[mac2284]

First time poster. Ive been lurking on this site for about a year now. Anyways, Just curious as to what the general consensus is in regards to this led fixture. I hastily pulled the trigger on this from amazon prime.

Amazon.com : VivaGrow DN RGB LED Aquarium Light Freshwater Plant 24/7 Remote Automation (120cm - 48") : Pet Supplies

Based on my own observation, it seems it just is not as bright as my 26 inch finnex planted 24/7. Although i cant really complain too much as the price is almost half of the finnex variant. Based on the specs (if they are to be believed), should i eventually plan on replacing it? Is this company even reliable?

 

[Eloquentidiot]

See what kind of growth you get. If things look good in the tank, use it until it breaks. For that price, I wouldn't expect it to last as long but maybe their price is not as high simply because they're not established yet and want to get their name out there.
Let us know how it works out for you!

 

[FrogTim]

I am very interested in your results with this light as well. The housing, LED diodes and remote look exactly the same as the Finnex planted + 24/7. I wonder if the 24hr 'cycle' is the same as well?

You never mentioned what size tank or tanks you're lighting. My finnex 24/7 is a great light but for bigger tanks you definitely want to use multiple 24/7 fixtures or pair one with a 6500k light source. Since the LEDs on the 24/7 fixtures don't have optics, the light penetration isn't that great.

Since you already bought it, I would use it until it breaks. If you're lighting a bigger tank or tanks, I would look into an additional fixture.

 

[mac2284]

for comparison purposes, i have the 26 inch finnex lighting up my 20 gallon tall propped up about 2 inches from the glass top. The Vivagrow is around 4 inches from the top of my 36x18x18 exo terra. I should note that the vivagrow is a 48 inch long fixture. I will include 2 pics for comparison.

Although im not complaining about the light output. The finnex seems to be alot brighter.

I will try to post more pics after work tonight to hopefully get a better visual comparison.

Things i have noticed right off the bat=
1. The 24/7 colors are a bit different at the same time settings.
The remote (almost darn near identical) doesnt program the same even though the instructions are the same as the finnex. you don't press the 24/7 button twice to program it, just once.

Here are the pics. I will post more later.

Vivagrow
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=211906&stc=1&d=1459619175

Finnex
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=211914&stc=1&d=1459619190

remotes
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=211922&stc=1&d=1459619190

 

[puppyfish]

You think the Vivagrow lights would be as bright if you lowered them down 2 inches, like with the Finnex?

 

[mac2284]

You think the Vivagrow lights would be as bright if you lowered them down 2 inches, like with the Finnex?

I have had a busy week at work. My apologies for not taking updated pictures. I will take some later tonight and drop the finnex down to match the vivagrow.

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[mac2284]

Here are the vivs set at the exact same time at 12 noon. The lights are set directly on top of the glass. I even cleaned and wiped both the top and underside of the glass.


Here is the finnex

Here is the vivagrow

I'm off work today so I can finally show you the lighting color differences between the two fixtures. I will upload that next

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[mac2284]

I would like to note that the moss and plants seem to be doing really well in the Vivagrow. Ignore the dying bromeliad in the vivagrow, it was trasplanted from a different tank that was far too wet. It seems to be getting healthier though. The other plants are only a few months old as well as the moss i purchased from ebay.

In my own opinion (and i would in no way say that im an expert at lighting) i would state that the Vivagrow is a justifiable purchase and im pretty happy with it. Im already planning on purchasing another for a row of 3 18x18x24s. If the light penetration isnt sufficient, i will apply it to my next 36x18x18 build.

So far there are no signs of the light failing.

once again i will follow up with those light color comparisons on the different time settings once it gets a little dark in my house.

 

[moore40]

To me, and it may only be because of the screen I'm viewing it on, they look the same to me. Is there any way to check the PAR reading at the same depth in the tanks?
Thanks for this by the way, I'm deciding on whether to pull the trigger on the vivagrow or not based on this thread.

