# ADA 60P Light



## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Kegel70 said:


> Kessil A160WE
> Kessil A360WE
> Radeon XR15FW G4 Pro Freshwater
> AI Prime HD Freshwater
> ...




Use a Twinstar 600S Or E 


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## Kegel70 (Jul 5, 2018)

Nice looking light. Looks similar to the ADA. Thanks for the rec.


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Kegel70 said:


> Nice looking light. Looks similar to the ADA. Thanks for the rec.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Trust me it works great. I'll recommend the Twinstar 600S because it has a higher light output. Just IMO. 

Cheers,
Adam


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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

I think the Kessil A160 is plenty bright for your 17 gallon tank.



I use 2 x Kessil A80s on my high-tech, ADA 60-H (32 gallon), and I only have them set to 70% brightness at peak times.


I have a Monte Carlo carpet, and all my higher-light background plants have nice red and rust coloration. No issues at all.


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## Kegel70 (Jul 5, 2018)

https://youtu.be/ghaiqx4AzcI

Pretty good comparison vid of a few of the lights. 

The ADA Solar RGB seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of the others....at least to my eyes.


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## swarley (Apr 12, 2018)

Yea. The problem with the videos, and he does comment on it, is that the light side by side seem very different but in person it's hard to distinguish sometimes because your eyes adjust. And the price of the Solar RGB is just way too high. The Twinstar S is much cheaper and still does a great job. Brooklyn Hardscape on a recent livestream was talking about how different lights are suited for different plants/scapes. Twinstar is overall great and especially so if you have red plants, but you can get great green color with other lights. 

I think overall the Twinstar S will give you the best investment because it's high light, versatile, and high quality.


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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

I initially had a Twinstar for my ADA tank, but not being able to adjust the brightness or temperature was a deal-breaker for me.
I really liked its sleek appearance, and to be fair, the lights really made my plants look stunningly beautiful.


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

Well adding dimming isn't too expensive...


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## swarley (Apr 12, 2018)

You can adjust it with third-party dimmers/controllers etc. It's not that expensive to rig up, and not that complex, people here could help with that too. 
And you did admit the light made the plants look great =D
I agree though that it'd be great if it came with at least a dimmer in the box.


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Twinstar S series comes with a inline dimmer. It's only the E that doesn't. Like you guys said, any third party inline dimmer would work. 

Cheers,
Adam


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

Don't get Kessil if you have any desire to grow red plants...


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## voyetra8 (Sep 24, 2010)

Bogey said:


> Twinstar S series comes with a inline dimmer.


Mine sure didn't. 

But as the rest of your post says - there are a bunch of cheap options for dimming that are plug and play. Like... literally $6.


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

voyetra8 said:


> Mine sure didn't.
> 
> 
> 
> But as the rest of your post says - there are a bunch of cheap options for dimming that are plug and play. Like... literally $6.




Really? Where did you order yours? Mine 900S Came with a inline dimmer. Seems strange because I have two 900S and they both came with dimmers. 


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## Kegel70 (Jul 5, 2018)

Bogey said:


> Really? Where did you order yours? Mine 900S Came with a inline dimmer. Seems strange because I have two 900S and they both came with dimmers.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk




2 900s’s on the same tank because one didn’t cut it? [emoji6]


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Kegel70 said:


> 2 900s’s on the same tank because one didn’t cut it? [emoji6]
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




Haha good joke trust me one Twinstar 900S on 70 Is already too strong lol. I have two 90P one is on 70% and one is on 50%. 


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## voyetra8 (Sep 24, 2010)

Bogey said:


> Really? Where did you order yours? Mine 900S Came with a inline dimmer. Seems strange because I have two 900S and they both came with dimmers.



Mine is the 600s... no dimmer. 
I got it new from Aqua Forest in SF. 


Perhaps unlike the 600, the 900 includes one?


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

voyetra8 said:


> Mine is the 600s... no dimmer.
> 
> I got it new from Aqua Forest in SF.
> 
> ...




Hmm maybe. If you look on YouTube there's a person named George Farmer and he has a 600S and I believe that he also got a inline diffuser. I ordered from Buceplant. 


