Help with Viparspectra 165 W LED settings for small tanks-mixed reef

[KonradTO]

Hi everyone,
As title says I have a viparspectra 165W box on top of my 32 gal long (15" deep) tank with mostly LPS, softies and 1 monti.
The light is 10" above water level but I have an acrylic lid "softening" a bit the light. I don't get much spray salt or drops so its mostly clear.
Most of the people threads about this fixture have massive tanks, and since I don't own a PAR meter and renting is quite expensive here in Germany I wanted to get a rough idea of approximate PAR levels in my tank depending on the settings.
Anyone with the same light? What settings are you keeping yours at?
On the amazon page they have this pic:

I have some technical question, I am not sure if someone have this info, or could post some sources where to get it..

Do you think this values are correct? I mean from this scheme it seems that this tank is 24" wide and 24" long (60 cm only??!). It looks definitely bigger than a 60cm cube..
would this be with 100% both whites and blues?
Also, If say I run them at 50%, would I get half the values on this chart right?
I am quite into DIY, did anyone found some benefits removing the lenses and/or removing some 6500k leds?
Thanks in advance for the help!!

 

[vetteguy53081]

There should be some suggested settings on you tube

 

[MaxTremors]

I don’t have first hand experience with this particular light, and without knowing what light was on your tank previously (ie how much light your corals are accustomed to), I would recommend starting it at 15% blue and 3-5% white. See how your corals respond and then maybe slowly raise it up to at most 25% and 10-15% white. Given how shallow your tank is, and the fact that you’re not keeping especially light demanding corals, I would think this would provide plenty of PAR. Your corals will tell you whether they need more or less, but it’s far easier to recover from too little light than too much, so it’s best to start low and slowly increase.

 

[KonradTO]

I don’t have first hand experience with this particular light, and without knowing what light was on your tank previously (ie how much light your corals are accustomed to), I would recommend starting it at 15% blue and 3-5% white. See how your corals respond and then maybe slowly raise it up to at most 25% and 10-15% white. Given how shallow your tank is, and the fact that you’re not keeping especially light demanding corals, I would think this would provide plenty of PAR. Your corals will tell you whether they need more or less, but it’s far easier to recover from too little light than too much, so it’s best to start low and slowly increase.

It's my first light actually, tank is 6 months old only. At the moment I have them at 3%W 25%B. I really like much more the colors under blue and I have a strictly white (6500k) light on the opposite side of the tank so I am keeping whites this low. It seems from the "official" thread that everyone is running them differently XD some says 10% is even too much some run them at 100%.. I honestly rather run them low as it saves energy as well, as long as corals are fine.
The only one which is not doing too well is my montipora, but could be anything, my parameters are not always perfect..
How do you recognise low-light symptoms in LPS vs SPS?

 

[nereefpat]

@Uncle99 has some really good info on PAR and settings for Viparspectra, but I'm haven't trouble finding it. Look at his posts in this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ideal-settings-for-viparspectra-165w.772323/page-6

 

[KonradTO]

@Uncle99 has some really good info on PAR and settings for Viparspectra, but I'm haven't trouble finding it. Look at his posts in this thread: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ideal-settings-for-viparspectra-165w.772323/page-6

Nice thread! I will have a nice read tonight

 

[nereefpat]

In case you haven't seen this one, and you have lots of time to read: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/viparspectra-165watt-anyone-using-these.317612/page-39

 

[KonradTO]

In case you haven't seen this one, and you have lots of time to read: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/viparspectra-165watt-anyone-using-these.317612/page-39

Oh yes I was dwelling there but there is so much stuff, that's why I mentioned that everyone has a completely different theory about those lights. I guess it means simply that as long as it is in a decent range most of corals can do well under many kind of ratios and intensities. I mean someone suggested 1%W 5%B another 50%W 90%B... its 20-30 times more intense lol

 

[outhouse]

Anyone with the same light? What settings are you keeping yours at?

My lights ocean revives have the exact electronics, made in the same factory. I have LPS and at 60% and 80% intensity I burned everything up. These are strong lights.

Right now im at 8% blue and 1% white, and growth is off the hook. That is 8 hours of blue and 6 hours of white

Im in a 30" deep 210g tank

How do you recognise low-light symptoms in LPS vs SPS?

Great question

on LPS its easier to burn then to under light them. you cant under light them if you stay over 10% on blue. over lighting wont bleach LPS they just wont grow, and slowly decline.

SPS underlit will grow longer branches instead of bushier structures. montis will grow up towards the light under lit, as if they are stretching for light. Lit to their limit they will grow and reach out flatter.

 

[outhouse]

People have success with high par and low par, but high par can kill if you start off to high. Both methods are successful. What you see above is 6 months of growth, the tank crashed hard 6 months before this picture. My poor lobo barely survived. All because I had intensity set to high. SO put your Monti up top and LPS towards the bottom and im sure 20 or 30% intensity for blue, would be more than enough. I tried 12% blue for a few weeks, I think the coral was happier at 8% so I put it back.

 

[outhouse]

Do you think this values are correct?

Yes they are, thats one heck of a hot spot. Raise the light higher than 8" thats what I run, and they need to go higher.

It will even out that how spot they list, those are stupid high par numbers but the light will produce it, you dont want it.

, If say I run them at 50%, would I get half the values on this chart right?

Nope, it doesnt work like that. Nor do you want half those numbers, nor do you want to mirror the hot spot.

Start off min 15" high and it will even out those par numbers. start at 10% and you can always raise it high as they acclimate to the light.

 

[KonradTO]

Yes they are, thats one heck of a hot spot. Raise the light higher than 8" thats what I run, and they need to go higher.

It will even out that how spot they list, those are stupid high par numbers but the light will produce it, you dont want it.


Nope, it doesnt work like that. Nor do you want half those numbers, nor do you want to mirror the hot spot.

Start off min 15" high and it will even out those par numbers. start at 10% and you can always raise it high as they acclimate to the light.

Hi! Thanks for the suggestions! Unfortunately I am costrained in the height of the fixture by the house structure so I need to leave it at 10". I could remove the lenses to increase spread a bit more at most.
I think your light has something different though, maybe the lenses or something else, because at 5% blue the tank is basically white since 1% is super bright already. I get why people raise the blue and whites over 50%, the colors are much more pleasant at that intensity. I suspect that at low intensity some leds don't reach the bottom of the tank, giving a different spectrum. Anyway did you ever measure the par levels in your tank with those settings? It would be interesting to know at different intensities how par declines. For many species is described an optimal range, then would be much easier to regulate the lights

 

[Wolf94]

Bonjour

J'ai 3x165w sur un tank de 150cm et 50 de hauteur d'eau.
les rampes sont placées à 20cm de l'eau.

pour le soft, quelle valeur dois-je mettre les blancs et les bleus ?

en France, j'ai lu que les blancs sont à 40 ou 50%, pourquoi c'est si différent ici ?

merci pour les paramètres, je suis perdu.