The real Black Box light study

[D.train]

Are you going to test the Lumini Pixie 150?

 

[Manose]

Are you going to test the Lumini Pixie 150?

Yes it is on the list.

 

[LowLi]

No matter what light we use, if our tank parameters are crap then nothing will work well.
I like this light except for the ability to control the red/green spectrum separately. This is a winner for anyone going on the cheap like I said before but for "me" I would pay a little more and get something that has separate controls for all spectrum's.
DO NOT GET ME WRONG - this is a heck of a light and would grow coral like weeds just be aware of it's small limitations.
I will do another light on Wednesday as I am not feeling well and need to stay home a couple of days.
Thanks,
Matt

Thank you!

 

[crusso1993]

No matter what light we use, if our tank parameters are crap then nothing will work well.
I like this light except for the ability to control the red/green spectrum separately. This is a winner for anyone going on the cheap like I said before but for "me" I would pay a little more and get something that has separate controls for all spectrum's.
DO NOT GET ME WRONG - this is a heck of a light and would grow coral like weeds just be aware of it's small limitations.
I will do another light on Wednesday as I am not feeling well and need to stay home a couple of days.
Thanks,
Matt

Hope you're feeling better soon!

 

[Kampo]

What’s a better black box?

I'd say SB reef prolly hast the best diode layout that doesn't waste most of the second channel, but even that will have the whites running lower than the blues, so there is wasted potential.

so I'd say best would be a black box with a custom layout, but thats not so easy for the everyday joe.

 

[Kampo]

I'd say SB reef prolly hast the best diode layout that doesn't waste most of the second channel, but even that will have the whites running lower than the blues, so there is wasted potential.

so I'd say best would be a black box with a custom layout, but that's not so easy for the everyday joe.

to add on to this if I did a blackbox. i'd prolly get the evergrow wifi and change the led layout to:
Ch1 15 RB 2B 8UV/V (25RB originally)
Ch2 8CW 2NW 16 RB 2 Cyan (10CW 6NW 6WW 2D 4DeepRed 2 Cyan originally)

 

[Manose]

to add on to this if I did a blackbox. i'd prolly get the evergrow wifi and change the led layout to:
Ch1 15 RB 2B 8UV/V (25RB originally)
Ch2 8CW 2NW 16 RB 2 Cyan (10CW 6NW 6WW 2D 4DeepRed 2 Cyan originally)

Many of the black box companies I bought from while doing the research for this study would ship their lights with a custom led layout of your choosing. It would just take them longer to ship.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

Those are great numbers for the VP 165w. I have two but I have changed out diodes I took all of the White channel and put 10k or 20k whites in.

 

[Manose]

Those are great numbers for the VP 165w. I have two but I have changed out diodes I took all of the White channel and put 10k or 20k whites in.

I bet that looks good!

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

I bet that looks good!

It’s does I would take a picture but I am having a horrible time with cyano currently and it’s embarrassing. Lol. So some coral pictures perhaps

Here are a couple photos taken with my iPhone X no filters.

 

[Ashley Kekua]

Here are the par numbers for the Viparspectra. Tested at 8in from surface at both channels 100% so seems a some-kind of diffuser would be ideal for this light.
I wish I could adjust the red/green lights separate from the rest, but for 100$ this light puts out some serious light.

what percent did you have the colors at? white blue?

 

[Manose]

what percent did you have the colors at? white blue?

100% as I have so far with all the lights tested. Maybe later on we should look at normal operating % and see what the numbers are.

 

[Jonathan Troutt]

100% as I have so far with all the lights tested. Maybe later on we should look at normal operating % and see what the numbers are.

I got to test mine tonight finally and at my max period during the day blues are 75 and whites are 50. My par numbers with lights 8in from surface are great I had a hard time finding a spot under 200 par at the bottom of my tank (22inches). I have two fixtures over a 40gal breeder.

The instrument I used is old and I am told has issue with heavy blue but I just wanted a good ballpark of what par was in what area so I could move some corals around. I used an apogee QMSW-SS.

My opinion @Manose the measurements taken at per channel shows if a light can provided what we need. I personally don’t feel other measurements at different %’s are needed for what I feel is trying to be accomplished with this awesome study!

 

[Manose]

I got to test mine tonight finally and at my max period during the day blues are 75 and whites are 50. My par numbers with lights 8in from surface are great I had a hard time finding a spot under 200 par at the bottom of my tank (22inches). I have two fixtures over a 40gal breeder.

The instrument I used is old and I am told has issue with heavy blue but I just wanted a good ballpark of what par was in what area so I could move some corals around. I used an apogee QMSW-SS.

My opinion @Manose the measurements taken at per channel shows if a light can provided what we need. I personally don’t feel other measurements at different %’s are needed for what I feel is trying to be accomplished with this awesome study!

Awesome as I am excited to pull some more numbers on Wednesday either from a Mars Aqua or one of the white box cobb style lights.

 

[Saveafish]

@dantimdad
Why didn't I see this. I read your post years ago. And some othe post from 2015. I got the aqua mars. I know why the eggcrate works now.
I took off the lenses, that left the inner lenses at 90deg. One inch up about the egg rate. Through the deflection. It comes out at about 75deg. I used a wall to measure the degree of angle.
It comes with 60deg lenses you take them off you have the 90deg inner one still on.

 

[Manose]

Tomorrow I am going to test another light. Will either be the white box cobb led or the Mars Aqua as I have not decided.

 

[dantimdad]

@dantimdad
Why didn't I see this. I read your post years ago. And some othe post from 2015. I got the aqua mars. I know why the eggcrate works now.
I took off the lenses, that left the inner lenses at 90deg. One inch up about the egg rate. Through the deflection. It comes out at about 75deg. I used a wall to measure the degree of angle.
It comes with 60deg lenses you take them off you have the 90deg inner one still on.

Been doing this a while.

 

[Manose]

Okay was a big work day today and got 2 lights done- Mars Aqua and the 70w ASMl-02 from Aquarium System Solution
The Mars aqua shows why it needs some type of diffuser

This little ASML-02 pendant really shocked me-

 

[Diamond1]

Solid numbers for the AS 70 watt light. Especially at 23" How does the color look?

 

[Mrx7899]

ASML-02 put out some nice numbers