Viparspectra 165watt, Anyone using these?

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

60% on the blue channel might be a bit high then. Lots of LPS in this tank...

I suppose it depends on the mounting height also if the lenses are still on. It would be interesting if there were par readings without the lenses.

 

[Uncle99]

The 750ish PAR resulted from 100% blue, 100% white, 8” below the light. Visparspectra says 1000 PAR at this level but I could not get it that far. Even 750 surprised me for this light.

I run 100% blue and 50% white, 12” off the water, which the meter peaked under the light at 360-400ish.
At the bottom we were getting 80-100 par, 220 ishin the middle parts.
Not sure about removing the lense, I need lenses on to disfuse (mix) light correctly.

No numbers on blue only but would be of course less.

The white channel on these lights includes the green and red spectrum but notice that there are not many green and red lights thus running white at 50% might only be around 10% green and red.

When I tried blue only for 4 months, (sure corals looked wow) but slowly, they did not seem to puff up as well as they did when I included some of the white/green/red channel.

So, for me, after about 3 years now, I have settled back to whites being 50% of blues as a rule.

so if you use 100% blue,then white channel should be 50%.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

so if you use 100% blue,then white channel should be 50%.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for this, I previously ran at 80 blue and 20 white, last year my tank ran into issues. I bottomed out phosphates and nitrates. Not knowing this, I was tinkering with the lighting and worked it down. thinking this was the issue and not neutrients as the problem so over time, with neutrients where they need to be I'm aiming to work it back up, I dont want to over shoot the level or go too fast and cause other problems. I don't have any sps just all lps and a couple softies.

 

[dtruitt]

The 750ish PAR resulted from 100% blue, 100% white, 8” below the light. Visparspectra says 1000 PAR at this level but I could not get it that far. Even 750 surprised me for this light.

I run 100% blue and 50% white, 12” off the water, which the meter peaked under the light at 360-400ish.
At the bottom we were getting 80-100 par, 220 ishin the middle parts.
Not sure about removing the lense, I need lenses on to disfuse (mix) light correctly.

No numbers on blue only but would be of course less.

The white channel on these lights includes the green and red spectrum but notice that there are not many green and red lights thus running white at 50% might only be around 10% green and red.

When I tried blue only for 4 months, (sure corals looked wow) but slowly, they did not seem to puff up as well as they did when I included some of the white/green/red channel.

So, for me, after about 3 years now, I have settled back to whites being 50% of blues as a rule.

so if you use 100% blue,then white channel should be 50%.

How deep is your tank? Weve got a 24" deep 65g. Light is about 8 inches above the surface. Considering the readings you were getting at the bottom, maybe I can push things a little further.

 

[Mrreefercanada]

Is this one also measured on the sandbed? And how do you interpret the PAR and LUX graphs in this one?

Thanks again for doing this and sharing!

Great info i just bought the 300 watt version. This will help greatly!

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I am still running 50/5 and still dosing phosphates. The lps look a little fuller.

 

[dtruitt]

FYI, I just picked up three Noctua A8 ULN fans off of amazon. Replacing the fans in the 300w unit was pretty simple, I cut and stripped the wires going to the original fans and twisted them together black to black, red to red with the wires for the new fans.

Fans cost $14 each and now I can't hear the light unless I put my ear next to it. I suspect it is probably getting better airflow, as well, considering how cheap the included fans are, and my prior experiences with noctua gear.

 

[Hellybell80]

I've had one set above my 100 litre for over a year. Only 1%white and 50% blue.
I've then set up a 5ft 430litre and about 2 to go over it. Set it to the same amounts. The coral I've transferred over have done well. Considering its newly cycled.
I found that two wasnt quite enough so I added another.
So i decided to test the par today, now all the lights are up.
I've hung them 11 inches from the tank, with the bottom of the tank being 30inch down.

Testing just the blues with all 3 on 50% the amount of PAR was really high. Even on the sandbed where i was getting over 350par.
That would fry alot of what coral i have, the top was obviously much higher. The inconsistency of each light was also different the right hand light was getting alot more pare at the top then the right hand side. I think the spillage of light from adding one into the middle of the lights created a triangle either side of the middle light at a much higher PAR.
So I turned the middle light down to 15% and the two either end down to 30%. Whites I only have at 1% on the two end lights only. Middle light I've left as blue only for now, as the PAR was way to high.

First pic is blue only 30%
Second pic is blue and white. 30% and 1%

Theres a big range in PAR around the tank, even a few inches apart. But it gives you an idea of what the PAR is just at 30% blue and 1%white.
The pictures look more shady/patchy then it actually is as the window is behind me so getting decent pictures is hard.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Great work thanks. I'm at 35 blue and 5 white mine is 9 inches above the water. What is the height of your tank? Is it 30inches from the light to the sand bed?

 

[Mikemayar67]

Hi, i am considering buying these lights. I currently have a 72 X 18 X 24bin deep tank. I started with only fish and had a 72bin full spectrum led 40w light in the tank. Ive started to add some corals but i dont think my current lighting system will work well with corals. Does anyone have any ideas?

PS. My tank does have a custom lid on it which doesnt leave room to go very high above the water with mounting.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

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Theres a big range in PAR around the tank, even a few inches apart. But it gives you an idea of what the PAR is just at 30% blue and 1%white.

Do you find the higher numbers are where the light intersects? 1% white only gave an increase of a range of nothing extra then 20 par increase all the way up to 190par increase. What is the par number on the white photo bottom right hand side coral is it 140 or 190?

