Viparspectra 165watt, Anyone using these?

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Hi,
I'm new to this site and can't find if it has been asked before. So my question is, is anyone else using these viparspectra led lights?
I have had one since Xmas, 8" over a 24x18x18 mixed reef, I have worked upto a setting of 65% blue an 20% white, which have worked upto and I have only had this setting for a week. As on an old nano tank I had bleached hammer corals with a Tmc aquaray, so I'm taking it slow. The few sps frags I have, have shown some growth but not as much as I would have liked to see over 7 months. I just wandered if I should run the whites or blues higher to promote growth? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

 

[anew2thereef]

I also use one good topic!

 

[anew2thereef]

I also use one good topic!

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

How are you finding it? Have you been using it long?

 

[anew2thereef]

I think the light works well, price wise you can't go wrong.... Just wish setting it up was simpler (lol) I have not had any issues with it and seems to keep the corals happy..

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

It's not bad as long as you remember to put it back to hse after adjusting the intensity or clock for the timing. Can i ask what settings you are using and over what size tank please.

 

[coral-boss]

I have 3 over my 125 mixed reef. I'm happy with them, cant beat the price, I have nice color and a lot of growth. I run mine at 55% blue 40% white. they are about a foot off the water. blue are on an hour before the white and stay on an hour after the whites turn off.

 

[anew2thereef]

I have a 40 gallon breeder.. I run for 5 hours whites (40%) and 5 hours blues (60%) whites come on first.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Great info thanks. Im now wandering if my blues are too high and whites not high enough. I was worried about the whites being high and causing algae issues.
Is it possible for people to post a picture of thier tanks with these on? I have my light mounted on a modified TV Wall mounting bracket so I can move it out of the way to clean the tank.

 

[Reeferguy365]

I pretty much have exact same lights mine are the bloomspect same company just mine specified that they have UV bulbs in them the timers are the same and strength of lights are the same. I have two lights so far over my 180 gallon tank i run my Blues at 100% And my whites at 12 and all my SPS looks great polyps out like crazy and colors have come in like crazy

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I'm tempted to turn blues up a bit over time and maybe the white up a little, maybe to 25 as with too much blue the tank looks cold. I do have just blues 1 hour before and after the whites. I'm going to just take it slow and see how the corals react, I do know how quick they can bleach.

 

[Bronc]

I just installed a set two days ago. I was running 4 ATI T5s over my 75. I definitely like the colors better so far. I started at 50% Blue and 10% White. I'll slowly ramp up each week.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Yeah I like the colours too I wouldn't rush to turn them up too fast. I went from power compacts then started loosing the green out of wall hammer that I've had for over 10years, I really didn't want to loose it.

 

[tonybwill]

How many (VIPARSPECTRA) would I need for a 36x12x24 45g tank?

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

Ideally I would say 2, as it states it only covers 24x24 area but is that tank 12" high that's quite shallow so you might get away with it mounted higher and place low light demanding corals on the edges. The downside to doing this is you would have to run them quite high and have a fair amount of light spillage into the room. You could try one to see how you get on?

 

[tonybwill]

24" deep. Nicholas, do you use this fixture?

 

[tonybwill]

I meant to ask are you happy with the them?

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

I have had it since December, yeah so far I bought a frag pack off the Internet as 1" sps frags, one has trippled in size and the other 2 have decided to just grow across the rock as opposed to upwards so they do grow sps (first time trying sps mind). I'm still tinkering with the settings. I have got it mounted on a modified TV Wall bracket and I have made a surround around the light out of clear plastic with vynal wrap to match the tank.

 

[Warriorjp]

I have had it since December, yeah so far I bought a frag pack off the Internet as 1" sps frags, one has trippled in size and the other 2 have decided to just grow across the rock as opposed to upwards so they do grow sps (first time trying sps mind). I'm still tinkering with the settings. I have got it mounted on a modified TV Wall bracket and I have made a surround around the light out of clear plastic with vynal wrap to match the tank.

Where did you find the hardware? I'm looking to mount mine today.

 

[Nicholas Dushynsky]

The TV Wall bracket I got off ebay for around £6 and I powder coated it at work to match my walls as comes black, the aluminium plate on the light I also made at work which lined up with the threaded part. But my first plate was made from wood. You have to space the plate away from the fans mine are 20mm above. You could just mount the TV bracket then use the hanging kit off that if you don't have access to the other parts.