• You are viewing the forum as a Guest, please login (you can use your Facebook, Twitter, Google or Microsoft account to login) or register using this link: Log in or Sign Up

Kessil A150W "Amazon Sun" review

Johnny Ciotti

Member
Joined
13 Jul 2011
Messages
26
Location
Los Angeles & San Diego, CA USA
With the recent introduction of many plant aquarium specific LED light fixtures hitting the market, I couldn't see a better time to review one that has a lot of buzz circulating it.

Being one of those guys that is eager to adopt new technology for the better of my flora, fauna and over all well being, LEDs only seem to make sense. Well, for the last few years the handful of fixtures I tried left me wanting more and pointing me back in the direction of my trusty T5s.

The Kessil A150W Amazon Sun, a 32 Watt 24V DC "Dense Matrix LED" is assumed to be a 150watt metal halide replacement. With an approximate color temperature of 6700k, this particular flavor of LED is meant to be focused at us aquatic gardeners. Without getting to much further into the techy aspect I'd like to aim this review at the practicality and mind state of current aquarium equipment trends.

The Look of Light

This was the first thing that turned me on and turned me off about LED lighting. Most solid state light fixtures produce hard shadows, uneven illumination, and strange color fringing that is unpleasant to look at. The Kessil seemed to get around that with their multi chip array. Blending multiple colors of LEDs into one tightly packed group helps eliminate the unsightly blue or red shadows you would commonly see with varied color temps. The idea of using multiple bin colors gives the more natural look we are used to of full spectrum metal halide but with the added benefit of greater than T5 efficiency. Now this sounds great, but what does it mean and how does it apply to you and me?

My personal opinion is lighting should do more then just grow plants (more on that later), but give life to the aesthetic of our aquatic plant layout, breath inspiration into our homes and create an emotion to something that was otherwise still and dead.
LED has always looked sort of flat with an overwhelming seizure like inducing strobe when placed over an aquarium. The Kessil doesn't have a hint of this, rich full color with beautiful metal halide shimmer lines. But what about the uneven spread from a point source? This isn't always a bad thing in my honest opinion, I've got lots of opinions but this one I really think makes sense. Shadows add depth, shape and a sense of mystery to areas of our tank that used to be uninviting plant caves. This light challenges you to remember why those images in Nature Aquarium World made you think. Take a look at your favorite photo and imagine what it would look like without shadows, probably something like a T5 luminare over a freshly trimmed hedge of Rotala, yuck.

10863656763_58d7f5ff06_c.jpg


Growth and Health

This would arguably be the most argued about argument in lighting. As much as I hate to say it, yes, yes good quality LEDs will grow plants just fine. I've had the Kessil A150W Amazon Sun over my 60cm nature aquarium layout for about 4 weeks now. The light was put up right after a trim and has brought the plants into shape very quickly. The color at first seemed lacking and I was hesitant to leave the fixture be, 2 weeks into the new spectrum photo period the plants popped with a vibrant glow and returned to their original saturated state, even the reds.

10863332375_aa9f15f8e7_c.jpg


Form and Function

The Kessil has a unique approach in attaching to the aquarium. Being that most of us strive for functionality while balancing the wife friendly appearance factor, the Kessil did this with a sleek, easy to install "goose neck" arm clamp and I thank them for it. The fixture itself is a quality aluminum cylinder with anodized, powder coat and paint combination finish. I could have only asked for something other then black. Maybe if Kessil reads this we will see a silver or white option that blends in with an interior wall better. The open nature the light allows for makes trimming, feeding and topping up the aquarium easier then ever. The fan that provides active cooling isn't too loud, my better half can put up with it so this means yours can too. I can't make comment on how long the fixture will last as I've only had it a month, but with what I've seen the construction should prove to be worth the $270 USD.

10863348215_c2ec99f9c9_c.jpg


Conclusion and Comment

Despite the need for cable ties to secure the power cord and the ugly brass hanging hardware (I didn't use), my T5 setup will be donated to a new hobbyist, the A150W will stay over my aquarium and I will give Kessil a big :thumbup: !

10863624873_80bd668ec3_c.jpg

(Jake Adams using his Lytro on my layout)

Let us not forget to rethink what we expect from an aquarium light and embrace change.
 
Beautiful scape and lighting. Did you have to adjust your fertilizers and CO2 with the new lighting? Where did you purchase it from and how much did it cost?

Mike
 
Hi Johnny

Thanks for providing this review. I think it's worth mentioning that you're in no way directly affiliated with Kessil! :)

I look forward to trying these out for myself at some point. The colour rendition looks brilliant. Have you done much post-processing with the images, or are they straight from camera in terms of colour?

I've tested out a few LED units now and the biggest disadvantage I've experienced is their poor colour rendition, especially with red plants. However, this unit seems to be excellent.