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Bogey said:


> Really? Where did you order yours? Mine 900S Came with a inline dimmer. Seems strange because I have two 900S and they both came with dimmers.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



ODD..
not a peep..


https://aquaforestaquarium.com/products/twinstar-led-light-s-series-1?variant=37380878593
https://barrreport.com/threads/dimmer-for-twinstar-900s-led.15847/
https://buceplant.com/collections/aquarium-lights/products/twinstar-led-s-model


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

You guys are telling me you didn't recieve a inline dimmer? I did order from Buceplant privately since I'm in Canada. I'm a bit confused right now. 


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## voyetra8 (Sep 24, 2010)

Bogey said:


> You guys are telling me you didn't recieve a inline dimmer? I did order from Buceplant privately since I'm in Canada.



Mine did not come with an inline dimmer. 

I don't believe the S series does so from the factory - perhaps Buceplant added them to your package? Seems like a nice thing to do, as everyone wants a dimmer, I'd wager. 

When did you buy your light? Perhaps Twinstar has started to include them on new shipments...


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

voyetra8 said:


> Mine did not come with an inline dimmer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I bought one about a year ago and one last month. If I'm the only one getting inline dimmers I feel special 

-Adam


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## voyetra8 (Sep 24, 2010)

Bogey said:


> I bought one about a year ago and one last month. If I'm the only one getting inline dimmers I feel special
> 
> -Adam
> 
> ...




Did it come inside the sealed box?


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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Bogey said:


> I bought one about a year ago and one last month. If I'm the only one getting inline dimmers I feel special
> 
> -Adam
> 
> ...





Then again.. maybe it's really a Chihiros.
They come w/ dimmers..


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## voyetra8 (Sep 24, 2010)

jeffkrol said:


> Then again.. maybe it's really a Chihiros.
> They come w/ dimmers..



For the sake of discussion - perhaps he could take a pic of the dimmer?


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

voyetra8 said:


> Did it come inside the sealed box?




I can't remember but I know that it does not have a Twinstar logo on the dimmer.


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

voyetra8 said:


> For the sake of discussion - perhaps he could take a pic of the dimmer?















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## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

Bogey said:


> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk



After market part. you got friends in high places..


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## voyetra8 (Sep 24, 2010)

Interesting, looks like a generic dimmer. 

Oddly, tons of posts on the net from folks looking for a dimmer for the S series... 900 included. Here's a product being marketed as a dimmer for the S series. 

I'm leaning towards idea that Buceplant added it to the light... as I can't find a product listing anywhere that indicates it comes with a dimmer. 

ANYWAY: Great light. If someone buys one and it doesn't come with a dimmer... dimmers are cheap


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

jeffkrol said:


> After market part. you got friends in high places..




Haha yep 


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## Kegel70 (Jul 5, 2018)

I see people referring to a 600ss online (2 s’s) Is this the same as a 600s?


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Kegel70 said:


> I see people referring to a 600ss online (2 s’s) Is this the same as a 600s?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk




I think they ment SP which is the hanging version. There both the same light but one is mounted (Hanging) and one is the normal one with non adjustable brackets.

Cheers,
Adam


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Sorry to hijack but has anyone tried ADA Aquasky series? I'm thinking of trying it on a Dutch style tank.


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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

Axelrodi202 said:


> Don't get Kessil if you have any desire to grow red plants...


I'm sorry you haven't been able to grow red plants with Kessils. I'm easily growing red plants with my Kessils.


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

DimitriSF said:


> I'm sorry you haven't been able to grow red plants with Kessils. I'm easily growing red plants with my Kessils.


Not saying they won't grow. I've not used Kessils myself but seen them on plenty of tanks in person. They 'grow' red plants just fine. But the coloration is really lackluster compared to what can be achieved with other lights.


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## Kegel70 (Jul 5, 2018)

Bogey said:


> Sorry to hijack but has anyone tried ADA Aquasky series? I'm thinking of trying it on a Dutch style tank.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk




https://aquaforestaquarium.com/coll...cts/aquasky602-twin-light-type-for-w60cm-tank

I’ll let you know if I get this. It’s on my short list


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Kegel70 said:


> https://aquaforestaquarium.com/coll...cts/aquasky602-twin-light-type-for-w60cm-tank
> 
> I’ll let you know if I get this. It’s on my short list
> 
> ...







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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

Axelrodi202 said:


> Not saying they won't grow. I've not used Kessils myself but seen them on plenty of tanks in person. They 'grow' red plants just fine. But the coloration is really lackluster compared to what can be achieved with other lights.


