I don't use Kessils but I have a friend who uses two over a 4' reef. I do use similar focused pendant lights (but DIY) and they are only 50w total over a 2' cube 60g. They market the A150w as being the equivalent of a 150w metal halide even though it only draws 32w of power. I don't think most reefers would ever consider lighting up a 5g tank with a 150w metal halide. Something in the 10-12w range for LEDs would be plenty for a 5g and even that is way more than what I use. I have 280w over 165g (1.7w/gallon), 50w over 60g (0.83w/gallon) and 60w over 34g (1.76w/gallon) mixed reefs. These are all dimmable and I had them all dimmed down for a couple of months when I first installed the LEDs over my tanks and I still got bleaching.
You're planning to blast 6.4w/gallon using an undimmable light on your little 5g. I would put money on bleaching your corals and making your tank uncomfortably bright for your fish. BTW, zoas and palys that are blasted with light tend to grow smaller in head size compared to polyps grown under normal or lower light levels. If you see this happening, that's to be expected.
Most reefers I know have had to start off at 50% or less and a lot of them still experienced corals bleaching before they adapted to the more intense LED lighting.
The PAR 38 should be perfect for a 5g. All my tanks and most of my house lights are LED so these comments are based on experience with LEDs over reef tanks, not just pulling assumptions out my "bleep" ;P
Anthony
Last edited by SeaHorse_Fanatic; 09-24-2013 at 09:55 AM.
|