Viparspectra LED Reef Light Review – The Complete Guide

Viparspectra LED Reef Light Review

This is a complete review of the Viparspectra LED reef light for saltwater tanks.

Note: If the Viparspectra is out of stock, the Wills is a similar option.

If you have been looking for decent led lighting for your reef tank, you know that it can be difficult to find a perfect match of quality and price. Some high-end led’s can be quite expensive and although the quality of these lights are often unmatched, they don’t always fit the budget.

Don’t get me wrong, if you have the budget for a Kessil A360WE or AI hydra 64, you will be impressed. They are some of the best reef lights on the market and do an amazing job.

But if you are on a budget and still want to get a great light for your reef tank, you should look into the Viparspectra LED reef lighting. This article will explain everything you need to know so you can make an informative decision on whether the Viparspectra light is for you.

Viparspectra LED light Overview

When considering this light for your saltwater reef tank, you will have 2 main options. It comes in a 165-watt version and a 300-watt version which is larger in size. In a recent article, I listed the 165-watt Viparspectra led as the #1 choice for best cheap reef led on Amazon.

One of the many great things about this light is the fact it’s suitable for all coral types. LPS and SPS will grow and stay healthy under this light. I used this light for 2 years on my 75-gallon reef tank without issues and had great results. My tank is 4 feet long so I’m using 2 Viparspectra 165 watt lights.

The light is programmable and dimmable as well and comes with remote control. The light has 55 LED’s that are 3 watts each. A built-in timer allows you to turn the light on or off automatically and separately.

Features and specs:

• Sunrise, sunset modes great for acclimating new corals to the light
• High-Intensity 3W Bridgelux/Epileds LEDs.
• Great for all coral types
• 90-degree lens angle
• Lifespan: 100,000 hours
• Dimensions: 16×8.5×2.4inches
• Weight: 6.8 lbs
• Avg. Power Draw: 105W±3%
• Light coverage at 12″ height: 24″ x 12″
• Use the control knob or included remote for all settings
• 1 year warranty

There are 2 different channels that can be controlled on this light. Channel one (blue) has violet (420nm), royal blue (450nm), blue (470nm) led’s. Channel two (white) has green (520nm), red (660nm), neutral white (6500K), cool white (12000K) led’s.

Each channel is controlled separately to meet the different spectrum demands of various corals. This light will make your fish and coral colors “pop” and help keep your corals healthy.

Viparspectra reef light settings

When you first get your Viparspectra, it’s important to acclimate your corals to the new light. Many people forget to do this but if you don’t, your corals won’t react properly and it can affect their overall health. It’s possible to put the corals under too much light at first, and they could bleach.

You want to start off at a low light setting and ramp them up as the corals react and adjust to them. A good setting at the beginning would be around 10-20% whites and 30-40% blues. Depending on the corals you are keeping this might even be too much. You can tone it down a bit as you see fit.

As the corals adapt to the light, you can slowly bring them up at 5% increments. Eventually, you may find that perhaps 50-60% whites and 70% blues will be more than sufficient. Of course, this is just based on my experience with these lights and you may require a different setting. There are many variables involved there.

Viparspectra 165 watt par Readings

I have put together the following chart to show the par readings at various heights. This is based on the light being positioned 8″ above the waterline.

Viparspectra Mount

The Viparspectra led light comes with 2 hanging kits that are meant to be attached at various heights above your tank. They are adjustable and you can set them to any height you like up to 23″ above the tank. There are a few different ways to mount these lights above your tank. Some people choose to mount from the ceiling above the tank, for me personally I chose to mount them inside the canopy on my tank and adjusted the height accordingly.

There are some great diy mount options as well. Here is a great video showing how this can be done. The video is a bit dated with the older model lights but the style still works on the new Viparspectra.

Note: If the Viparspectra is out of stock, the Wills is a similar option.

How many Viparspectra lights do I need?

The 165-watt version works best for a 24″ X 12″ dimension tank. So if you have a 4-foot tank, for example, a 55-gallon or 75-gallon, then you should have 2 of these lights. Here is a chart that will help you correctly match the 165-watt version and the 300-watt version to your sized tank.

I have to admit that I am a huge fan of these lights and have a lot of positive things to say about them. Here are my biggest pros:

• Great quality for the price
• Controllable
• Full-spectrum light – Suitable for all coral types
• Fans are quiet
• Easy to acclimate corals with sunrise and sunset modes

This light also gets a ton of 5-star reviews on Amazon. Here is what a few customers have said.

“I’ve had these lights for three weeks and so far they are AWESOME. The corals look beautiful and the color spectrum is great.”

“I purchased three of these for my 240 gallon reef tank and they work incredibly well. The timers are exactly what I needed to create sunrise and sunset effect. The adjustable brightness levels are awesome too. If I have to introduce new corals to the tank I can acclimate them accordingly by slowly increasing the brightness levels over time. Thanks for the great product.“

I also want to mention some things that are not so great about the Viparspectra light. After using these for a while, here are a few cons that I noticed:

• Lights can not be daisy-chained
• Each light requires its own remote
• Poor shimmer effect

Other than that, there really isn’t too much to complain about with these lights. Don’t expect them to perform like the other lights I mentioned above, but it’s tough to find a better light for the cost.

If you are looking for a great refugium light on a budget, check out this article.