Viperspectra 165w or reefbrite 39w 4bulb t5 ?

[softreef92]

I’m setting up a 20 gallon long bta and clown fish tank and I have two lights to chose from a viperspectra 165w led and a reefbrite Supra 39w 4 bulb t5 with all coral plus bulbs at the moment. Wanted to see what my fellow nem keepers thought ?

 

[Jekyl]

T5. I didn't like the way viparspectra made my.tank look.

 

[softreef92]

It’s been awhile since I used it but I remember it didn’t blend well like you could see the individual lights on the sand bed but I’m not to worried about looks more so keeping the nems happy

 

[Cichlid Dad]

It’s been awhile since I used it but I remember it didn’t blend well like you could see the individual lights on the sand bed but I’m not to worried about looks more so keeping the nems happy

Look up on YouTube removing the lenses. I've done this. The colors blend, reduced hot spots and increased spread. I still got good par but more even though out the reef

 

[softreef92]

Look up on YouTube removing the lenses. I've done this. The colors blend, reduced hot spots and increased spread. I still got good par but more even though out the reef

Il give the vipar one more shot So I did remove the lenses just haven’t figured out how I want to hang it yet lol how high off the tank did you mount yours ?

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Il give the vipar one more shot So I did remove the lenses just haven’t figured out how I want to hang it yet lol how high off the tank did you mount yours ?

I used angle aluminum

 

[Gill the 3rd]

I use viparspectras on my 2 ft deep tank and my sps corals are growing like crazy. I have the white channels and blue channels set to around 50-60%. I did get the disco ball affect so I added some freshwater kessils to supplement. The kessils helped with the disco ball affect. They are mounted about 12" from the top of my aquarium.

There are several threads and youtube videos about removing the lenses. Some people also replace them with a wider angle lense. I believe Telegraham did this on his youtube channel.

 

[softreef92]

I used angle

Nice tank ! So looks like there about 12 in or so above the water?

 

[oreo54]

Il give the vipar one more shot So I did remove the lenses just haven’t figured out how I want to hang it yet lol how high off the tank did you mount yours ?

Your tank is what? 30x12x12?
The beam angles with lenses removed is approx 120 degrees

Both need to be taken into account as to the " necessary" height to not waste a ton o light outside the tank

Also a reminder that the Vipar maxes at about 110 watts. If you dim the white channel severely you can end up with 65-75 watt output.

Best is the recess depth getting in the way of the light output. At 1/2 inch and 120 degrees the led spreads out around 1 3/4 inches.

Which brings us back to maximizing height.

https://store.marinebeam.com/beam-angle-calculator-1/
Light is about 16" wide but the LEDs are probably about 13" center to center left and right.
Tanks assumed to be 30 " l/r.
Sooo about 7.5" radius in the end LEDs will give you a good light spread l/r.
Ignoring the light spill that will occur f/b

Using 15" dia....
4.33" height water surface to led lens.

Now the catch.. Lights 8.5" wide
1 75" radius approx from led to tank front
Or 3.5 dia.
Your height " should be" about 1" IF you didn't care about l/r spread just f/b.

See the " issue"?

Anyways being shallow you can probably waste a ton and still get reasonable par.
Just don't go sticking it 12" off the water surface ..
At 12" diodes are spreading light around 40" diameter circle.

Now another catch is does removing the lenses and having that " hole" is it in fact acting like another lens/diffuser?

Guess a par meter would help...

Btw why were you considering 36" t5's for an assumed 30" wide tank?
Not the worst thing in the world considering t5 light falloff on the ends

Anyways just food for thought.

 

[oreo54]

I went a hunting for some par measurements and found this....

The problem is you are spraying light in a 120degree cone and it has to be very low to keep from wasting light. On my 20L I have to keep it no more than a few inches above the waterline on one half. Since my tank is covered with glass I dont care. The result though is pretty seamless coverage. Disgusting SPS growth. I just donated a 5gal bucket of digipora to my local reef shop, and I still have too much.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/viparspectra-165w-mod.825608/
Was referring to a Mars aqua...Arguably most black boxes are similar.

Lights like this have been pushed,prodded, and poked for at least a decade

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Nice tank ! So looks like there about 12 in or so above the water?

Thank you, That was when it was first set up. It's more filled in now

 

[softreef92]

Your tank is what? 30x12x12?
The beam angles with lenses removed is approx 120 degrees

Both need to be taken into account as to the " necessary" height to not waste a ton o light outside the tank

Also a reminder that the Vipar maxes at about 110 watts. If you dim the white channel severely you can end up with 65-75 watt output.

Best is the recess depth getting in the way of the light output. At 1/2 inch and 120 degrees the led spreads out around 1 3/4 inches.

Which brings us back to maximizing height.

https://store.marinebeam.com/beam-angle-calculator-1/
Light is about 16" wide but the LEDs are probably about 13" center to center left and right.
Tanks assumed to be 30 " l/r.
Sooo about 7.5" radius in the end LEDs will give you a good light spread l/r.
Ignoring the light spill that will occur f/b

Using 15" dia....
4.33" height water surface to led lens.

Now the catch.. Lights 8.5" wide
1 75" radius approx from led to tank front
Or 3.5 dia.
Your height " should be" about 1" IF you didn't care about l/r spread just f/b.

See the " issue"?

Anyways being shallow you can probably waste a ton and still get reasonable par.
Just don't go sticking it 12" off the water surface ..
At 12" diodes are spreading light around 40" diameter circle.

Now another catch is does removing the lenses and having that " hole" is it in fact acting like another lens/diffuser?

Guess a par meter would help...

Btw why were you considering 36" t5's for an assumed 30" wide tank?
Not the worst thing in the world considering t5 light falloff on the ends

Anyways just food for thought.

It was just the two lights I had laying around not being used. I enjoy the t5 but I don’t enjoy changing the bulbs

 

[softreef92]

Your tank is what? 30x12x12?
The beam angles with lenses removed is approx 120 degrees

Both need to be taken into account as to the " necessary" height to not waste a ton o light outside the tank

Also a reminder that the Vipar maxes at about 110 watts. If you dim the white channel severely you can end up with 65-75 watt output.

Best is the recess depth getting in the way of the light output. At 1/2 inch and 120 degrees the led spreads out around 1 3/4 inches.

Which brings us back to maximizing height.

https://store.marinebeam.com/beam-angle-calculator-1/
Light is about 16" wide but the LEDs are probably about 13" center to center left and right.
Tanks assumed to be 30 " l/r.
Sooo about 7.5" radius in the end LEDs will give you a good light spread l/r.
Ignoring the light spill that will occur f/b

Using 15" dia....
4.33" height water surface to led lens.

Now the catch.. Lights 8.5" wide
1 75" radius approx from led to tank front
Or 3.5 dia.
Your height " should be" about 1" IF you didn't care about l/r spread just f/b.

See the " issue"?

Anyways being shallow you can probably waste a ton and still get reasonable par.
Just don't go sticking it 12" off the water surface ..
At 12" diodes are spreading light around 40" diameter circle.

Now another catch is does removing the lenses and having that " hole" is it in fact acting like another lens/diffuser?

Guess a par meter would help...

Btw why were you considering 36" t5's for an assumed 30" wide tank?
Not the worst thing in the world considering t5 light falloff on the ends

Anyways just food for thought.

I probably wouldn’t mount it any closer than 8in just because of salt creep and cleaning reasons I’m going to assume that would still give me enough par seems like others have mounted higher and still had decent results. But when I stick nems in they will decide if it’s good enough lol