If you test with 1 light on only, over the right hand structure you will find the levels alot lower. It might pay you to spread the lights further apart to cut down intensity In the centre and help spread the lights to the sides. I assume you have 1 in the centre then evenly spaced the other 2.

Anyway thanks for providing par numbers on your tank.
I still think I'm running mine too high as some of my zoas dont want to open as much and the hammers just below the light are looking a little bleached as some polyps are going translucent. Going by your numbers its probably over 400 par on them.

 

[Hellybell80]

Great work thanks. I'm at 35 blue and 5 white mine is 9 inches above the water. What is the height of your tank? Is it 30inches from the light to the sand bed?

Its 30 inch from the light to the bottom of the tank.
19inch tank depth.
About 11 inch above the water.

 

[Hellybell80]

D
Do you find the higher numbers are where the light intersects? 1% white only gave an increase of a range of nothing extra then 20 par increase all the way up to 190par increase. What is the par number on the white photo bottom right hand side coral is it 140 or 190?

If you test with 1 light on only, over the right hand structure you will find the levels alot lower. It might pay you to spread the lights further apart to cut down intensity In the centre and help spread the lights to the sides. I assume you have 1 in the centre then evenly spaced the other 2.

Anyway thanks for providing par numbers on your tank.
I still think I'm running mine too high as some of my zoas dont want to open as much and the hammers just below the light are looking a little bleached as some polyps are going translucent. Going by your numbers its probably over 400 par on them.

Par number bottom right is 190 on whites.
I'm finding some of the LEDs quite high compared to others. The overlap effect has had an effect , but the high numbers on the right are probably not from overlap.
The lights are close together, as I have to fit 3 over the tank.
The middle light, which I put up yesterday is not running whites at the moment, as I'm trying to change it slowly. Dont want to fry what little coral I have at the moment. So that's why only a smaller change on the second pic. Any extra par is from overlap of other lights.
The centre is not where my biggest par is. It's where I'm running both white and blues. The white lights even at 1% are adding slot of extra par under certain lenses.

The picture shows the spacing of the lights.

 

[Hellybell80]

Hi, i am considering buying these lights. I currently have a 72 X 18 X 24bin deep tank. I started with only fish and had a 72bin full spectrum led 40w light in the tank. Ive started to add some corals but i dont think my current lighting system will work well with corals. Does anyone have any ideas?

PS. My tank does have a custom lid on it which doesnt leave room to go very high above the water with mounting.

I think you would definitely need 3 lights above yours. But looking over what I've done over the last year. You may need to put it higher on your tank. To spread the light better and not fry corals.
Each tank is different and I suspect that the lights vary. So you may have to experiment a little to get the best results.
Would I recommend them? Yes it's a good cheaper option and have had some good success with them. Just be careful by going with what looks good to the eye. As the amount of power in them is quite high.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Par number bottom right is 190 on whites.

Cheers , I thought the par was 190 which for that depth and a low of a setting it gives high par for the sand bed. My light is only 24 inches off the sand bed so at what I was running its quite alot of par my top hammers are getting about 13-14 inches away from the light. I'm tempted to run them as low as 25blue 2white. I do only have lps and I admit the colour has gone from the ones closer to the light. They dont look as naturally brown like the ones off to the side, considering they are from the same coral. This is them under natural ambient light entering the room.

This is the one lower down off to the right

This one is directly below about an inch higher up. You can see is paler.

I get alot of light in the room and by 8 in the morning alot of the coral are quite open when its sunny, this is what it's like and the lights haven't even come on yet.

 

[Hellybell80]

Cheers , I thought the par was 190 which for that depth and a low of a setting it gives high par for the sand bed. My light is only 24 inches off the sand bed so at what I was running its quite alot of par my top hammers are getting about 13-14 inches away from the light. I'm tempted to run them as low as 25blue 2white. I do only have lps and I admit the colour has gone from the ones closer to the light. They dont look as naturally brown like the ones off to the side, considering they are from the same coral. This is them under natural ambient light entering the room.

This is the one lower down off to the right

This one is directly below about an inch higher up. You can see is paler.

I get alot of light in the room and by 8 in the morning alot of the coral are quite open when its sunny, this is what it's like and the lights haven't even come on yet.

Your hammers look in good health.
My hammers are between 12 and 15 inches from the top of the tank. It started as two heads and had it in my old 2ft tank. Did ok but not great. Grew another head. Moved into the new tank as I was taking the 2ft down and each head has developed 8 extra heads already.
I'm a little worried because it is now in between 290 and 320 par.

 

[Hellybell80]

Maybe the paler ones are because of the light though. If you do make changes do it a small amount at a time over a space of weeks. Nothing worse for corals is dramatic changes to lights.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Maybe the paler ones are because of the light though. If you do make changes do it a small amount at a time over a space of weeks. Nothing worse for corals is dramatic changes to lights.

I know to change a little at a time turning g them down isn't anywhere near as bad as raising g the light intensity. That hammer coral I have had for over 14 years now and it has been under power compacts different leds I even have them in my other 2 tanks and have sold many many heads of it over the years.this is it in my evo 13.5 under stock led light

this
and is the same exact coral in my 7 gallon under an asta20 led

 

[Hellybell80]

Got to love hammers they just keep giving

 

[X-37B]

I ran the same black box on my 18" cubed mano at 70% blue 10% white.
This is after it was up for a year then moved to another house. I lost all coralline in the move but it was a frag/holding tank for my 120 and now the nano sits in my garage lol.