It's really hard to see red when there's practically no red spectrum coming from your lights, so I agree :/


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## swarley (Apr 12, 2018)

@Bogey The aquasky series do really well for greens. In dutch, I'd recommend the Twinstar actually. Twinstar is great for red plants. (but you have them already so you likely already know)...or maybe you're unsatisfied with the Twinstar's red color rendition?


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

swarley said:


> @Bogey The aquasky series do really well for greens. In dutch, I'd recommend the Twinstar actually. Twinstar is great for red plants. (but you have them already so you likely already know)...or maybe you're unsatisfied with the Twinstar's red color rendition?




Nope I love Twinstar I'm just a person that loves to try new stuff. I'll stay with Twinstar then. Maybe on a Iwagumi build I can try a AquaSky.

Thanks.


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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

Axelrodi202 said:


> Not saying they won't grow.



You didn't say they won't grow? That's exactly what you said. Literally. You said "Don't get Kessil if you have any desire to GROW red plants."


And thank you for admitting that you've never actually used them.



As someone who's actually owned and used both lights, I can say, with confidence, that they both grow red plants just fine. Also, as for which light looks better, it's quite subjective. My red plants looked great under both lights, in my side by side comparisons.


The Kessils additionally allow me to adjust the temperature, and point the lights to specific areas of my tanks. That make them much more versatile, and it's why I prefer them.


All these lights are great choices; the OP can't go wrong with any of them.


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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

Wobblebonk said:


> It's really hard to see red when there's practically no red spectrum coming from your lights, so I agree :/


I distinctly see 2 red LEDs on my A80s:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/TwbXuq1GSEXVnZ619

My A160s, when I used to own them, had more. The A360s more still.

As someone who owned 2 Twinstar lights (both E and S series), and 5 Kessils, and who's done side-by-side comparisons, I couldn't see any (major) differences between the Twinstars and Kessils, as far as reds were concerned.
The Twinstars had slightly more "pop" in the reds, to be sure. But that pop was only really apparent, upon close side-by-side scrutiny. Even then, there was nothing significantly lacking with the Kessil reds (and certainly nothing so deficient as to account for the surprisingly-negative opinions expressed in this thread).

Perhaps my eyes aren't what they used to be? I'll put that forward as one possibility.

If the Twinstar E or S series had temperature controls and built-in dimming, I would prefer them. But they don't. That's why I prefer the Kessils. (My opinion, to be sure, but opinion based on hands-on experience.)


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Twinstar 600 s IMO. Or if you have money to blow Ada rgb solar. Kessil… don’t ever get them if you are planning to keep red plants. There is a huge difference with them compared to the one I mentioned above. The AI prime is a Nice Option as Well. I just couldn’t get over it that people in USA pay like $200 for a unit. While I have to pay like $350 in The Netherlands for it. 


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

Color temp on all of the "sun" models adjusts from 6k-9k according to them. That's white to blueish white, why is my only option bumping up blue? I don't want to only adjust in that direction... and that doesn't even mean very much. 2 "6500K" lights can look wildly different. I think a twinstar's 6500k or 7000k is better than a kessils 6500k/7000k to my eyes. It's personal preference in the end but I think they need to upgrade their spectrum choices and they would be much better for (looking at) planted tanks. They grow stuff well enough but their aesthetics to me are mainly in their physical appearance and not the appearance I want in my tank, even with the adjustment.

what is going on with their spectral graphs? :/ why are they seemingly so different for a160 and a80. I'm confused :/

I wouldn't expect them to be as different as the graphs on their website seem to be... the a160 graph is truly confounding.


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Difference after 5 days from Kessil to ADA RGB Solar. Photo by Thang To.









Ada rgb solar price tag is Mental… Also just on/off. But this light is insane if you ask me. I really liked my upgrade to twinstar 450es on my nano. Looked good for my taste. Then I upgraded to Ada rgb solar on my bigger tank next to it. The twinstar looks not so great anymore. I am doing high light for first time and don’t even have lots of plantmass. I see no visible algae. If you keep on top of your maintenance. This light is doable w/o the dimming functions. 


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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

Nigel95 said:


> Kessil… don’t ever get them if you are planning to keep red plants.
> Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk


I have red in my plants with just some tiny Kessil A80s, running only 15% - 50% power:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1V9ct0C__RJGzxJginyZZg3z8Ix9Dt8N1

I only have a few, by design. The reds would be much more abundant, and deeper into the tank, if I chose to always run the lights at 100%, 12 hours a day, dosed iron, and jacked up the CO2. But, I don't want to do that because super red plants are not the aesthetic I'm going for.

