One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier comment is that widening the line of Kessils slightly and mounting on an articulated ball joint will provide greater flexibility and less shading and should flatten out any centre hot spot. Will also provide options as the tank grows out. It will make your low hood tight. Is there any reason you would not consider a hood to ceiling with large lift up access doors. Tank would look fully built in. I think it would suit your office space and tank and you could raise your lighting rack without the need to remove the hood with 2 people? Could be a hassle if urgent maintenance or action is required and no one else is around. Have seen some great electric hinges for the lift up doors.
You guys are amazing!!!! I seriously enjoy every video you put out and value the amount of time, dedication, passion, research and trials & errors you put into every video. Keep it up. Much respect!!
T5 and kessil is insane, I love it. T5 results are nuts and hard to move away from. The best shimmer and real life look I’ve seen is ....... Plasma LEP, insane sunlight appearance. However it grows algae :) T5 I just can’t leave you !
What percentage did to set the XHOs with the Kessil? Was running into issues with shadowing on my R2R250 with 2x A360WE. Just added 2x 24in XHO. At 100% the tank seems too bright to me. I just got the inline dimmers and set the lights to 50% and currently running them 3 hours a day. Plan to ramp up the XHOs to 6-8 hours a day just not sure on the percentage I should set the lights on. I run a mixed tank easier SPS LPS and softies.
I got the impression radions were better than t5 standard. Did you try kessil and diffused radions together? Seems like you would get the best of everything if it looked good and could be mounted.
I was thinking the same thing, plus the video seems incomplete without a review with this combo, talk about all these lights individually throughout the video then all of a sudden forget 1 of them when you start mixing them.
BRS so I am setting up a 240 that is 6' wide. I am going to go with 2x60" xho and 3 Kessil 360x. My question is would lighting be the last thing you get if you had to setup your tank and let it cycle? I pretty much have everything for the tank except for the lights and the apex and I won't be setting it up until after Christmas.
I put a 6 bulb ATI sunpower over my 120g with 2 reefbrite lumi-lite pro strips. The glow with just the strips for dawn and dusk is unreal. If I ever switch to all LED, I'll probably still keep the reefbrite strips.
I am building a 340G tank with similar Kessil T5 setup. Before you put the Reefbrites on, talk to Unique Corals about the Illumagic Vitamini lights. I am adding a pair to the front, insane coloration!
I think this is a great light choice. I like kessil shimmer but it can be a bit harsh on the eye, so muting it does provide a good balance of shimmer. Moving away from T5 technology is definitely a winner for me too. The Ilumagic Vitamini strip led is another option and may improve on the Brightwell. I have also wondered for some time how the GHL Mitras would compare with the Kessil as it is a multi-puk design with good shimmer and overlapping light source which should mute some shimmer harshness. GHL also have some matching strip lights. It would be great to see how these options compare with Randy's other lighting tests and your proposed solution. It would also be interesting to see the comparison of these different strip light options and if there is any advantage in the control options of the GHL Mitras and GHL strip light combo with its very wide channel and spectrum offer. There is very limited material on the web compared to other brands. All these fall into the same lighting format you have chosen so should not impact on your hood choice unless there are differences for optimal mounting height. Anyway, great overall choice for the format, and appreciate the open minded approach. This is what keeps the hobby and technology moving forward. Thanks for the great information.
The problem i have is we don't have many shops around that have all these lights on display... its hard to decide which to go for without seeing them first, ( expensive mistake to make) as you guys said you cant get a true representation from a video, I have xr15 gen 3 pros with diffusers from my last build and they looks awesome, I'm struggling to decide if I should get the gen 5s for my new build but from the video the shimmer looks like it flickers to much and you don't get much of a shimmer with the diffusers, maybe I just pick up some 2nd hand gen 4 with diffusers so I still get a decent shimmer.
We looked at the hydras as a part of the BRStv Investigates Lighting series, but given that Ryan will have a canopy and our recommended mounting height is a little over 12" off the water surface, it just wasn't the right tool for the right job in this case.
It would be nice, pretty please, to give us the detail on the structure you are mounting the Kessils with the ReefBrites. I have been thinking about adding blue ReefBrites to my Kessil set up ever since I saw Jason Fox has that set up.
For my 240g 80x26x26in tank I'm planning to use 4 AI Hydra 32HDs what do u think it's gonna be a softie and LPS tank with some anemones and tridacna clams do u think it's a good choice and it'll work?
