Viparspectra settings!!!

[RipVanWinkle]

I see u like corgis or have 1

I see your one corgi and raise you two

 

[Bigdaddy05]

I see your one corgi and raise you two

Ill match ur 2 with 2 lol

 

[Bigdaddy05]

First ones a male that lives with me the 2 ND is a female thats my daughter's lol

 

[Bigdaddy05]

First ones a male that lives with me the 2 ND is a female thats my daughter's lol

Theres just as many corgi sites and events as their is reef things lol

 

[billyocean]

ill see your corgi...then walk away...to a real dog. with legs that match. jk. i have 2 over my 125 and am struggling to find info as well.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

There's so much different info on these lights I'm still running 100% blue 20% whites and I don't see things acting if it's too much light but I'm definitely not an expert when I lowered the settings for 2 weeks things looked like they were browning out

 

[captainbeardly]

I had the 300w version and only ran the blues. I started with the whites but would notice algae growing from the red and green bulbs since you can’t control them individually. But I maxed out my blues at 25% over a 40 breeder

Ok awesome thanks, I had a feeling that was the case. I'll be setting my light to the same intensity, it's pretty impressive how strong this light truly is and how little of it's power is really needed. I hope people out there see this thread and refrain from cranking this light too high and frying corals.

 

[Bigdaddy05]

Tested the light again today with an apogee 200 and I can't understand how ppl can grow coral with the light set so low I again put mine back up to 100 blue 50 white and finally saw numbers that things in my tank need according to sites online I know this meter isn't the best

 

[Bigdaddy05]

 

[captainbeardly]

Tested the light again today with an apogee 200 and I can't understand how ppl can grow coral with the light set so low I again put mine back up to 100 blue 50 white and finally saw numbers that things in my tank need according to sites online I know this meter isn't the best

How deep is that tank

 

[Bigdaddy05]

How deep is that tank

24 inches

 

[outhouse]

Here is 10% B and 1 % W in a30" deep tank 210g

 

[outhouse]

Tested the light again today with an apogee 200 and I can't understand how ppl can grow coral with the light set so low

par meters dont grow coral, mine burned for years at 60 and 80% and my tank just now recovering for 3 months and growth amazing right now

 

[Bigdaddy05]

par meters dont grow coral, mine burned for years at 60 and 80% and my tank just now recovering for 3 months and growth amazing right now

Are u able to check it lights with a par meter I'm curious if maybe my viparspectra is defective at those numbers my tank would be in bad shape just turning my light up recently already caused Coraline algae to finally start growing more and corals iv had to gain color

 

[Spieg]

Are u able to check it lights with a par meter I'm curious if maybe my viparspectra is defective at those numbers my tank would be in bad shape just turning my light up recently already caused Coraline algae to finally start growing more and corals iv had to gain color

Agree there may some defective lights out there. It's correct that PAR meters don't grow coral but PAR (or more accurately PUR) absolutely does grow coral, to suggest otherwise is just ignorant. If I ran my Viparspectra at 10% I'm quite sure all my coral would be starved for light. I currently run the blue at 65% and white at 15% (and this is the 300W version on a 36" long tank that's 28" deep with the light about 8" above the water surface). In the end, these are Chinese built lights and quality control may not be the greatest. Without a PAR meter, it's impossible to know how much light is being delivered.

 

[outhouse]

PAR (or more accurately PUR) absolutely does grow coral, to suggest otherwise is just ignorant.

You missed the point lol, it went over your head! lol par/pur has never grown coral its just a measurement.

My point was one more time, numbers dont grow anything, and if you use someone elses numbers which most do ignorantly, then you can cook your coral too. Meters often not accurate enough. so you sort of missed what I was getting at

If I ran my Viparspectra at 10% I'm quite sure all my coral would be starved for light.

Nope. In nature reefs get many cloudy days even months long and they dont starve for light.


Fact is most reefers put way to much light on there tanks. Coral can only use 5 to 6 peak hours and it has absorbed all it can. If you run a lower intensity a little longer, it will make up for less intensity. You also show little knowledge of how little par most corals actually get in nature. Many coral thrive at 25 feet 50 and 100 and more, they dont get huge par numbers in nature, hence my point again, par does not grow anything. And if you want to blast yours like a SPS tank, have at it. Many have mixed reefs and try to mimic a shallow reef when they have corals that thrive at different levels of light. Finding a balance starts with a stable tank at lower intensity, and one can always increase it.

these are Chinese built lights and quality control may not be the greatest

They actually do a decent job. A point you might not know is these are very powerful lights, this is well known in the reef communities

 

[outhouse]

Are u able to check it lights with a par meter I'm curious if maybe my viparspectra is defective at those numbers my tank would be in bad shape just turning my light up recently already caused Coraline algae to finally start growing more and corals iv had to gain color

Nope, not defective in any way. I dont play par games, I ran MH and VHO for over 20 years and sell coral professionally. Never needed a par meter. In the past we didnt have adjustable lights. I tried these leds, and their sister leds with the sam electronics, and if you look at many people who run these, with long term success, which is key here, you will see numbers from 10% to 30 % B and 1 or 2 % W . Every tank is different, and your coral may need more light then mine. I dont want you to use my numbers, I want you to realize using others people numbers can cause mistakes. I made them, and I dont want to see people making my mistakes. These are powerful lights just use some caution

 

[diver22]

Ok, my experience is the following and after using a PAR meter and posting readings, @outhouse advise that I will cook my coral, well I went to 50% Blues and 5% W, and I cooked my SPS I was testing with. Now I got another SPS Test coral and have them at 10% Blue and No whites for now, but eventually next week I will turn on my 1% W, eventually I will get to 15% B and 1%W... I can tell you my tank algae has disappeared and my Acans are opening up... So at this point I will follow @outhouse and thanks... Guy's if anything start very low I started 5% B and no whites and increase Blue 5% weekly. Good luck. but please take advise that I did not take especially if you have a stock tank. Happy reefing.

 

[outhouse]

So at this point I will follow @outhouse and thanks..

You welcome, same goes for ocean revive lights, they are almost identical and use the same circuts and leds, just different coloring.

I dont want people making my mistakes.

 

[Semisonyx]

I used vipars for 2 years on my sps dominated 180. I had 3 units hung about 12”-14” above the water line and ran them at 55% blue, 25% white. I also used two 60” t5 bulbs and 2 50w diy led RB strip lights. PAR was 800 dead center under the fixture just below the surface of the water. 450-500 6” below the surface, 350ish half way down, and 200 most everywhere on the bottom. Good even spread of light once you got 6-8” under the surface. I have a bare bottom tank with white foam under the tank, so theres lots of reflection to keep par high at the bottom. Alk was stable at 8.5-9dkh.

SPS grew just as fast and colored just as well for me under vipars as they did with 250w radiums, but the trick is to be mindful of nutrients when running that much light… you’re balancing on a beach ball.

They’re great lights. Those 90deg optics can get you into trouble fast, so higher up is better with these fixtures.