I REALLY liked the way the Twinstars made my plants look, but I couldn't stand not being able to control the brightness. 100% brightness... all day long... and light bleeding EVERYWHERE around my tank. That wasn't enjoyable for my 2 year old who'd get blinded every time he'd approach to watch the fish.

And manual dimmers were not an option for me because I also wanted to control the direction of the lights, as well as programmatically control the color and brightness with my Apex controller.

So, if the OP (or whoever googles and find this thread in the future) ONLY cares about showcasing red plants (and doesn't care about mimicking natural light cycles and color temperatures, or adding some contrast, interesting shadows, or gorgeous water shimmer), yes, these other lights are a better fit. But, if that's not the ONLY thing that matters, you would be wise to check out the Kessil lights, in person, and understand their strengths and weaknesses.

E.g., here's a professional aquascaper that runs Kessils. Check out that insanely beautiful water shimmer!


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

since you actually have one I don't suppose you could take a picture of the power supply for the solar rgb for me? nevermind looks like a custom job that wouldn't tell me anything  but I bet it's possible to make it dimmable...

I think the ar in the video is just what everyone is talking about...


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

DimitriSF said:


> I have red in my plants with just some tiny Kessil A80s, running only 15% - 50% power:
> 
> https://drive.google.com/open?id=1V9ct0C__RJGzxJginyZZg3z8Ix9Dt8N1
> 
> ...



Actually I run a tc 420 on my twinstar 450 es. So it is easy to program intensity during the day. But TC 420 is not possible on the 900 model w/o modification (because of to much A) One channel can only handle 4A.. (TC420) But very easy to do on 450 and 600 models with some dc connector man/female.


I know Thang To and talked with him a while back about this (the one you linked with the youtube video). The shimmer was driving him crazy if I remember. It is personal taste if you like it. I don't like it so either... He upgraded his Kessils to ADA RGB Solars and is super happy with them. I think Kessils are sort of popular in aquascaping because George Farmer uses them. But also George Farmer said on video once that the ADA RGB Solar is the "best" on the market right now. I think Lupyled is maybe better than ADA RGB Solar. Not so much in terms of how the plant looks but all the functions you have on it. But lets not talk about their price tag.... I don't wanna promote ADA RGB Solar to much the price tag is crazy. It is really. I think if one wants a decent LED that has a nice design, grows plant well and can red plants make pop pops the Twinstar S series is the best choice. The price is nice for what you get. But thats just my opinion.


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Wobblebonk said:


> since you actually have one I don't suppose you could take a picture of the power supply for the solar rgb for me? nevermind looks like a custom job that wouldn't tell me anything  but I bet it's possible to make it dimmable...
> 
> I think the ar in the video is just what everyone is talking about...




No info on it.























There should be a way to dim it but you will no longer have guarantee (if you cut wires). Thats a problem for me with the price tag. I was scared at first of their power and no dimming. But you can hang it higher if you want. I mostly run low plantmass diorama scapes which can be tricky with high light. So far it goes well but I only have a 6 hour photoperiod currently. I actually really like how high light makes the tank shine. Tbh I did a plantless cycle for more stability. Maybe that is the key to succes. Who knows? 




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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

Nigel95 said:


> Difference after 5 days from Kessil to ADA RGB Solar. Photo by Thang To.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That is a stunning difference! And for almost $1000, it wouldn't be limited to just plants! My wife would turn red when she sees the credit card bill


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## DimitriSF (Oct 28, 2017)

Nigel95 said:


> Actually I run a tc 420 on my twinstar 450 es. So it is easy to program intensity during the day. But TC 420 is not possible on the 900 model w/o modification (because of to much A) One channel can only handle 4A.. (TC420) But very easy to do on 450 and 600 models with some dc connector man/female.
> 
> 
> I know Thang To and talked with him a while back about this (the one you linked with the youtube video). The shimmer was driving him crazy if I remember. It is personal taste if you like it. I don't like it so either... He upgraded his Kessils to ADA RGB Solars and is super happy with them. I think Kessils are sort of popular in aquascaping because George Farmer uses them. But also George Farmer said on video once that the ADA RGB Solar is the "best" on the market right now. I think Lupyled is maybe better than ADA RGB Solar. Not so much in terms of how the plant looks but all the functions you have on it. But lets not talk about their price tag.... I don't wanna promote ADA RGB Solar to much the price tag is crazy. It is really. I think if one wants a decent LED that has a nice design, grows plant well and can red plants make pop pops the Twinstar S series is the best choice. The price is nice for what you get. But thats just my opinion.



