# Show off your Kessil light tank



## charlie 1

I`m starting this thread for hobbyist that use or have used Kessil lights on their planted tanks
I`ll start :smile2:
15 gallon Starfire tank with Kessil A 80 Tuna Sun, work in progress.









17 Gallon Tank with Kessil A160 Tuna Sun.


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## Jeff5614

How about one from the top down.










GLA 120H with two A160we Tuna Suns. Each lamp is supposed to cover a 24 inch diameter area from a height of 24 inches. Mine are around 30 from the substrate and the coverage does overlap.


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## PEdwards

What's the spread angle/lens degree on those Kessils and is that a 24" long tank?


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## huhu89151734

First trimming after a new scape.


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## Jeff5614

...


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## fracturedapple

Walstad inspired 150 gallon with 4 kessil a160we . I just recovered from a massive algae outbreak. Part of was my fault from trimming too much and part of it was the male apisto deciding to make a cave under my largest anubias despite having 3 caves already set up for him and his lady friends. 

So please excuse the scattered cabomba as I focused on increasing plant mass to help get rid of the algae. 

Will be doing a re-scape soon.

































Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## jmb1974

*6 weeks old*

Plants are growing...having a staghorn issue on the manzanita so trying to up the water changes


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## charlie 1

jmb1974 said:


> Plants are growing...having a staghorn issue on the manzanita so trying to up the water changes


Another Canuk with Kessil ( sacrasm for the Kessil hater :smile2
KWAS?


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## steveo

I am enjoying the posts showing tanks with Kessil lights. No need for negativity. I catch enough of that on the news.


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## Darkblade48

This thread has been cleaned up once. Please try to stay on topic, folks.


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## theDCpump

Darkblade48 said:


> This thread has been cleaned up once. Please try to stay on topic, folks.


Does the light stink or it is only me? Jk

Below are photos of a Kessil A160WE on low power.
24x24x24" Cube.
I just wanted to have a simple clean look.
The plants available to grow will be up to the machine I bought, and I will accept it.

Some of the silver brackets and tubes holding other lights remind me of a nursing home or a hospital.
An icky feeling comes over my mind with the tubes that look like "walkers" strapped to LEDs hanging over glass tanks.

Sorry to offend anyone, but my mind won't listen to that "look".
Thank you for all the tips guys/gals. :smile2:


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## huhu89151734

theDCpump said:


> Below are photos of a Kessil A160WE on low power.
> 24x24x24" Cube.



Is that the Eheim Aqua Style?


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## theDCpump

huhu89151734 said:


> Is that the Eheim Aqua Style?


24x24x24 inch rimless cube with cornerflow section to a sump below.
60 gallons from Deep Blue (manufacturer).


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## jmb1974

charlie 1 said:


> Another Canuk with Kessil ( sacrasm for the Kessil hater :smile2
> KWAS?


I was thinking of joining...my hubby is getting sick of hearing me talk to him about my plants lol


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## BettaBettas

Thought I'd stick this in here with the kessil people. 
What is the closest light equivalent to a kessil? commonly asked question, ik. But from what I have read I cannot find an answer.


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## huhu89151734

Closest in term of what?


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## jeffkrol

BettaBettas said:


> Thought I'd stick this in here with the kessil people.
> What is the closest light equivalent to a kessil? commonly asked question, ik. But from what I have read I cannot find an answer.


Aquaticlife Halo
Radion xr15pro freshwater
TMC Grobeam
Throwing out controllable, to a certain extent,
Any 15/30/60W LED flood light (flood is tighter than you think.)
in the 6000-9000K range
A desk lamp..


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## BettaBettas

if those are the equivalents than why would people purchase kessils lol (not insulting that if they do.)
also is this a good floodlight for a deep 65G
http://www.ledweb.com/product-searc...igh-power-led-floodlight-45-degree-angle.html


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## jeffkrol

Kessil lensing is quite efficient. Creates great shimmer and shadowing (plus and minus for many) .
also has the MH "look" that many like.
Fixtures are aesthetically pleasing.
Controllable w/ an Apex and other 0-10V controllers.
Warranty and support.

Why do some people buy a blue car and others a red one..


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## scalion

I realy like the look of kessil, but in canada, for the 360we, it's around 575$ with tax, it's... a lot of money for just 1 lamp ! I'm planning to buy them but spending 1868$ for 3 light and a controller is completly insane ! Their price is the only issue for me.


