https://mdshop.us/KessilAccessories Kessil has been at the forefront of Aquarium LEDs for a long time now. We personally are fans of them and have been running an AP700 over our tanks since late 2015.

The major selling point of a Kessil light is the quality of light that it produces. The lights use dense matrix LED chips that blend the separate channels beautifully, removing the dreaded “disco effect” that other LEDs can have.

At their base level, Kessil’s come with the most bare minimum of controllability. When looking at the lights, you will only see two knobs: one for color, and one for intensity. By keeping it simple, these lights allow you to focus on dialing in the type of lighting you want for your tank without the complicated start the adding the initial complication of programming. If you feel that you have already outgrown the basics and are ready to take your control game to the next level, Kessil offers the Spectral X controller. This controller acts as a remote control for your lighting. It comes with two K-link ports for the the generation of 360X lights as well as two 0-10 volt ports making it backwards compatible with the older generation lights. Once you have your lights plugged in via the provided K-link cable, you will have full access to power, intensity. lighting schedules, and several preset modes including acclimation. Each outlet can have seperate programming meaning that you can have two systems running from the same controller and the lights can be daisy chained to share the program with each light. Kessil has also made 90 degree cable outlet adapters to better accommodate those who are lacking overhead space above their lights as well as a variety of extension cables. Being their top of the line light, the AP700 actually comes with integrated wifi control that can be used through Kessil’s app.

Having powerful lights is great, but if you can’t find a way to hang them over your tank they’ll end up being nothing more than a pricey paper weight. Thankfully Kessil recognizes that everyone has a different setup and offers a variety of mounting options to account for them. Their most standard option is a 90 degree arm that either be clipped onto the back of your tank or screwed into the back of your stand. Both the top arm and the bottom arm can be adjusted and the bracket is large enough to fit most tanks that are braced. If for some reason the standard arm is not long enough for you, Kessil also makes extension kits for each side of the mount, making sure that there is a way to make it work. These arms can also be paired up and used to mount the AP700. One of the nicest features of these mounts is that they are hollow.

The next mounting option is the gooseneck. Using a mounting bracket that tightens to your tank’s rim, the gooseneck mounts give you the flexibility to angle your light however you want. When purchasing, do keep in mind that the standard gooseneck works for the 160 and 360 series while the mini is designed for the A80. Kessil has added even more flexibility to the gooseneck mounting options by releasing a set of 90 degree brackets, allowing you to change up the direction of your lights.

In addition to these different brackets, the AP700 has the additional option of using an in-canopy mount. All you have to do is secure the bracket to your canopy, remove the light’s rubber stoppers and slide it in.

For those of you with deep tanks or a showpiece coral that you want to highlight, the narrow reflector for the A360X may be worth looking into. Just use the magnet to secure the reflector to the lense of the light and you instantly have three times the light intensity at the center of the beam. Keep in mind that this will lower the light’s coverage from about 130 degrees to about 55 degrees so it will only light an area of 20 inches by 20 inches.

Kessil knows that their lights can be a benefit to anyone’s tank so they have put a lot of effort into making sure that there is a way for anyone to use them. If you have any questions about if a Kessil is right for you or how you can make it work feel free to let us know. Don’t forget to like this video and subscribe for more helpful content. As always, thanks for watching and enjoy your reefkeeping journey.