Length wise, it should work just fine. I might be a little concerned about the width of the tank, however. I'd certainly turn the hydras sideways so that the pucks run front to back. Before adding any corals, pick up a par meter and confirm that you're getting the results that you're expecting.
I think they will. They're still very effective, don't have nearly the same heat issues as MH, the fixtures are more cost-efficient to build than LEDs, and they're still extremely popular. I think T5s have another 25 years in the hobby.
@@bradsimpson8724 The availability and cost effectiveness of T5s depends a lot on the market for non-reef related T5s. As the commercial demand for these bulbs wanes with new buildings being built with LEDs and old ones being retrofitted, the availability of components to make the specialty reef T5s will dwindle and get more expensive. Additionally, most of Europe is moving towards a circular economy with legislation being passed that makes disposable items like bulbs much more expensive. This will pressure European reefers into LEDs, further shrinking the market and making it less profitable for the bulb makers. They will likely still exist to some degree in 10 years, but I suspect they will be very expensive and the color/brand options limited.
Alright I'm going to try to predict before watching I predict you gonna choose something that covers fully the aquarium. You have an unusual square ish shape, so it's gonna be multiple ones, maybe something rectangular like Orphek or Coral Gen Care or Radion G5 XR30, that kind of shape. I know you love Kessil but I don't see those light fitting for this aquarium. Something also flat since your ceiling is not "that" high. and you might need space to move stuff in and out the aquarium with your future cover (I think you are waiting for it right?) (edit: yup...) _____ watching _____ Alright I guess it's Radion G5 XR30 Blue? How many? 9? 4? Maybe 9 XR15 Would be a great price/coverage (but if you can afford 9 XR30 go for it) I was planning one of my video for 29 August on my channel but I will do a video that will help you decide something with the Radion a bit earlier from my planning (It's also my favorite light because of the PAR coverage). Let's discuss about: do you need a Sky or not for those radion, if you know what I mean :P
Wait I'm confused, somebody told me it was kessil and reefbrite? Did I miss understood the entire video with my poor english!? Edit: oh snap yup misunderstood, at 47:00
LED strip can be identical to T5 in term of distribution, but I still doubt about light diffuse for example a stick at one end of tank may not get light distribute at all from a LED chip at another end of tank.
I’m still running halides but I’m switching to leds. Can’t believe Kessil is so expensive seeing that it’s a pennant and wiring is exposed plus they want to charge for the bending stands.
I'm curious how the shimmer will look with both Reef Bright and Kessil combined? Can you share if its exaggerated since both lights are LED's, or if the Reef Brights will still offer the same benefit by mellowing out the shimmer of the Kessil's like the T5 's do? Working on a new build myself and this would defiantly be something to consider looking into. Great episode!
The ReefBrites look very similar to T5's but with a very slight amount of shimmer. The Kessil/Reefbrite combo will be pretty similar to Kessil/T5 visually.
I’m not sure I totally agree with using the 360x over the ap9x. The ap9x has way more par than 2 360x. Can you explain the thought process more behind this?
One of the big reasons why someone would pick the A360X fixtures is that you have more freedom to space the individual "pucks" further apart to meet the tank's unique needs.
The lighting discussed towards the end of the video was a combo of the Reef Brite Actinic XHO LED Strips and Kessil A360X light fixtures. Exact cost depends on the length you need, but you can find all of the options and prices at the links below www.bulkreefsupply.com/blue-xho-led-strip-light-reef-brite.html www.bulkreefsupply.com/a360x-controllable-led-aquarium-light-tuna-blue-kessil.html
We've learned a lot over the past year, especially with Randy's BRStv Investigates and the updated standard testing criteria we developed for each and every light we tested. In the end, today's message was all about picking the right tool for the right job and since the Orphek may be the right tool for those who desire mounting heights upwards of 15"-16"inches, that just isn't the job Ryan has for his personal lighting choice (where he requires the best performance at 8"-9" mounting heights. ua-cam.com/play/PLBaMLrfToJyxzFGuKCKfWei-_seaUOwmX.html
Video quality is bad out of focus and only 720p? Wow your media guy can do better. You can stream at 1080p or higher without glitching it's all about the right equipment and the media guy of course.
