# Kessil A160we and keeping plants red



## dushen (Jun 26, 2008)

Hi! 

I have a 48inx24inx18in tank and I'm currently running 2 Kessil a160we over it. I dose all the seachem stuff (Flourish, Excel, Potassium, Iron) and have no algae issues so far. CO2 is optimal as well. 

I have no problem growing any green plants but I'm noticing that the red plants I have like ludwigia sp red are turning green from the top even though they are already pretty near the lighting fixture. The lower parts of the plants are still dark red. New growth on the other hand is green. I've tried increasing the iron dosing and increasing the lighting intensity of the LEDs (it is now at 90% from 70% before) but I'm not sure its working though. 

Would this be because of the color setting of the a160we or is the a160 not good at keeping plants red? I can adjust the color temp a little as well since it is still now at 50%.

Any help would be great!

Thanks!


----------



## frog111 (Feb 13, 2006)

Fair amount of discussion and debate on this point , regarding red plants and the Kessil tuna sun lights. Here and on other forums, there is a debate whether the spectral output of kessils is appropriate for red plants. Some report outcomes like yours, while others say they have no issues.

Given that some say they can grow red plants and keep them red, the spectral output is not the sole issue.


----------



## Solcielo lawrencia (Dec 30, 2013)

What exactly are you dosing? L. "Red", even under the Kessil's, should still be somewhat red. If it's green, something may be interfering with anthocyanin production.


----------



## dushen (Jun 26, 2008)

Im using the recommended amounts of Seachems line which includes Flourish, Excel, Iron, Potassium, Flourish Trace, and sometimes Nitrogen and Phosphate. Yeah... 

The odd part is that its the new growth that is green. The older leaves not directly hit by the light are all still pretty dark red.


----------



## PortalMasteryRy (Oct 16, 2012)

Mabuhay Dushen! 

Do you have a picture of the Ludwigia? The Ludwigia Red is usually more red at the top as it gets more light. The baby shoots that are shaded sometimes appear a little greenish until they get exposed to more light.

Also have you tried dosing another type of iron like DTPA Iron? I have been dosing Seachem Fe to all my tanks as more of an additional umpf to the Fe in my water. I really think it does not last that long. I even have my dosing set for 2 doses during the photo period because I don't think it lasts more than 1-3 hours in the water. I do it to give my fast growing plants more Fe. I really have no idea of it is working or not because of the high level of Fe that I dose from 10% DTPA Iron that I dose in the tank.


----------



## dushen (Jun 26, 2008)

Ill try to get a photo of the plants in question tomorrow when the lights come on but if you can imagine it, its the top 1 inch of the plant that is green which im assuming is the new growth and the bottom 4 inches of the stem till the root is still dark red.

I havent tried the DPTA iron yet but I'll try to look for some and give it a try. Im currently dosing the Seachem iron 3x a week at the recommended dose.

I was thinking it had something to do with the color setting of the kessil since i have the color set at 50% now which im assuming is 7500K (the range of the a160we i 6000K-9000K according to kessil). I tried setting it a bit higher to 80% which would probably be a little over 8000K now and I wanna see if that helps. if not, I was planning to dial it back down to around 6500K and see if that works also.


----------



## pony-tail (Feb 17, 2016)

From my personal experience with Kessil A150we Amazon sun fittings , I found it has taken 2 fittings on a 24x18x24 tank , Partly because my tank is 24 inches deep (27 inches light to top of gravel ) and partly because a single fitting did not have ability to fully illuminate 24x18 inch footprint .
If I have your measurements correct you tank is almost exactly 2 of mine .
I can post pics if you wish - Just ask !
I too am trying to get Red(ish) colour in my plants - with 2 fittings I am getting pale pink .
So maybe you need a third fitting on your 4 footer .


----------

