Viparspectra 165w LED needs

[senorsancho]

I am wanting to light up a new used aquarium I just picked up but wondering how many of these I'm going to need.

I would like to grow some acros and digis but just trying to see if any has had experience with these lights and can give some inputs on how many of these lights I'd need on my aquarium. I would prefer to go with only one, but wondering if people think 2 is really necessary or not.

My tank dimensions are 28Lx18Wx18H

I put one of the lights just over just to see how the spread is and I feel like its decent, I heard that the spread reaches 24'x24', but I don't really plan on having too many sps pieces on the edges and that would mainly be taken up by lps or softies, do you think I would really need 2 or these lights placed vertically above? or do you think one placed horizontally would be enough to grow the corals I want?

 

[ihavecrabs]

The problem you might run into is the light will only come from the center for corals closer to the edge. Two lights would provide light from two directions so you'll have less shading.

Up to you.. you can always start with one and expand later if needed.

 

[piranhaman00]

You could raise that baby up high, say 24", and crank it up. You should still get good par readings and will have much better spread and blending.

 

[senorsancho]

You could raise that baby up high, say 24", and crank it up. You should still get good par readings and will have much better spread and blending.

Oh yeah that's true, I just don't want too much light bleeding through in the room, but we'll see I might just end up going with 2

 

[mrlavalamp]

Lots of good reading on these lights here: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/the-modified-black-box-thread.283942/

I have 3 of the exact model you are mentioning. I would start with 1 and see how you like it. If you need more you can always turn it sideways and add another next to it later.

If you remove lenses you can increase the spread, but that will also increase bleed into the room and decrease the actual power straight down to the bottom of the tank.

I am planning to swap some of the white channel LED's on mine for blue/UV because the white channel is a complete waste right now. Even at 100% blue, white anywhere over 20% and I do not enjoy looking at it anymore, especially with all my dry rock still mostly white (finally getting some green on the surface). Maybe once my tank has been taken over with coraline (someday) it will be less bothersome to have so much white light, but for now its just too much.

 

[Tahoe61]

I run one over an IM 40 (close to same dimensions), 12 in over water line. Intensity 94% blue 1% white.
My tank is mostly zoanthids, few LPS and SPS. Tank has housed corals since Jan, fairly young tank.

 

[senorsancho]

I run one over an IM 40 (close to same dimensions), 12 in over water line. Intensity 94% blue 1% white.
My tank is mostly zoanthids, few LPS and SPS. Tank has housed corals since Jan, fairly young tank.

How are the acros doing? Corals look like they've been coloring up really nice though!!

 

[Tahoe61]

The Bonsai was the 1st and it's doing well.

For reference.

For the money this is an awesome light.

 

[Uncle99]

The lights are well made, super quiet, and grow anything including SPS, Nems, and maxima clams.
One should be fine.

 

[senorsancho]

The lights are well made, super quiet, and grow anything including SPS, Nems, and maxima clams.
One should be fine.

Oh wow tank looks awesome! How long is your tank and how many of the lights do you have over it?

 

[Uncle99]

Tank is three years now,48x18x18, two of the 165w lights, running 100% blue/violet, 1% white/red/green.
Blue/violet on from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, white/red/green from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

 

[Bo.]

The lights are well made, super quiet, and grow anything including SPS, Nems, and maxima clams.
One should be fine.

Super quiet is deceptive... I replaced the fans fairly quickly on mine.

 

[senorsancho]

Tank is three years now,48x18x18, two of the 165w lights, running 100% blue/violet, 1% white/red/green.
Blue/violet on from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, white/red/green from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Oh wow and yours is 48 inches, I'm pretty sure I'd need just one for 28 inch length! How's the growth on acros?

 

[Tahoe61]

Super quiet is deceptive... I replaced the fans fairly quickly on mine.

Hmmm, I literally never noticed any fan noise. Consider myself lucky I guess.

 

[Uncle99]

Oh wow and yours is 48 inches, I'm pretty sure I'd need just one for 28 inch length! How's the growth on acros?

To be honest, the Acro growth seems slow but it’s so hard to judge as each one has different growth patterns.
The birds nest corals seem very fast, I am trimming them every two months and now have a frag tank for them.