The other disadvantage is the intense shimmer-effect one can experience, especially when running plenty of surface water movement. I tested out a Radion unit recently which almost gave me a headache after a while! The colour on the Radion were amazing but it is fitted with RGB LEDs that are 100% customisable. But there is also a price to pay for that. The Kessil seems very well-priced, in comparison, but obviously lacks the flexibility. This said, if the results in real terms looks as good as they do in your photos then there's no need for customisation of colour rendition. :)

Anyway, thanks again for posting. The aquascape looks incredible too, by the way, and deserves a thread all to itself... ;)

Cheers,
George

PS Maybe you could do a quick review of your new camera too!! ;)
 
I use one of their marine ones on my little nano reef cost was about $240 as I ordered from yankee land they weren't available in uk at the time and still are rare. Its an awesome little light but if you're even slightly DIY inclined you can achieve the same result for alot less just building your own that way you can tailor the colours to your liking.
 
mvasingh said:
Beautiful scape and lighting. Did you have to adjust your fertilizers and CO2 with the new lighting? Where did you purchase it from and how much did it cost?

Mike

Mike,

I did make a small bump in ferts and CO2 output as the plants "looked" as if they where getting more light then my previous 2 bulb T5 setup. Even with the shadows being more defined I believe there is more PAR in them after the switch.

I wasn't fortunate enough to have my good friend Jake Adams from Reefbuilders.com line up a fixture for review.
 
George Farmer said:
Hi Johnny

Thanks for providing this review. I think it's worth mentioning that you're in no way directly affiliated with Kessil! :)

I look forward to trying these out for myself at some point. The colour rendition looks brilliant. Have you done much post-processing with the images, or are they straight from camera in terms of colour?

I've tested out a few LED units now and the biggest disadvantage I've experienced is their poor colour rendition, especially with red plants. However, this unit seems to be excellent.

The other disadvantage is the intense shimmer-effect one can experience, especially when running plenty of surface water movement. I tested out a Radion unit recently which almost gave me a headache after a while! The colour on the Radion were amazing but it is fitted with RGB LEDs that are 100% customisable. But there is also a price to pay for that. The Kessil seems very well-priced, in comparison, but obviously lacks the flexibility. This said, if the results in real terms looks as good as they do in your photos then there's no need for customisation of colour rendition. :)

Anyway, thanks again for posting. The aquascape looks incredible too, by the way, and deserves a thread all to itself... ;)

Cheers,
George

PS Maybe you could do a quick review of your new camera too!! ;)

George,

Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad I could be of help.

You are correct to say I am in no way affiliated with Kessil, directly. I was fortunate enough to get a unit through a friend and after testing I'm happy to say I will be purchasing/keeping the fixture.

As for the photographs, they are RAW images from a Canon 5D MKIII, processed with some mild sharpening and contrast in Adobe LR4. Not color correcting other then the white balance setting in camera, then finally resized for web resolution.

I have noticed while shooting photographs under this unit you will get orange/pink hues towards the center when the background is white or light in color.

The Radion seems to be a top pick amongst LED units. I've yet to try one for a long period of time over a planted aquarium in my home. I have some friends at EcoTech, I'll ask them to loan me a unit for review.

Now in regard to a review for the new camera system, I'd be happy to in about a weeks time. What do you think would be of value to the UKAPS members, a review on it for photography and video specifically aquarium related or otherwise?
 
hinch said:
I use one of their marine ones on my little nano reef cost was about $240 as I ordered from yankee land they weren't available in uk at the time and still are rare. Its an awesome little light but if you're even slightly DIY inclined you can achieve the same result for alot less just building your own that way you can tailor the colours to your liking.

I couldn't agree more, but lets be honest, some of us are really bad at DIY :lol:
 
Thanks, Johnny. Out of interest have you tested these for PAR?

Johnny Ciotti said:
The Radion seems to be a top pick amongst LED units. I've yet to try one for a long period of time over a planted aquarium in my home. I have some friends at EcoTech, I'll ask them to loan me a unit for review.
I'd be interested to see what you think to it. I found it a bit too "technicolour" for my taste. Because of the RGB LEDs in combination with the shimmer the plants didn't appear very natural in their colour rendition. I played around with the colour balance (via the PC/USB interface) but maybe I didn't give it enough time. I would say you definitely can't use the Royal Blue LEDs. I used the following settings for your interest- 100% Cool White, 100% Red, 100% Green, 100% Red, 20% Blue and 0% Royal Blue.

It's a fantastic piece of kit but I would say more appropriate for the reef market, which is of course where it's marketed and where the colours will really highlight the corals and fish, as well as producing high PAR.

Johnny Ciotti said:
Now in regard to a review for the new camera system, I'd be happy to in about a weeks time. What do you think would be of value to the UKAPS members, a review on it for photography and video specifically aquarium related or otherwise?
Well, the Mk3 is out of most of our budgets but it would be very interested to see how you find it for aquarium photography and videography. There's a few Mk2 owners on here; also some Nikon users, so you perspective as a previous Nikon user will be particularly interesting.

Cheers,
George
 
George Farmer said:
Thanks, Johnny. Out of interest have you tested these for PAR?

I have some PAR tests underway, but they are all going to be used in a Reefbuilders.com freshwater shoot out. Stay tuned as UKAPS will be the only other place that information is be posted.

