Viparspectra actinics look like windex

Leerph

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So I just finished upgrading my tank to 4 of the 300 watt viparspectra. Trying to play with the settings and is it just me or is the blue channel on these things very visually unappealing? Through my 20 years of reef keeping I have never seen a blue channel that looks so unnatural. It is like the color of a bottle of windex versus the deep blue of actinics that I'm used to. I had some cheap relassy led panels before this and the actinic channel on those was a million times better than these. I looked a little closer and it appears there are 3 different colors on the blue channel. One is blue, one is purple and one is greenish. The pic I attached doesn't really fully show what a weird blue color these are. Had anyone else experienced this or thought the blue channel on these looks very weird and not very actinic looking at all?

20210904_220304.jpg
 

Rtaylor

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I have them and like them. Supplement with another light if you don’t.
 

Jekyl

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I had no issue until I switched to kessil. The color change and visual difference was amazing
 

Spieg

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Strictly speaking they are not nor do they claim to be "Actinic". They do have a fairly wide band of blue which grow coral pretty well. Maybe you are used to a more narrow/single wavelength of blue?
 

oreo54

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So I just finished upgrading my tank to 4 of the 300 watt viparspectra. Trying to play with the settings and is it just me or is the blue channel on these things very visually unappealing? Through my 20 years of reef keeping I have never seen a blue channel that looks so unnatural. It is like the color of a bottle of windex versus the deep blue of actinics that I'm used to. I had some cheap relassy led panels before this and the actinic channel on those was a million times better than these. I looked a little closer and it appears there are 3 different colors on the blue channel. One is blue, one is purple and one is greenish. The pic I attached doesn't really fully show what a weird blue color these are. Had anyone else experienced this or thought the blue channel on these looks very weird and not very actinic looking at all?
I'm not sure if they, over time, change their layouts. Quick search gives me 2 conflicting patterns:
Channel one: Violet(420nm), Royal Blue(450nm), Blue(470nm)
vipa1.JPG

Or this.. Only difference is no 410 and more 450 (2-450's for 2-410's, swap out position of 420's)
Removed ch2 obviously.
vip2.JPG

Just a guess but I would hope Amazon listed it correctly (first one)
Neither of which should look "greenish" but I can't rule out your perception.
A under exposed photo of your blue channel turned down could help verify the diodes.
"Appealling" isn't really a quantifiable thing. Too subjective.

470 does have a high-ish green component, much more than royal blue:
rgb(20%,52.5%,100%).. but personally never noticed any green tones in standard blue leds.
 

stumbling around

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So I just finished upgrading my tank to 4 of the 300 watt viparspectra. Trying to play with the settings and is it just me or is the blue channel on these things very visually unappealing? Through my 20 years of reef keeping I have never seen a blue channel that looks so unnatural. It is like the color of a bottle of windex versus the deep blue of actinics that I'm used to. I had some cheap relassy led panels before this and the actinic channel on those was a million times better than these. I looked a little closer and it appears there are 3 different colors on the blue channel. One is blue, one is purple and one is greenish. The pic I attached doesn't really fully show what a weird blue color these are. Had anyone else experienced this or thought the blue channel on these looks very weird and not very actinic looking at all?

20210904_220304.jpg
ive 3 units of these, i run channel 1 at 60% channel 2 at 10% max or end up with bad algae blooms.
 

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