hi guys, some users have measured the par produced by the kessil a500x? in your opinion in a sps dominated reef tank 48x24x24” it would be better to use 2 or 3 a500x with two Led bars or 2 ap9x with two Led bars?
Kessil a500x par values
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minus9
5000 Club Member
It's been my experience with point source lights to use more fixtures, than to use less more powerful fixtures. It's about coverage, not more power. Overlapping light will far outweigh strong single fixtures. But, it also depends on your fill lighting? Diffused bars like XHO's seem to work better at a lower mounting height and Orphek style bars need to be mounted higher. The great thing about Kessil's is using the narrow lenses, which allows you to mount them at different heights. No other light out there offers this option. With branching sps, one light (Kessil) will cover about 12" square, maybe 16"? This is real world application here. I personally like single fixtures better than double puck fixtures. They give you the option of tilting them and mounting them at different angles to suit your rock work. With a 24" deep tank, you can mount the Orphek bars around 10" or so and use the 500's. Start with two and go from there. Just my two pennies.
what you say makes a lot of sense. but 2x A500X have a lower diffusion than 2x AP9X, right? currently in my reef tank I use a single kessil a360x together with other lights, but I would like to switch to only kessil and Led bars as fill or only kessil and t5 as fill .. what would be the best option using my kessil A360X? can the a500x be mounted lower than 10 ”?
My tank is 36"x24"x24 and is lit by 1 A500x and 2x SBReefbar Blue @ 85 watts a piece. I am getting better growth and coloration than my 6x39watt t5's with same 2 reefbars. My kessil is 10" above water, corals start 10" below that. I currently have the kessil at 65% intensity and 40% color. These lights are POWERFUL! In your situation, 2 A500x and 2 supplement blue strips will more than be sufficient.
This is my reef tank. Sps wall to wall. my fear is that with these large colonies, i necessarily need a fill light like the t5… what do you think ?My tank is 36"x24"x24 and is lit by 1 A500x and 2x SBReefbar Blue @ 85 watts a piece. I am getting better growth and coloration than my 6x39watt t5's with same 2 reefbars. My kessil is 10" above water, corals start 10" below that. I currently have the kessil at 65% intensity and 40% color. These lights are POWERFUL! In your situation, 2 A500x and 2 supplement blue strips will more than be sufficient.
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bubblemytip
Active Member
Why the change away from the GNC? Just for the sake of trying something new or more shimmer?
rickyb
Community Member
Did you pull the trigger? How do you like them?
areefer01
2500 Club Member
If you haven't done so yet I'd look a bit more at the a500 numbers as it relates to spread and your depth. Having used a360x's that a500x is packing a heck of a lot of PAR that may require you to mount it higher all things being equal.
Say you mount the a360x at 10" and then swap to the a500x. Same mounting. You have just increased par substantially and it may be a bit much. Only solution then is to mount it higher which gives you spread of course. Deeper tanks or mounting higher I guess makes sense but 24" tall tank a lot depends on the mounting height.
Great light. Great company.
Say you mount the a360x at 10" and then swap to the a500x. Same mounting. You have just increased par substantially and it may be a bit much. Only solution then is to mount it higher which gives you spread of course. Deeper tanks or mounting higher I guess makes sense but 24" tall tank a lot depends on the mounting height.
Great light. Great company.
AquaLogic
Well-Known Member
a500X with no reflector create huge spread. If you are using supplemental bars is NO reason to have more than one every 24 inches. Kessil recommends 1 for every 36 inch square. Two for a 48 inch tank with bars is more than enough. Their coverage is really wide, and the par they put out is really high.
minus9
5000 Club Member
This is true for a softie, LPS and mixed reef (somewhat), but for sps, cut that coverage in half, if not more. I really like Kessil’s, but the reality with sps (especially acropora) is different. You can skim though my build thread if you want to see them in action.
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