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## jgc

Taken a couple hrs after planting. Light is at about 60%. The tank is 36" wide, so stretching a single light


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## huhu89151734

Rotala Colorata? rotala rotundifolia? I have like.....4 or 5 types of Rotala in the tank








Some other random Rotala but my focus was on this Ludwigia Red









Hopefully this can give people who are still on the fence some confidence about Kessil with red plants.


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## ibebian

Questions for all you Kessil owners! Thanks in advance =)

Thinking of swapping out Finnex Planted+ 12" on a 6-gal 12" cube running moderate CO2. Not sure on A80 or A160. I'd like to place it up fairly high about about 6-8" above tank which is 16-18" to substrate (or maybe I don't want it that high because the spread will be too wide?). I'm not one to blast my tanks with light, but I like the idea of being able to crank it up if needed to either go higher CO2 or a larger/deeper tank.

Questions:
1) For a 12" cube, what % level would be low, medium and high light for A80?
2) For a 12" cube, what % level would be low, medium and high light for A160? I know A80 is supposed to be half, but reports seem to indicate otherwise? @charlie 1 and @theDCpump based on your pics, you two might be well suited to answer these!
3) When using gooseneck, what is max height LED will sit compared to base of mount?
4) Anyone using Kessil controller? Does the ramp up/down do it smoothly like a wall dimmer, or in steps like turning off LEDs one by one?
5) Does this throw a lot of light off to the sides, or is it a pretty focused beam like it looks? In other words, does it blind you when viewing tank at eye level?

Tons of questions but thanks everyone!


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## theDCpump

ibebian said:


> Questions for all you Kessil owners! Thanks in advance =)
> 
> Thinking of swapping out Finnex Planted+ *12"* on a 6-gal *12" cube* running moderate CO2. Not sure on A80 or A160. I'd like to place it up fairly high about about 6-8" above tank which is 16-18" to substrate (or maybe I don't want it that high because the spread will be too wide?). I'm not one to blast my tanks with light, but I like the idea of being able to crank it up if needed to either go higher CO2 or a larger/deeper tank.
> 
> Questions:
> 1) For a 12" cube, what % level would be low, medium and high light for A80?
> 2) For a 12" cube, what % level would be low, medium and high light for A160? I know A80 is supposed to be half, but reports seem to indicate otherwise? @charlie 1 and @[B]theDCpum[/B]p* based on your pics, you two might be well suited to answer these!*
> 3) When using gooseneck, what is max height LED will sit compared to base of mount?
> 4) Anyone using Kessil controller? Does the ramp up/down do it smoothly like a wall dimmer, or in steps like turning off LEDs one by one?
> 5) Does this throw a lot of light off to the sides, or is it a pretty focused beam like it looks? In other words, does it blind you when viewing tank at eye level?
> 
> Tons of questions but thanks everyone!


Here is TWO Kessil A160WE hung above a 12inch tall tank, both on LOW POWER.
The lights are sitting on either side of a wood beam (stand)of a future build.


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## ibebian

I'm trying to figure out how the A80 and A160 goosenecks will affect my lid/clearance from the wall. Can someone snap some closeup pics of how the gooseneck attaches to the tank? Some dimensions would be great too!


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## BettaBettas

looked back at these tanks again, and they look even better from the last time I looked lol


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## ibebian

charlie 1 said:


> I`m starting this thread for hobbyist that use or have used Kessil lights on their planted tanks
> I`ll start :smile2:
> 15 gallon Starfire tank with Kessil A 80 Tuna Sun, work in progress.


Do you find the A80 to be sufficient for this tank? What intensity to you have it dialed into for the above pic and how many inches above the tank?

Thanks!


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## huhu89151734

Here here









And if you go for the more expensive 70 dollar metal arm


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## ibebian

huhu89151734 said:


> Here here
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And if you go for the more expensive 70 dollar metal arm


Thanks for such a quick reply!!!!! Is the gooseneck for the A160 or the A80 (there seem to be 2)? Do you know if it's the same dimensions for both?

The metal arm is way too big for a 12" cube so I won't be going that route, but thanks for the pic anyway!


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## huhu89151734

ibebian said:


> Thanks for such a quick reply!!!!! Is the gooseneck for the A160 or the A80 (there seem to be 2)? Do you know if it's the same dimensions for both?
> 
> The metal arm is way too big for a 12" cube so I won't be going that route, but thanks for the pic anyway!




These are for A150/160 and A360. The A80 gooseneck from the pictures I saw, the base and hardware should came out from the same machine, just the actual neck is shorter. Someone actually own the A80 can have an accurate idea. 

Yup the metal arm is heavy, that's why I bought it and never installed yet. I plan to build/buy a extension arm and mount it on the actual stand.