George Farmer said:
I'd be interested to see what you think to it. I found it a bit too "technicolour" for my taste. Because of the RGB LEDs in combination with the shimmer the plants didn't appear very natural in their colour rendition. I played around with the colour balance (via the PC/USB interface) but maybe I didn't give it enough time. I would say you definitely can't use the Royal Blue LEDs. I used the following settings for your interest- 100% Cool White, 100% Red, 100% Green, 100% Red, 20% Blue and 0% Royal Blue.

It's a fantastic piece of kit but I would say more appropriate for the reef market, which is of course where it's marketed and where the colours will really highlight the corals and fish, as well as producing high PAR.

We will see soon, I've already got something in the works!

George Farmer said:
Well, the Mk3 is out of most of our budgets but it would be very interesting to see how you find it for aquarium photography and videography. There's a few Mk2 owners on here; also some Nikon users, so your perspective as a previous Nikon user will be particularly interesting.

Agreed, some might find it interesting. Hopefully in a weeks time I can conjure up a review on this fantastical piece of kit.
 
Hey Johnny. Great review. I have to say, I am glad George cleared up that you are not the Marketing Director of Kessil, LOL. Its good to read unbiased reviews :thumbup: You have so few posts on here which is a shame because you are clearly an experienced and talented 'scaper. I would love to see more of your work and some journals of your aquarium/a if you have the time. I love that tank you have used for the review. And I fully see what you mean about shadows bringing life to the aquarium. Can I ask, as a new scaper myself (who is rapidly trying to learn as much as I can and probably forgetting too much along the way) with the shadows and different light intensities, presumably you have to choose plants more carefully ? Or is it just a case that the plants in lower lit areas will grow at a slower rate ?

Great choice of camera too. If only I could find a way to trade up from my D700 to the 5D3, I would :) It has everything I want. Reasonable fps, not TOO many megapixels, great video and a brand new autofocus system.
 
Kessil A150W "Amazon Sun" review

Antipofish said:
Hey Johnny. Great review. I have to say, I am glad George cleared up that you are not the Marketing Director of Kessil, LOL. Its good to read unbiased reviews :thumbup:

I often forget to mention these things, at one point in time I did work for a lighting company (Ecoxotic). Right now I'm working with a coral retailer in the US, but this has nothing to do with lighting or aquarium plants. I gain nothing from my reviews other the the pleasure of helping my fellow hobbyists. Now if Kessil would like to throw me a bone afterwords I won't complain, ha ha!

Antipofish said:
You have so few posts on here which is a shame because you are clearly an experienced and talented 'scaper. I would love to see more of your work and some journals of your aquarium/a if you have the time. I love that tank you have used for the review.

I will be taking time in the future to share my work, I appreciate the kind words and feed back, it makes the time spent worth all the while. Often my views are seen as negative or that I'm gloating when talking about experiences. Hopefully I come across as helpful or of value to UKAPS and its members, not arrogant or an elitist.

Antipofish said:
And I fully see what you mean about shadows bringing life to the aquarium. Can I ask, as a new scaper myself (who is rapidly trying to learn as much as I can and probably forgetting too much along the way) with the shadows and different light intensities, presumably you have to choose plants more carefully ? Or is it just a case that the plants in lower lit areas will grow at a slower rate ?

For the most part plants will grow slower as long as there is enough light to meet their minimum requirements. I try to choose my plants accordingly (experience and time help) and plan your trimmings to the observed growth pattern. Give this a couple years and a few more layouts, you'll be a pro!

Antipofish said:
Great choice of camera too. If only I could find a way to trade up from my D700 to the 5D3, I would :) It has everything I want. Reasonable fps, not TOO many megapixels, great video and a brand new autofocus system.

Too funny, I just sold my Nikon system including the D3s, D3x and D700. For web work and most print the D700 is more then enough machine, fabulous piece of kit. If you need video though, the 5D3 or D800 could be useful. Cameras are becoming so good that almost anything in the market has the ability to help make beautiful images easier.
 
I bought one of these units for my 50L bowl, but sadly I don't use it for two reasons -

Firstly it's just too bright! I hadn't appreciated just how much light can be thrown out of a 36W LED, way too much for my low-tech, non CO2 tank. Plus it's like having a small star in my living room. My tank is right next to the TV, which just gets drowned out by the Kessil.

Secondly, you didn't mention the noise? The cooling fan is just a tad too loud and whiney to be acceptable in my living room (but then I am weird about noise, if something is rattling in the car I have to pull over and fix it). This might be fine for some people, and of course it depends on where the aquarium is in the house - it would be ok in a hallway, but I live in a small apartment where there's no getting away from it.

However I must say the build quality of the unit is excellent: I love their dense matrix under the glass lens, and the colour blending it gives is very impressive. I also like point source lighting for the shadows and ripples it gives, so much more natural than the blank spread you get from tubes. However, like George said, too much surface agitation and you're at risk of motion sickness!

My gripes are just personal issues, and I don't mean to put people off - If I had a 100+ litre tank in a spare room it would be perfect. I want them to make a passively cooled 15W version just for me :D
 
Back
Top