has t5s with LEDs I use for accent light. I'm a big fan of t5 lighting. The color is good and I don't have to have an advanced degree in spectography to figure out what settings I need. If you're interested, check out, for instance, an ATI Sunpower for your tank. Its certainly not the only option, but it is an option.

 

Now I'm no expert, but I've owned the Chinese Evergrow style leds, Kessil a150s, and currently using a combo Hydra 52 and regular Hydra. The honeymoon period is over. I'm not as excited about these fancy LEDs anymore. They grow coral well, don't get me wrong - but so did the other two lights.

I guess for me - personally, at the end of the day any decent LED/light will grow coral just fine. I think it comes down to preference. Kessils have a bit too much shimmer for me. The blue hurts. It burns! The Chinese LEDs were great and cheap, but didn't look very cool and I wasn't able to show off fancy cloud cover or sunsets to my friends. So I guess at the end of the day, don't over think it. Buy what you can afford, what's aesthetically pleasing (Unit + the color output) and a unit that has the features that you want.