Viparspectra 165W over 40B

[acananoreefer]

Hi all,

Has anyone run a viparspectra 165W over a 40B with success? What were your settings? What did you have under it?

This has happened over the course of several weeks. I initially set mine up at 12" from the water and ran channel 1 5% and channel 2 5%. I moved some frags to the sandbed from my 13.5 evo--zoanthids, blue sympodium, red monti cap, interstellar mushroom, and duncan. I think they were living at around 100 ish par in the evo under the stock light (it's been running for almost 3 years now). All the corals showed signs of stress from the light (closing, monti bleached then died over a couple days, zoanthids bleached and died, mushroom melted, blue sympodium closed). I moved the light up to about 18" from the water and turned everything down to 1% while this was happening. Got a cheap lux meter and readings are similar under evo stock light and vipar at 1%, more lux from blue channel on vipar at sandbed so I'm assuming more par but not a ton(on a budget in the middle of nowhere so a par meter isn't likely to happen). Issue being even at 1% new duncan frag, mushroom, and zoas are showing the same signs. Frags around the outside of tank close slower than inside directly under light. Water parameters are good. Any thoughts? I'm correct in thinking it's probably too much light and to raise the light further? maybe 24+ inches and a shade cloth? I know these lights push a ton of par but I figured it should have been fine, considering the settings people have said they are running them at over various tanks.

Any suggestions and help are very much appreciated!

 

[acananoreefer]

Anyone have any feedback on this?

 

[acananoreefer]

Update. Kept riding the struggle bus with some corals seeming to do fine (acan and chalice types) while others would appear fine then colony collapse after days or weeks. Yellow watchman goby and inverts including numerous copepods, emerald crab, blue leg hermits, conch, and various snail species all seem have been doing fine. Water changes did not help, parameters all looked reasonable nearly identical to my 13.5 evo.

I finally checked for stray voltage after it was mentioned in passing. Both wavemaker and sump pump were throwing voltage. I replaced both and tried some corals again, seems to have mostly corrected the issue, montis and acros aren't a fan yet.

The light is now also modified. Lens removed and parchment paper as a diffuser running ~18 inches over the surface at 20 blue 10 white. I suspect I am running pretty low par based on cheap lux meter readings. Edges of the tank seem pretty light starved which is fine. I'll keep fiddling until I get everything dialed in where I want it. Hope this might be of use to someone if they have similar issues!

 

[mattdg]

It's hard to believe that you are getting 100 PAR at 12" at 1%. I wonder if a proper PAR meter (one dialed in for blue LEDs such as an MQ510) might read lower. With that said, I have had good luck running these over SPS / mixed reef. I have also had some luck running them over 10" low boy, filled with LPS coral. From what I remember, I was getting 120 par dead center at 20% and around 80 at the edges on a 24x24 lagoon. I never went as low as 1-5%. The built in controller/timer in the viparspectra fixtures are not very accurate. They will fluctuate a bit, from day to day and who knows what they are capable of, at such low settings.

Basically, all I learned about these fixtures can be found in this video that I made comparing the VS with a much more expensive Hydra 64HD. More observation than science, but you'd be surprised how close they were, in some respects.

 

[Rtaylor]

I agree it doesn’t seem likely that it was too much light at 1% and 5% settings. I run my blues at 100 and whites at 35 with 3 of them over my 150. They’re about 18” above my tank. Probably some other issue with the tank. Did you run carbon to remove any unknown contamination?

 

[acananoreefer]

Yes, I concluded the issue was likely stray voltage after several months.

 

[Derrick0580]

I have that exact light over my 40 breeder frag tank. 14” over tank running only blues at 35% and at the bottom of the tank I’m at 80-90 par measured with apogee mq510. Before I bought the par meter I had it at 25% blue, 5% white and was cooking my zoas at 200+ par….the white channel on these lights ain’t no joke

 

[acananoreefer]

I have that exact light over my 40 breeder frag tank. 14” over tank running only blues at 35% and at the bottom of the tank I’m at 80-90 par measured with apogee mq510

Sounds about right from what I've read over the last few months. Appreciate the feedback! I plan on turning mine up over the next few weeks now I'm mostly squared away.

 

[acananoreefer]

I agree it doesn’t seem likely that it was too much light at 1% and 5% settings. I run my blues at 100 and whites at 35 with 3 of them over my 150. They’re about 18” above my tank. Probably some other issue with the tank. Did you run carbon to remove any unknown contamination?

Yup, I run Purit in my tanks. I'm pretty sure my issue was stray voltage.

 

[mattdg]

Yup, I run Purit in my tanks. I'm pretty sure my issue was stray voltage.

I have to say, I’ve been guilty of blaming stray voltage in the past. IMO it is rarely, if ever, the catalyst for major problems. The corrosion coming from what is causing the stray voltage however might be.

Not saying your issue isn’t resolved, but I might look elsewhere for how you came to a solution.

 

[acananoreefer]

I have to say, I’ve been guilty of blaming stray voltage in the past. IMO it is rarely, if ever, the catalyst for major problems. The corrosion coming from what is causing the stray voltage however might be.

Not saying your issue isn’t resolved, but I might look elsewhere for how you came to a solution.

I could see that being the case especially with the monti and acro frag not doing well after the pumps were removed. May have been something leeching from the pumps that wasn't fully cleared from the water by water change and filtration media. I also used the pump that was removed from the tank to mix my saltwater. I'll report back if things go poorly or well. I should probably start a build journal or something since this probably isn't a light issue now.

 

[DownInTheSumps]

Hi @acananoreefer, was hoping I could get some clarity as I'm setting up a 40b of my own... Was 1 single unit enough over the whole tank? I'm trying to figure out if I need 1 or 2

 

[acananoreefer]

Hi @acananoreefer, was hoping I could get some clarity as I'm setting up a 40b of my own... Was 1 single unit enough over the whole tank? I'm trying to figure out if I need 1 or 2

I am currently running 1. The tank has an in tank sump so I lost a few inches. One is probably enough if you take off the lenses for better spread and it looks better imo.

I left the tank running for about a year with nothing but clean up crew. I got back around to fiddling a few months ago. I have it about 12" off the water with lenses off. 45 white 65 blue. I may dial it back some but chalices seem to like it. I recently moved a bunch of LPS (acans, duncan, pectinia, chalices) to the tank from my evo and they are all doing good right now. I have some acro frags I made from my evo that are surviving right now but not encrusting. I'll take a picture tomorrow when whites are on I don't have a filter and photo is terrible with just blues.

 

[acananoreefer]

Hi @acananoreefer, was hoping I could get some clarity as I'm setting up a 40b of my own... Was 1 single unit enough over the whole tank? I'm trying to figure out if I need 1 or 2

@DownInTheSumps​

 

[DownInTheSumps]

That looks really good, thanks! Always nice to save some money in this hobby lol :)