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Kessil amazon sun

MikeG747

MikeG747

Member
Joined
8 Aug 2012
Messages
76
Location
Gloucester
Hi folks,
I have an open tank with the following dimensions:
120 x 50 x 50 (cm).
I currently have 4 54w t5 lightning it but I want to mover to something led based that will be cheaper on electricity.
I was wondering whether anyone had any experience of the kessil amazon sun units for planted aquaria?
i was thinking that I will need two of these lights to illuminate the tank properly.
I am currently running a high tech setup with injected co2 ands EI fertilisation.

Any advice/thoughts welcome.

Thanks
Mike
 
There are quite a few debates on reefing forum about kessil lights. It seems that they aren't terribly efficient compared to many other LED lights so might not be the best one to look at if you're after energy savings. For my reef I run a AI sol blue which is immense but it's far too blue for a planted tank. AI have just released a new light called the Vega which can be customised with colours but they are around £400 each and you'd need two I think.
 
sanj said:
I considered them, but the 150W models do not have a dimming facitlity which in my book is not up to standard when investing in LED lighting. I went for an 8000k Razor instead.
Click to expand...
Thanks Sanj.
Could I get away with just one razor unit over a four foot tank, or would two be required?
 
MikeG747 said:
Thanks Sanj.
Could I get away with just one razor unit over a four foot tank, or would two be required?
Click to expand...

You probably could if you suspend it.
This website suggests so and you dont need the level of output required for reefs. Maxspect R420R (RAZOR) LED Lighting System: LED Aquarium Light Fixtures

If you use the leg props only I think you will end up with areas too high and some too low in PAR. On the tank I use it on, its only 60x45x45cm and I use a 120 w model. I use the legs, it is only 60% power at max (averages ~50%) there is some variation; 60 PAR at substrate directly under, 30 at the corners of the tank. So ideally I would have mine higher for more even spread.

Your issue would be length, 160w is 27" long. So yes, you would need to suspend it. It does come with suspension wires.
 
It's not necessarily about output IMO for planted tanks compared to reefs but the equality of light across the tank. LEDs are point source lights and cast harder shadows due to their nature. So if you have an LED in the centre of a tank you will get large shadows at the ends due to the angle of the light, whether there's enough PAR in numerical terms or not. As I said earlier I have an AI Sol over my reef tank which is an 18" cube and it's a great light but the shadows cause a few issues with coral growth and that is from almost overhead. One LED source over a 4ft tank will only make these issues worse. I'd rather go with two relatively inefficient Kessils than one more expensive and more efficient other unit. Or stick to T5s.
 
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