 

[mac2284]

sorry, unfortunately i do not own a par meter, The ones on amazon are in the 200s! Im going based on visual observation only at the moment. If i buy a meter it wont be until months from now as im planning a wedding and a move next month. There go my resources

I would hate to be responsible for you to buy something your not happy with. All i can really say is that for an 18 inch tall tank, the lighting is more than adequate.

My only real concern is that no one on this board has even mentioned these light fixtures and google search shows nothing on the quality or life expectancy of these units. As someone stated before i think Vivagrow is new to the game and trying to make a name for themselves, which may be why the price is low.

I will eventually buy 2 more before (im sure) the price will go up.

 

[moore40]

sorry, unfortunately i do not own a par meter, The ones on amazon are in the 200s! Im going based on visual observation only at the moment. If i buy a meter it wont be until months from now as im planning a wedding and a move next month. There go my resources



I would hate to be responsible for you to buy something your not happy with. All i can really say is that for an 18 inch tall tank, the lighting is more than adequate.



My only real concern is that no one on this board has even mentioned these light fixtures and google search shows nothing on the quality or life expectancy of these units. As someone stated before i think Vivagrow is new to the game and trying to make a name for themselves, which may be why the price is low.



I will eventually buy 2 more before (im sure) the price will go up.

No worries, and I completely understand the money flow. I too tried researching these and came up empty. I think I am actually going to get them and try it out myself. I mean we have to start the testing somewhere and your last post helped support that we can get good growth out of it.

 

[Gibbs.JP]

I'm currently looking at a Current Satellite Plus PRO light for my new tank, but curious how this compares. My tank will be about 24" from the top to the substrate, so not sure if either will be enough light for that depth...

 

[mac2284]

I'm currently looking at a Current Satellite Plus PRO light for my new tank, but curious how this compares. My tank will be about 24" from the top to the substrate, so not sure if either will be enough light for that depth...

I wouldnt be able to compare the current satellite plus as i have never owned one. Id bet you would need at least 2 though to get some decent light to reach the bottom.

 

[puppyfish]

They look just about the same brightness, right? I think I'll get one if that's the case

 

[mac2284]

So I took these at 9pm. The I feel pictures don't really highlight the color differences as much as in person but I will post them anyways.

Vivagrow 9pm

Finnex 9pm

For some odd reason the finnex is a bit more purple looking. The vivagrow is almost a baby blue. Side by side the colors wouldnt quite sync up.


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[mac2284]

They look just about the same brightness, right? I think I'll get one if that's the case

I have no official evidence to back up the claim of the finnex being slightly brighter, it does visually appear so. At its price point i would definitely pick up another vivagrow over the finnex though. I havent owned it very long so i cannot speak of its life expectancy.

i have bought cheap knock off 13 watt led lights (similar to jungle dawn) before. They were on amazon for half the price (seller was from china). They Died after 3 months. Im hoping that something similar doesn't happen with this fixture, i know its a completely unrelated product. Just my experience with knock offs. It really just made me not trust products from china.

 

[Pubfiction]

Get a light meter app for your phone and stick it under both lights at the exact same distance in open air. Tell us what it reads at a couple distances right on center, IE 6,12, 18 inches.

I own a vivagrow you can actually find some posts about it here.

Since you do notice some differences at least now we know they aren't the exact same light being pumped out of the same factory and they are just slapping different stickers on them. (that happens with a surprising number of products)

 

[mac2284]

Get a light meter app for your phone and stick it under both lights at the exact same distance in open air. Tell us what it reads at a couple distances right on center, IE 6,12, 18 inches.

I own a vivagrow you can actually find some posts about it here.

Since you do notice some differences at least now we know they aren't the exact same light being pumped out of the same factory and they are just slapping different stickers on them. (that happens with a surprising number of products)

What app on Android do you recommend there are quite a few. I can try to squeeze some time in tomorrow to measure the light if I find a decent app.


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[puppyfish]

Hmm, now I'm on the fence. Thanks so much for the pictures.

 

[FrogTim]

How is the 24/7 cycle on the viva in comparison to the finnex ? Is the moonlight and daytime cycles the same? I'm considering one of these as supplemental lighting on my rack lighting the shelf below my finnex. I wonder if the cycles are similar.