Today you find out what lighting we're going with on The 360 and how 4-months of light testing led us to that conclusion!
Pretty cool choice! I used (2) 48" reefbrite xho 50/50 with (4) radion g5 blues .... Love them on my SPS dominant build.
One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier comment is that widening the line of Kessils slightly and mounting on an articulated ball joint will provide greater flexibility and less shading and should flatten out any centre hot spot. Will also provide options as the tank grows out. It will make your low hood tight. Is there any reason you would not consider a hood to ceiling with large lift up access doors. Tank would look fully built in. I think it would suit your office space and tank and you could raise your lighting rack without the need to remove the hood with 2 people? Could be a hassle if urgent maintenance or action is required and no one else is around. Have seen some great electric hinges for the lift up doors.
I love how you guys explain the entire process. Well done and can’t wait to see the results!
You guys are amazing!!!! I seriously enjoy every video you put out and value the amount of time, dedication, passion, research and trials & errors you put into every video. Keep it up. Much respect!!
Damn i love your videos. I learn so much and next week i will start my first reef tank. Thanks for all the professional and fun videos.
You guys are great 👍 👍👍 very informative thanks keep up the great job
T5 and kessil is insane, I love it. T5 results are nuts and hard to move away from. The best shimmer and real life look I’ve seen is ....... Plasma LEP, insane sunlight appearance. However it grows algae :) T5 I just can’t leave you !
What percentage did to set the XHOs with the Kessil? Was running into issues with shadowing on my R2R250 with 2x A360WE. Just added 2x 24in XHO. At 100% the tank seems too bright to me. I just got the inline dimmers and set the lights to 50% and currently running them 3 hours a day. Plan to ramp up the XHOs to 6-8 hours a day just not sure on the percentage I should set the lights on. I run a mixed tank easier SPS LPS and softies.
I've had 360 Kessils and actinic reef brites for several years now!! It is a great combo
You guys are awesome !
I got the impression radions were better than t5 standard. Did you try kessil and diffused radions together? Seems like you would get the best of everything if it looked good and could be mounted.
I was thinking the same thing, plus the video seems incomplete without a review with this combo, talk about all these lights individually throughout the video then all of a sudden forget 1 of them when you start mixing them.
BRS so I am setting up a 240 that is 6' wide. I am going to go with 2x60" xho and 3 Kessil 360x. My question is would lighting be the last thing you get if you had to setup your tank and let it cycle? I pretty much have everything for the tank except for the lights and the apex and I won't be setting it up until after Christmas.
Do you ever heard from the germany Premium LED Light "ATI Straton"? You really should take a look at this fixture. Love your project :).
He should check out the Orphek strip lights as well
Did you think to try a mix of Radeons with and without Diffusors? The diffused take the place of the T5's and the standard provide shimmer.
I put a 6 bulb ATI sunpower over my 120g with 2 reefbrite lumi-lite pro strips. The glow with just the strips for dawn and dusk is unreal. If I ever switch to all LED, I'll probably still keep the reefbrite strips.
I am building a 340G tank with similar Kessil T5 setup. Before you put the Reefbrites on, talk to Unique Corals about the Illumagic Vitamini lights. I am adding a pair to the front, insane coloration!
I think this is a great light choice. I like kessil shimmer but it can be a bit harsh on the eye, so muting it does provide a good balance of shimmer. Moving away from T5 technology is definitely a winner for me too. The Ilumagic Vitamini strip led is another option and may improve on the Brightwell. I have also wondered for some time how the GHL Mitras would compare with the Kessil as it is a multi-puk design with good shimmer and overlapping light source which should mute some shimmer harshness. GHL also have some matching strip lights. It would be great to see how these options compare with Randy's other lighting tests and your proposed solution. It would also be interesting to see the comparison of these different strip light options and if there is any advantage in the control options of the GHL Mitras and GHL strip light combo with its very wide channel and spectrum offer. There is very limited material on the web compared to other brands. All these fall into the same lighting format you have chosen so should not impact on your hood choice unless there are differences for optimal mounting height.
Anyway, great overall choice for the format, and appreciate the open minded approach. This is what keeps the hobby and technology moving forward. Thanks for the great information.
I'm gonna say in a stickler for the T5s but since I switched to a radion ill won't go back, but the red sea is definitely a competitor!!
Beautiful Tank! Hi guys!