It doesn't surprise me that professionals would gravitate toward the best possible lights, especially if they grow red plants like that. I'm seriously stunned at how well those leaves colored up in just a few days.



Yeah, water shimmer is definitely personal taste, and that probably was a tad TOO much shimmer. Still, it made for a stunning effect. It gave me the chills.


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## Axelrodi202 (Jul 29, 2008)

DimitriSF said:


> You didn't say they won't grow? That's exactly what you said. Literally. You said "Don't get Kessil if you have any desire to GROW red plants."
> 
> 
> And thank you for admitting that you've never actually used them.


Perhaps my word choice was a bit off. I just assume that if one is wanting to grow red plants that they will actually want to see some intense red colors from them. :wink2:

Whether or not Kessils can achieve this may be subjective, but to my and many other people's eyes (including those who use the lights themselves and end up disappointed) they do not do it well.


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## HBdirtbag (Jun 15, 2015)

Bogey said:


> Use a Twinstar 600S Or E
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk







what's the difference between the two?


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

HBdirtbag said:


> what's the difference between the two?




Well the E Series has a acrylic leg and is the standard for Twinstar lights. While the S has metal legs and has higher par. It's basically the Moon Version of the ADA Aquasky. 

Cheers,
Adam


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## Wobblebonk (Feb 13, 2018)

S series is more powerful with metal legs/6500K vs E series is less powerful/cheaper/acrylic legs/7050K. This is not counting SA(djustable legs)/EA / SP(endant) models but that's mainly just different mounting options. There's actually a C series that's weaker than the E series and only comes in the adjustible legs (think the wire style legs that slide in and out for width adjustment).


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Twinstar s series better to make red plants pop (vs E series)


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## Bogey (May 7, 2017)

Nigel95 said:


> Twinstar s series better to make red plants pop (vs E series)
> 
> 
> Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk




IMO Twinstar E Makes red plants pop too. Unlike Kessil and Aquasky. That's why Twinstar is my #1 choice of planted tank lights. 

Adam


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Bogey said:


> IMO Twinstar E Makes red plants pop too. Unlike Kessil and Aquasky. That's why Twinstar is my #1 choice of planted tank lights.
> 
> Adam
> 
> ...




Yes it does better than kessil and aquasky. But s series wins due higher par output and other spectrum (vs E series). 


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## LeKing (Mar 13, 2018)

Does anyone have an opinion on the Radion XR15 FW? I ordered one and I would love to hear good things about it....yes I've tried the search bar!!


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## FreshPuff (Oct 31, 2011)

LeKing said:


> Does anyone have an opinion on the Radion XR15 FW? I ordered one and I would love to hear good things about it....yes I've tried the search bar!!


I can't comment on the newer gen4 xr15fw with the new HEI (Hemispherical Edge Illumination) lens. But I have been using the previous gen for about 4 years now. I started out with one over an ADA 60p like yours and I found that the 120 degree lens it came with didn't give enough even par over the aquarium (lots of driftwood and tall light hungry plants on the sides). I mounted that sucker pretty high too! If it were an iwagumi style then it wouldn't have been a problem. I ended up adding a second one and dimming both quite a bit over the 60p. They are now on my 90p and they are doing a pretty good job. High light at only 75% brightness. I Have not seen the ADA RGB light in person yet so I can't compare but from images online it seems that the reds from it are unparalleled. Radion xr15 isn't quite there with the reds and greens but definitely much richer than Kessil. Programmability is amazing though... There is no fixture that comes close. I find it incredibly useful and that makes up for all its other shortcomings. As aquascapers we can be pretty fickle sometimes and one day you might like a warmer color and the next you might prefer a cooler look for the tank. You can do this with the xr15fw. You might change plants that look better under a particular color. Who knows. But that light gives you options.

Newer radions have better spread and a different LED combo than the gen I have so keep that in mind reading all this. 

Try and visit LFS to see the light in person if you can... Lighting is so subjective. Everyone has their own particular taste...


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