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## ibebian

huhu89151734 said:


> These are for A150/160 and A360. The A80 gooseneck from the pictures I saw, the base and hardware should came out from the same machine, just the actual neck is shorter. Someone actually own the A80 can have an accurate idea.
> 
> Yup the metal arm is heavy, that's why I bought it and never installed yet. I plan to build/buy a extension arm and mount it on the actual stand.




Thanks huhu. Any thoughts on A80 vs A160 for 12" high tech cube?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## huhu89151734

ibebian said:


> Thanks huhu. Any thoughts on A80 vs A160 for 12" high tech cube?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




A80 is cheap, small, and simple looking. You can go for that one and later when you upgrade your tank size, and still want a Kessil, they may come out with something better then.


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## ibebian

That's a good point. My main concern is light output. At 15w it should easily replace 9w 12" finnex esp considering supposed better optics.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## huhu89151734

ibebian said:


> That's a good point. My main concern is light output. At 15w it should easily replace 9w 12" finnex esp considering supposed better optics.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




You might not want to run out of CO2


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## ibebian

huhu89151734 said:


> You might not want to run out of CO2




Hahahaha touché!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## charlie 1

ibebian said:


> Do you find the A80 to be sufficient for this tank? What intensity to you have it dialed into for the above pic and how many inches above the tank?
> 
> Thanks!


For my goals and plants, it is quite adequate.
Intensity is at about 80 %, I will be ramping it up to about 90% in the near future. 
Regards


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## theDCpump

Don't worry about the tank.
It is not even near complete.

The A80 (15watts) is on high and the A160WE is on low (40watt is max).

We don't notice much difference.
Perfect!


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## Jeff5614

Here's a video shot by George Farmer of Thang To's tank that uses Kessils.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQvGbiI06V8


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## charlie 1

Jeff5614 said:


> Here's a video shot by George Farmer of Thang To's tank that uses Kessils.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQvGbiI06V8


Thanks for sharing this video .
AWESOME!!:bounce::bounce::bounce:


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## huhu89151734

Taken yesterday.


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## SubstrateSource

Here's the setup of one of our 15 gallon systems featuring the A80. We're working on an update video.

https://www.facebook.com/substratesource/videos/1108046825970479/


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## jeffkrol

Must resist.....................


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## Jeff5614

jeffkrol said:


> Must resist.....................


Try hard. You can do it 0.


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## dcutl002




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## JTDillon

You know, I really want to put the tuna sun A80 on my freshwater 9 gallon aquastyle tank... I love the look of the lighting arm though  only problem is, the one led isn't strong enough and two is off center so the light is stronger on one corner only


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## dcutl002

JTDillon said:


> You know, I really want to put the tuna sun A80 on my freshwater 9 gallon aquastyle tank... I love the look of the lighting arm though  only problem is, the one led isn't strong enough and two is off center so the light is stronger on one corner only


Well, you could do a Finnex Planted Plus.


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## charlie 1

JTDillon said:


> You know, I really want to put the tuna sun A80 on my freshwater 9 gallon aquastyle tank... I love the look of the lighting arm though  only problem is, the one led isn't strong enough and two is off center so the light is stronger on one corner only


I`m not familiar with your tank dimensions, but my A80 Tuna Sun is over a Cad Light 15 gallon with approx 20X13 foot print and substrate to light of approx 17-18 inches, i`m currently growing Bylxa Japonica , Eleocharis acicularis 'mini' & Marsilea Crenata carpet at less that full power , granted these are all considered medium light plants.
Hope this helps in someway.
Regards


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## charlie 1

charlie 1 said:


> I`m starting this thread for hobbyist that use or have used Kessil lights on their planted tanks
> I`ll start :smile2:
> 15 gallon Starfire tank with Kessil A 80 Tuna Sun, work in progress.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ]


Then and *now*


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## jbecks

Would two kessil a160 tuna sun be enough for a 48" long tank, by 24" wide and 18" deep/height ? I dont intend in having plants at the front of the tank nor to many on one side. It just seems the 360s are overkill for planted aquariums compared to their reef version brothers.


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## WetLeaf

I'm running 2 of the 360WE's on my 120g that's 24" deep and previously had them on a 90g that was 18" deep with 3" of substrate.

I didn't find them to be overkill and still ran them at 70% power without an algae outbreak. 

Although I don't have any experience with the 160's I imagine they would be fine depending on how demanding the plants your wanting to grow will be. Always felt it was easier to reduce the power to get it in the right area then try to get more out of the light if you upgrade down the road. Given the price of these units though definitely understand wanting to avoid excess light if there won't ever be a need for it.


