Viparspectra 165w par readings

[JosephM]

Borrowing a par meter from my club. I got stuck with the old one because it was a couple week wait for the new one and I’m impatient. I’m using the apogee MQ-200. There’s some conversion you have to do to get a precise par reading that I don’t know how to do but just wanted to share the raw par readings at different intensities if anyone was curious. I’m done for the night because it’s time for my fish to wind down and blue lights to come on. If anyone has requests for certain height or intensity I can definitely do that tomorrow My tank is a 29gal - 30x12x18

I used the same pic for all just fyi but I did change the intensity

 

[Alex Cataldo]

I have one of these lights and they are so powerful I have it set at 5% blues and 0% whites. Lps and acros growing fine. this light is great at every aspect except spread, which is why I have it mounted about a foot above the surface and maybe 2 feet from the first colony

 

[JosephM]

I have one of these lights and they are so powerful I have it set at 5% blues and 0% whites. Lps and acros growing fine. this light is great at every aspect except spread, which is why I have it mounted about a foot above the surface and maybe 2 feet from the first colony

Yeah. I was not expecting some of those par readings. I was working up when I really needed to be working down. I’m building a frag tank (30x30x16) and I’m honestly thinking about putting two for more coverage and so I can have one higher for SPS and have the other lower for all the low light specimens

I know the newer lights are more controllable but I just won’t spend $1k+ just for lighting. But I am considering like a 24” 6-8 bulb t5 because I’ve heard they get great growth and coloring

 

[Alex Cataldo]

Yeah. I was not expecting some of those par readings. I was working up when I really needed to be working down. I’m building a frag tank (30x30x16) and I’m honestly thinking about putting two for more coverage and so I can have one higher for SPS and have the other lower for all the low light specimens

I know the newer lights are more controllable but I just won’t spend $1k+ just for lighting. But I am considering like a 24” 6-8 bulb t5 because I’ve heard they get great growth and coloring

with SPS it’s can be more about coverage than always the sheer power of the light. Adding another might be good but I think t5s are also good at light spread

 

[JosephM]

with SPS it’s can be more about coverage than always the sheer power of the light. Adding another might be good but I think t5s are also good at light spread

I wonder how a viparspectra supplemented with 1-2 t-5s on each side would look and function. I feel like the viparspectra with some actinic t-5s would definitely look great

 

[Alex Cataldo]

I wonder how a viparspectra supplemented with 1-2 t-5s on each side would look and function. I feel like the viparspectra with some actinic t-5s would definitely look great

Viparspectra for awesome par, and T5s for fill light, Sounds great.

 

[JosephM]

Viparspectra for awesome par, and T5s for fill light, Sounds great.

Exactly. Could probably find those small T5 fixtures for cheap used tbh

 

[Cool tangs]

Borrowing a par meter from my club. I got stuck with the old one because it was a couple week wait for the new one and I’m impatient. I’m using the apogee MQ-200. There’s some conversion you have to do to get a precise par reading that I don’t know how to do but just wanted to share the raw par readings at different intensities if anyone was curious. I’m done for the night because it’s time for my fish to wind down and blue lights to come on. If anyone has requests for certain height or intensity I can definitely do that tomorrow My tank is a 29gal - 30x12x18

I used the same pic for all just fyi but I did change the intensity

Can you test from 16inches above with 1% whites and different levels of blue?

 

[Romulax]

I have mine installed a few inches off the top of the water. I run it at 1% white and 20% blue. Anyone have any ideas what my par could be? Or at least tell me if i have it set too high?

 

[BigD9.5]

Borrowing a par meter from my club. I got stuck with the old one because it was a couple week wait for the new one and I’m impatient. I’m using the apogee MQ-200. There’s some conversion you have to do to get a precise par reading that I don’t know how to do but just wanted to share the raw par readings at different intensities if anyone was curious. I’m done for the night because it’s time for my fish to wind down and blue lights to come on. If anyone has requests for certain height or intensity I can definitely do that tomorrow My tank is a 29gal - 30x12x18

I used the same pic for all just fyi but I did change the intensity

What percentage did you endup going with

 

[Uriken]

Hello fellow Vipar Fans. I have 2 over my 40 breeder. 12" off the surface of the water and placed side by side. I have no dark areas accept for inside a rock cavern. I run my blues at 46% and the whites at 2%. The blues I run from 10am to 8pm. The whites from noon to 4pm. With both SPS & LPS in the tank I find they both do well with the SPS toward the top 3rd of the tank and the LPS at the bottom sand level to mid tank level. I have 4 wave makers in each top corner of the tank which agitates the surface nicely giving the lights a chance to present the shimmer on the sand. For the cost of the lights I feel these are great lights. The PAR is high so I just suggest to take caution when introducing new corals so they can acclimate to the the intensity. PAR readings when I did it were at 430 a third of the way down from the surface in the middle of the tank running at my current percentages.

 

[outhouse]

In a 30 " dep 210 g tank I run 10% B and 1% W and growth is off the charts

If your running 100% B on a baby tank your freakin nutz. turn that crap down

high par is not needed and quit trusting these cheap *** meters they are junk

 

[Bigdaddy05]

In a 30 " dep 210 g tank I run 10% B and 1% W and growth is off the charts

If your running 100% B on a baby tank your freakin nutz. turn that crap down

high par is not needed and quit trusting these cheap *** meters they are junk

I took ur advice about turning these lights down recently and went from 100b 20w down to 60 blue and 1 white

 

[outhouse]

I did 60 B in my tank for years, and it was to bright and no growth took place at all.
These lighst are stronger then you think, you would be crazy to go over 20% B on a tank that small.

my tank is 30" deep and at 10% growth is crazy, Maybe you dont understand the words im typing, picture in order

 

[outhouse]

 

[outhouse]

thats only 3 months growth, for years I had power set to high and had zero growth

 

[Bigdaddy05]

I did 60 B in my tank for years, and it was to bright and no growth took place at all.
These lighst are stronger then you think, you would be crazy to go over 20% B on a tank that small.

my tank is 30" deep and at 10% growth is crazy, Maybe you dont understand the words im typing, picture in order

My tank is also 30" deep I'll try it at 20 blue and 1 white and see

thats only 3 months growth, for years I had power set to high and had zero growth

I just changed it to 20 blue and 1 white I guess I'll see it it works (my tank is also 30 inches deep and I'm only using 1 light)

 

[billyocean]

How high off of the water are your lights at 20/1? I have 2 300s over my 125 at 35% blue and 2% white abt 17" above WL. White only runs 5 hours.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

Mine is 12 inches

 

[outhouse]

30" deep I'll try it at 20 blue and 1 white and see

There ya go, you can always raise it up, if needed. But thats a good starting point.

what most dont realize is less par grows coral well, really well, max par is not needed for max growth

cloudy days in nature take place and most coral harvested in deep waters which are used to much less par then we try and grow LPS with.

Im just keeping at 10% because its working so well, I know it will take 20, but no way would I try 30 when 10 is so successful.

Good luck