Viparspectra 165 setup

[Dad2Wyatt]

I currently have a 55 gallon tank 55x14x22 with a center brace. I currently have a clown and a ricordea mushroom and plan on working my way up to LPS and maybe some hardier SPS if I don’t upgrade my tank before then.

I have 2 viparspectra 165’s arriving on Wednesday and curious on best set up! I’ve seen a lot of recommendations but none for a tank similar to mine!

how high should I mount them? What settings should I use? Anything special I should know? Thanks in advance!

 

[MnFish1]

Wrong post

 

[ApoIsland]

I tend to mount on either end of the tank - with alternate flow - and place them higher in the tank as compared to lower

The question was actually about lights not power heads.

OP - my answer is actually very similar but I put them over the tank instead of in

I ran a 55 for a couple years with two lights like this and loved it. I mounted mine about 15 inches over the water centered on each side of the brace.

 

[MnFish1]

The question was actually about lights not power heads.

OP - my answer is actually very similar but I put them over the tank instead of in

I ran a 55 for a couple years with two lights like this and loved it. I mounted mine about 15 inches over the water centered on each side of the brace.

HAHAH My bad - somehow I misread Maxspect Gyre.

 

[Zach B]

Mine are mounted in a canopy about 16 inches above the water. The whites are VERY BRIGHT on these lights...I have my lights set 30% Channel 1 & only 1% Channel 2. It certainly will be dependent on what you're growing and your color preference. I am running a mixed tank with good results from these lights, I do however supplement with t5 lighting as well. Best of luck

 

[Mhamilton0911]

I have mine mounted with shelf brackets. I have a security camera tv mounted above the tank, so I couldn't go any higher. Mine is 7" above the water, and turned way down low. I only run 5% blues right now.

 

[deeco]

I currently have a 55 gallon tank 55x14x22 with a center brace. I currently have a clown and a ricordea mushroom and plan on working my way up to LPS and maybe some hardier SPS if I don’t upgrade my tank before then.

I have 2 viparspectra 165’s arriving on Wednesday and curious on best set up! I’ve seen a lot of recommendations but none for a tank similar to mine!

how high should I mount them? What settings should I use? Anything special I should know? Thanks in advance!

Interested to know where you purchased , I cannot find anywhere in Europe

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

The question was actually about lights not power heads.

OP - my answer is actually very similar but I put them over the tank instead of in

I ran a 55 for a couple years with two lights like this and loved it. I mounted mine about 15 inches over the water centered on each side of the brace.

The height has been my main concern, as well as the best way to mount them. The settings I’ve been told is more of a “start here and see how corals respond” type of thing

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

Mine are mounted in a canopy about 16 inches above the water. The whites are VERY BRIGHT on these lights...I have my lights set 30% Channel 1 & only 1% Channel 2. It certainly will be dependent on what you're growing and your color preference. I am running a mixed tank with good results from these lights, I do however supplement with t5 lighting as well. Best of luck

Any ideas on mounting without a canopy? The settings you told me seem to be pretty in line with what I’ve read so that’s probably what I will start with! I only have the clown and the ricordea so they should be hardy enough for me to get it right

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

I have mine mounted with shelf brackets. I have a security camera tv mounted above the tank, so I couldn't go any higher. Mine is 7" above the water, and turned way down low. I only run 5% blues right now.

The shelf idea is my favorite so far! Thankfully I have a little more room than 7 inches!! Nice set up!

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

Interested to know where you purchased , I cannot find anywhere in Europe

I sniped these on eBay! Pretty much 2 for the price of 1, a little more after tax! Wasn’t too sure whether I wanted these or to save up for something nicer but this was a heck of a deal that I couldn’t pass up so I jumped when I saw it

 

[ApoIsland]

The height has been my main concern, as well as the best way to mount them. The settings I’ve been told is more of a “start here and see how corals respond” type of thing

I already had a wood hood so I just screwed in two L-shaped aluminium railings to set the lights on. I would run them 40% blue and 20% white to start and then slowly increase every month. My old black boxes I eventually got up to 100/60 after 3-4 years and those were only 7 inches above the water. It blows my mind some of these guys can keep corals alive with the low power light settings they use. Must be doing some serious dosing. I do zero dosing so I rely on light for coral growth.

 

[Dad2Wyatt]

I already had a wood hood so I just screwed in two L-shaped aluminium railings to set the lights on. I would run them 40% blue and 20% white to start and then slowly increase every month. My old black boxes I eventually got up to 100/60 after 3-4 years and those were only 7 inches above the water. It blows my mind some of these guys can keep corals alive with the low power light settings they use. Must be doing some serious dosing. I do zero dosing so I rely on light for coral growth.

Thankfully I only have a mushroom currently! I will be experimenting with light quite a bit I’m sure!!

 

[Wolf94]

Bonjour

J'ai 3x165w sur un tank de 150cm et 50 de hauteur d'eau.
les rampes sont placées à 20cm de l'eau.

pour le soft, quelle valeur dois-je mettre les blancs et les bleus ?

en France, j'ai lu que les blancs sont à 40 ou 50%, pourquoi c'est si différent ici ?

merci pour les paramètres, je suis perdu.

 

[MnFish1]

Bonjour

J'ai 3x165w sur un tank de 150cm et 50 de hauteur d'eau.
les rampes sont placées à 20cm de l'eau.

pour le soft, quelle valeur dois-je mettre les blancs et les bleus ?

en France, j'ai lu que les blancs sont à 40 ou 50%, pourquoi c'est si différent ici ?

merci pour les paramètres, je suis perdu.

I might suggest you post in English? It depends on your PAR readings and your personal preference. I like more white. Others like more blue. Bon nuit

 

[Wolf94]

Oki

 

[MnFish1]

@Wolf94 By the way - welcome to R2R

 

[CleanRiversDirtRoads]

Mine are mounted in a canopy about 16 inches above the water. The whites are VERY BRIGHT on these lights...I have my lights set 30% Channel 1 & only 1% Channel 2. It certainly will be dependent on what you're growing and your color preference. I am running a mixed tank with good results from these lights, I do however supplement with t5 lighting as well. Best of luck

Hey Zach. Do you mind if I ask what corals you are growing? I just setup my tank with a viparspectra and I’m new to reefing so I was hoping to duplicate the setting you used depending on what you are growing.
I’m hoping to grow most/all beginner corals like GSP, Zoa, toadstool, Goni, montipora and Xenia and maybe a nem for the clowns.

 

[Jedi1199]

I agree with the consensus that mount them high, start low, and adjust to fit. The mushroom won't really be an adequate indicator of proper intensity. My mushrooms would grow in a block of concrete on the moon lol.

It has been 6 months since you started this thread... Any updates?

 

[Zach B]

Hey Zach. Do you mind if I ask what corals you are growing? I just setup my tank with a viparspectra and I’m new to reefing so I was hoping to duplicate the setting you used depending on what you are growing.
I’m hoping to grow most/all beginner corals like GSP, Zoa, toadstool, Goni, montipora and Xenia and maybe a nem for the clowns.

Sorry for the delay. I have a 150g mixed reef tank with about 30 or so sps and close to 100 or so other corals including zoas, mushrooms & a lot of lps I also run a nem tank with non reef safe fish under the same lights. Feel free to send me a message with any questions! Best of luck!