You were miles ahead of me on the build, now after all of your changes I'm ahead of you. Sticks by Christmas, cross your fingers
The problem i have is we don't have many shops around that have all these lights on display... its hard to decide which to go for without seeing them first, ( expensive mistake to make) as you guys said you cant get a true representation from a video, I have xr15 gen 3 pros with diffusers from my last build and they looks awesome, I'm struggling to decide if I should get the gen 5s for my new build but from the video the shimmer looks like it flickers to much and you don't get much of a shimmer with the diffusers, maybe I just pick up some 2nd hand gen 4 with diffusers so I still get a decent shimmer.
Curious what you actually think of the hydra range considering you didn't look at them with your comparison?
We looked at the hydras as a part of the BRStv Investigates Lighting series, but given that Ryan will have a canopy and our recommended mounting height is a little over 12" off the water surface, it just wasn't the right tool for the right job in this case.
It would be nice, pretty please, to give us the detail on the structure you are mounting the Kessils with the ReefBrites. I have been thinking about adding blue ReefBrites to my Kessil set up ever since I saw Jason Fox has that set up.
Awesome thank you!
For my 240g 80x26x26in tank I'm planning to use 4 AI Hydra 32HDs what do u think it's gonna be a softie and LPS tank with some anemones and tridacna clams do u think it's a good choice and it'll work?
Length wise, it should work just fine. I might be a little concerned about the width of the tank, however. I'd certainly turn the hydras sideways so that the pucks run front to back. Before adding any corals, pick up a par meter and confirm that you're getting the results that you're expecting.
Bulk Reef Supply is the seneye good planning to use a it for am monitoring and par seems good
I wonder whether T5's are a 10 year solution...will a good selection of replacement bulbs be available in 10 years?
I think they will. They're still very effective, don't have nearly the same heat issues as MH, the fixtures are more cost-efficient to build than LEDs, and they're still extremely popular. I think T5s have another 25 years in the hobby.
@@bradsimpson8724 The availability and cost effectiveness of T5s depends a lot on the market for non-reef related T5s. As the commercial demand for these bulbs wanes with new buildings being built with LEDs and old ones being retrofitted, the availability of components to make the specialty reef T5s will dwindle and get more expensive.
Additionally, most of Europe is moving towards a circular economy with legislation being passed that makes disposable items like bulbs much more expensive. This will pressure European reefers into LEDs, further shrinking the market and making it less profitable for the bulb makers.
They will likely still exist to some degree in 10 years, but I suspect they will be very expensive and the color/brand options limited.
Alright I'm going to try to predict before watching
I predict you gonna choose something that covers fully the aquarium. You have an unusual square ish shape, so it's gonna be multiple ones, maybe something rectangular like Orphek or Coral Gen Care or Radion G5 XR30, that kind of shape. I know you love Kessil but I don't see those light fitting for this aquarium. Something also flat since your ceiling is not "that" high. and you might need space to move stuff in and out the aquarium with your future cover (I think you are waiting for it right?) (edit: yup...)
_____ watching _____
Alright I guess it's Radion G5 XR30 Blue?
How many? 9? 4?
Maybe 9 XR15 Would be a great price/coverage (but if you can afford 9 XR30 go for it)
I was planning one of my video for 29 August on my channel but I will do a video that will help you decide something with the Radion a bit earlier from my planning (It's also my favorite light because of the PAR coverage).
Let's discuss about: do you need a Sky or not for those radion, if you know what I mean :P
Wait I'm confused, somebody told me it was kessil and reefbrite? Did I miss understood the entire video with my poor english!?
Edit: oh snap yup misunderstood, at 47:00
I still think canopy hoods are so much cleaner looking vs hanging lights above a tank.
Awesome!
I like the opening theme. It’s very Beavis and Butthead
hey all? what is the fixture behind you over your cube tank?
The one between Ryan and Randy in this shot is the 24" AquaticLife T5 Hybrid + a Kessil A360X LED fixture. Super combo!
Had you guys had considered using the Illumagic vitamini super actinic light strips instead of the reefbrite XHO?
That's not one that we've looked too deeply into
LED strip can be identical to T5 in term of distribution, but I still doubt about light diffuse for example a stick at one end of tank may not get light distribute at all from a LED chip at another end of tank.
New camera??? Video image looks amazing!
Can you all start recording in 1080p?
Have you tried the Orphic OR3 bars?