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## jbecks

WetLeaf said:


> I'm running 2 of the 360WE's on my 120g that's 24" deep and previously had them on a 90g that was 18" deep with 3" of substrate.
> 
> I didn't find them to be overkill and still ran them at 70% power without an algae outbreak.
> 
> Although I don't have any experience with the 160's I imagine they would be fine depending on how demanding the plants your wanting to grow will be. Always felt it was easier to reduce the power to get it in the right area then try to get more out of the light if you upgrade down the road. Given the price of these units though definitely understand wanting to avoid excess light if there won't ever be a need for it.



Thanks, yes thats exactly my concern spending almost £1000 on lighting that I may not need, my logic is that the 160 is roughly 50% power of the 360s and is advertised with the same time coverage. Its only the pentration that the 360s seem to exceed them at.


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## WetLeaf

I'm pretty sure they use the same lenses so the coverage is still the same.

I had them about 4" above the water when they were on the 90g because the gooseneck was a bit small. On the 120g I bought the 90degree adaptor for them and now they sit about 8" above the water and I've since reduced them from 100% down to 70% power. I use the kessil controller with them so it ramps up and ramps down. Biggest let down with these lights is they aren't dimmable between 0 and 10% or 20% so you can't do a true sunrise/sunset. They're off and then they're on

Even with them higher and lower power I still have a good carpet of dwarf hair grass growing, nothing else is really demanding high light so it's going fine. I'm really happy with the lights, I know I can grow anything and won't have a need to ever upgrade them for a freshwater set-up.

I debated back and fourth on getting the 160's as well but am really happy with the larger light. If you're already debating it then you might as well just bite the bullet and make the investment.

#TeamKessil


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## jeffkrol

Newest...

Low dimming..









KIT:


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## Remmy

For those of you looking for a cheaper option this Aussie company makes a pendant system that is comparable to an A160WE
https://makemyled.com/1-x-flora-sun-40w-dual-channel-full-spectrum-pendant-mml-florasun-401/


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## jeffkrol

Remmy said:


> For those of you looking for a cheaper option this Aussie company makes a pendant system that is comparable to an A160WE
> https://makemyled.com/1-x-flora-sun-40w-dual-channel-full-spectrum-pendant-mml-florasun-401/



Better off w/ 2 AI Prime freshwater (for 160) over either of those though (PERSONAL opinion)..


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## Wobblebonk

Where do you find those for 160? I kinda wish there was a little wiggle room with colors on the cetus 2 instead of the max cri basically being everything @ 100% but I suppose both setups have their advantages.


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## jeffkrol

Wobblebonk said:


> Where do you find those for 160? I kinda wish there was a little wiggle room with colors on the cetus 2 instead of the max cri basically being everything @ 100% but I suppose both setups have their advantages.



sorry meant compared to the Kessil 160 (50W-ish) vs 360.


AI primes are around $200 each plus mount but inc. software..
Pretty well price locked by AI.
Actually the $200 was pre- 10% price increase..


https://premiumaquatics.com/product...MIl8C_l7jk4gIVCkcNCh3JHA4aEAkYAyABEgLI6vD_BwE


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## Mark82

theDCpump said:


> Does the light stink or it is only me? Jk
> 
> Below are photos of a Kessil A160WE on low power.
> 24x24x24" Cube.


Hi, love the tank and looking for advise, have just got a 24”x24”x24” how the A160. Is it powerful enough for the bottom of the tank, or would the a360 be a better match.

My tank will be heavily planted, so not share what one to purchase.... thanks


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## theDCpump

Mark82 said:


> Hi, love the tank and looking for advise, have just got a 24”x24”x24” how the A160. Is it powerful enough for the bottom of the tank, or would the a360 be a better match.
> 
> My tank will be heavily planted, so not share what one to purchase.... thanks


One A160WE on low is perfect for regular or higher light plants.
I am using an A80 Kessil above 24 inches of water with Anubias and it does fine.
A80 series = No fan or moving parts, just a heatsink, 15 watts max used at "low-to-50%" power.

Kessil A360 is for people who have plant needs more than I can imagine and likely lots of algae.
Just my opinion.


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## PlantedJewles

Haha in Aus it will cost $1200 for a single lamp 360x, wifi dongle and arm!!


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## huhu89151734

But it is a fantastic light


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## ZadiBeni

29 gallon Aqueon tank
Kessil A160WE Tuna Sun x 2


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