Kessil A80 and fading colors

[Redsreefcorals]

Hello everyone,

 

First post on the forum.

 

I have had my nuvo 14 gallon peninsula tank up and running for over 1 year. I have noticed when I get my corals from guys that keep them under radions some slowly lose their patterns and bright colors. They still grow and look very happy, but specifically reds, greens and blues change after a month.

 

My jawbreakers, and chalices are the most important to me. I experimented with this and moved some fragged zoas in the garage under t5’s and a reef brite strip that all got brighter and better within a week (not as much growth due to it being a newer less stable tank.

 

My Kessil a80 (15 watt) light is 6 inches above the tank with it being 13” of water top to bottom. With a spectral controller ramping up and down 5 percent color (mostly blue).

10 am 50%

1  pm 75%

4  pm 100%

7  pm 75%

10 pm 0%

 

My question is, should I swap the light and spectral controller for an AI hd prime, Kessil a160we, or go full overkill and run a Radion xr15, Orphek, or a360 at low intensity?

 

If I’m good with my current setup I’ll just wait it out and keep my frag racks high. 

 

Attached Ed is my tank, and a study someone conducted on YouTube showing par values similar depth of my tank.

 

Parameters are as follows:

Alk: 9

Mag: 1500

Salinity: 1.025

Calcium: 460

Nitrate: 5

Phosphate: 0.04

 

 

 

 

[Horerczy]

If you swap id swap for the prime. Its close enough to a xr15 without the price tag.

 

The pattern shift is not abnormal as the kessil has a very different spectral output from radions. Specifically it lacks similar output in the warmer end of the spectrum.

[KISReef]

5 hours ago, Redsreefcorals said:

Hello everyone,

 

First post on the forum.

 

I have had my nuvo 14 gallon peninsula tank up and running for over 1 year. I have noticed when I get my corals from guys that keep them under radions some slowly lose their patterns and bright colors. They still grow and look very happy, but specifically reds, greens and blues change after a month.

 

My jawbreakers, and chalices are the most important to me. I experimented with this and moved some fragged zoas in the garage under t5’s and a reef brite strip that all got brighter and better within a week (not as much growth due to it being a newer less stable tank.

 

My Kessil a80 (15 watt) light is 6 inches above the tank with it being 13” of water top to bottom. With a spectral controller ramping up and down 5 percent color (mostly blue).

10 am 50%

1  pm 75%

4  pm 100%

7  pm 75%

10 pm 0%

 

My question is, should I swap the light and spectral controller for an AI hd prime, Kessil a160we, or go full overkill and run a Radion xr15, Orphek, or a360 at low intensity?

 

If I’m good with my current setup I’ll just wait it out and keep my frag racks high. 

 

Attached Ed is my tank, and a study someone conducted on YouTube showing par values similar depth of my tank.

 

Parameters are as follows:

Alk: 9

Mag: 1500

Salinity: 1.025

Calcium: 460

Nitrate: 5

Phosphate: 0.04

 

 

 

 

This is not ground breaking information. But, your corals are going to look different under all different types of lighting.

 

The colors that you see in (web) sites offering wysiwyg may show up different than what your running on your reef. Always ask what they're running, and make a judgement decision. It sucks when you buy a brilliant piece of coral and then put it in your reef and you feel like you got ripped off.

 

IMO,  this hobby is all about showcasing your corals. It's all about the lighting! Corals aren't cheap, so why would you buy an inferior light expecting superior results? Lighting is cheaper than buying a few corals these days. Don't get me started on pricing. 

 

For me personally, I didn't get into this hobby for blah corals. I want color, contrast, and beauty. Your only going to get that with selection (of corals), perimeters, and lighting.

[Redsreefcorals]

6 hours ago, KISReef said:

This is not ground breaking information. But, your corals are going to look different under all different types of lighting.

 

The colors that you see in (web) sites offering wysiwyg may show up different than what your running on your reef. Always ask what they're running, and make a judgement decision. It sucks when you buy a brilliant piece of coral and then put it in your reef and you feel like you got ripped off.

 

IMO,  this hobby is all about showcasing your corals. It's all about the lighting! Corals aren't cheap, so why would you buy an inferior light expecting superior results? Lighting is cheaper than buying a few corals these days. Don't get me started on pricing. 

 

For me personally, I didn't get into this hobby for blah corals. I want color, contrast, and beauty. Your only going to get that with selection (of corals), perimeters, and lighting.

I’m aware of this; however when they first go into the tank they are bright. Then slowly they fade to a more full color.

[Daniel91]

You may know this, but it also really depends on the specific coral. 

 

I am had several corals “fade” into a more full color under A80. There is not much to do, besides a light change.

 

With that being said, I enjoy the look of my tank being lid by the Kessil, far more than my other tank with Prime.

[Redsreefcorals]

So I upgraded my light to an a160we. With only 1 day, it drastically improved everything. I strongly suggest nobody ever buys the a80, unless you are using it as a supplement for shimmer or it’s on a ultra pico I.e. 4 gallon. The a160we is amazing and if it dies every 2 years I don’t care, will replace as part of the cost of the hobby.

[Horerczy]

That makes sense. I didnt look at your tank size before else I would have told you that the output of the a80 id far too low for those particular corals in those display dimensions. The a160 should have power to spare though.

[Friendly]

I haven't a clue...but I have read there are foods out there designed to help with colors. perhaps you need to change what they're being fed?