I’m still running halides but I’m switching to leds. Can’t believe Kessil is so expensive seeing that it’s a pennant and wiring is exposed plus they want to charge for the bending stands.
Why don’t you try out the orphek or3 led strips.
How about T5/XR30 combo?
@Bulk Reef Supply: 1:13 You can check that sh..tuff our later
😅 Close call
I'm curious how the shimmer will look with both Reef Bright and Kessil combined? Can you share if its exaggerated since both lights are LED's, or if the Reef Brights will still offer the same benefit by mellowing out the shimmer of the Kessil's like the T5 's do? Working on a new build myself and this would defiantly be something to consider looking into. Great episode!
The ReefBrites look very similar to T5's but with a very slight amount of shimmer. The Kessil/Reefbrite combo will be pretty similar to Kessil/T5 visually.
Did you add any fish in the 7 months cycle tank?
For your second negative space aquascape, show some love for the youtube crowd... some of us don't have facebook
You can use the reef energy ab+ to show flow pattern lol
It's not a 36 its a Hydra 32hd Ryannnn lol 🤫
Would’ve been nice if you covered price point on dosing... Trident vs Two part etc...
Here's a BRStv Investigates video we did a while back that speaks directly to this topic! ua-cam.com/video/nmg08dbFk2Q/v-deo.html
I’m not sure I totally agree with using the 360x over the ap9x. The ap9x has way more par than 2 360x. Can you explain the thought process more behind this?
One of the big reasons why someone would pick the A360X fixtures is that you have more freedom to space the individual "pucks" further apart to meet the tank's unique needs.
I would be able to compile all of your data from different lights and create a light picking tool. I'm bored in this quarantine .
That is the ultimate goal when all is said and done!
@@BRStv cannot wait to see this in action!
There’s a guy in Belgium who did it. If you connect to his forum, the soft is free 😉
Either you got some numbers wrong, or, your color chart is wrong between the Radion XR30 and the ATI Sun Power
Interesting...why not GHL?
They don't sell them.
Probably falls under same reasoning as why not Orphek. Those large panels work great when mounted higher but not when ~8” above the water.
How does the radion compare to the big orphek v4?
Check out our BRStv Investigates videos on the Orphek and Radions and we'll let you decide for yourself based on the data 🙂
@@BRStv thanks... i watch most if not all of your videos. I wanted to get your professional opinion.
Or the the new Phillips?
Can I get the exact name and cost of both lights Thanks
The lighting discussed towards the end of the video was a combo of the Reef Brite Actinic XHO LED Strips and Kessil A360X light fixtures. Exact cost depends on the length you need, but you can find all of the options and prices at the links below
www.bulkreefsupply.com/blue-xho-led-strip-light-reef-brite.html
www.bulkreefsupply.com/a360x-controllable-led-aquarium-light-tuna-blue-kessil.html
What Kessel model? AP9x??
A360X
You started with AI Hydra 32 but you never included it for the rest pf your video .
U know you love that shimmer, I'm guessing T5'S and Kessels
My guess is Phillips.
Why not ORPHEK?? Didn't you say that was the "best" last year??
We've learned a lot over the past year, especially with Randy's BRStv Investigates and the updated standard testing criteria we developed for each and every light we tested. In the end, today's message was all about picking the right tool for the right job and since the Orphek may be the right tool for those who desire mounting heights upwards of 15"-16"inches, that just isn't the job Ryan has for his personal lighting choice (where he requires the best performance at 8"-9" mounting heights. ua-cam.com/play/PLBaMLrfToJyxzFGuKCKfWei-_seaUOwmX.html
@@BRStv Could you do the Orphek bars instead?
@@jah651 I'm going with orphek bars for my 4 foot long tank. They work great in my cube, and are the same price as reefbrites.
Could grow anything you want in the tank BEAUTIFULLY with viparspectra, under 1k
Awe man... no nano lighting investigates? :(
This stream was all about Ryan's 360 gallon tank build, so no nano lighting covered in this particular live stream
@@BRStv I was speaking to their statement that there were only 4 lighting videos left :/
O
Video quality is bad out of focus and only 720p? Wow your media guy can do better. You can stream at 1080p or higher without glitching it's all about the right equipment and the media guy of course.
Shame the reefbrites are such a rip off in the UK :-(
Nailed?
.
.
.
.
Uh, no