JBJ Vipers: User reviews
- Thread starter Newreeflady
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ReefWifey
New member
Im thinking about buying one of these too, was kinda waiting to see how people responded. I don't like having the open top tank though, and the egg crate looks like a great idea! I too have a cat that may drink from it, but he's actually the least of my worries. Worse would be my 3 year old who would be inclined to feed the fish pizza, or toss in matchbox car for the fish to play with. :strooper:
Newreeflady
New member
MRinCC, I was just asking because it may diffuse some light, didn't know if that may be part of the dimness? I can see your worries with a cat, I wouldn't chance that, either.
The most of my worries would be jumpy fish or shrimp, so i'll stock accordingly.
-A
The most of my worries would be jumpy fish or shrimp, so i'll stock accordingly.
-A
Got my Viper lamp literally an hour and a half ago and just finished setting it up. I know alotta people are waiting for reviews, so here's my INITIAL impressions:
Starting with the ballast, the ballast box is HUGE, slightly bigger than the 250 watt EVC DE Electronic ballast I have, although this is mainly in part due to the larger housing box. It seems like the actual ballast is only in the bottom half of the box, the top half left open with vent slits for circulation. In addition, the ballast box comes houses a fuse and a nice power switch. It's definitely made in China, the box says "HuaQuan Electrical Lighting Co, LTD". I googled the company and it doesn't seem like they manufacture cheap products, been in business for 20+ years and have a pretty decent website. Time will only tell.
The lighting fixture I purchased houses a 14k 70w DE MH bulb. The reflector is pretty poor, it's just one flat reflector behind the bulb, no parabolic, etc, although honestly I wouldn't expect an incredible reflector from such a small enclosure.
Mounting was pretty simple, two simple knobs that you tighten in. Took all of five minutes to mount on my rimless tank. My only complaint, however, was the spacer you put between the mount and the tank. It's a separate piece from the actual fixture, so you have to kinda hold it in place as you're tightening one of the knobs. Once in, however, the mount definitely stays in place. No wiggling of any kind.
Here's the only part I don't like about the fixture. The neck. The neckpieces are made of softer plastic, I'm guessing to keep heat from transferring down the unit, but as a result, the fixture is kinda wobbly sideways. It's not wobbly to the point where it'll tip over by itself, but I can see the neckpiece possibly breaking if you were to smack into the lamp head hard. Vertically, forwards and backwards, the lamp is superstable. You shouldn't be touching a metal halide lamp anyways, so I don't see the problem with the wobblyness. Adjustment is supereasy, just turn the knobs to tighten the neck after you've adjusted it to the correct position. As to concerns that this fixture may fall into your tank, let me alleviate them by saying that, as long as your mounting screws are all tightened properly(only need to hand-tighten), there is NO WAY I can see the fixture dropping forwards into your tank. Even with a hard push forwards on the lamp, I see the mount breaking your glass tank before it falls in.
Performance-wise, I love it. The color on the 14k bulb is awesome, and I get shimmer lines galore. I have it on a 5 gallon open top tank right now and, as expected of metal halide lighting, it did heat up my tank upon my initial setup of ~6" over the water line. 5 minutes of adjusting and I have it sitting at nearly its max height, ~12" over the water line, and the temperature is already dropping down. I won't even bother mentioning the light output, since all metal halides are dimmer during their "break-in period". I'd have to wait a week or two until I can properly give an evaluation of its light output.
Packaging is decent, this is the first JBJ product I've purchased and it looks like a packaged Viper lamp should be able to survive anything short of crushing the box itself.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with purchasing one of these Vipers. The small size and 70watt MH option makes it PERFECT for placing over a nanotank that's less than 20" long. I've considered both the SunPod and Coralife Aqualight, but the SunPod doesn't have anything smaller than 20", and the Aqualight doesn't have a 70w version(150w would BOIL a 5 gallon tank). I've also considered retrofitting a desklamp, but I can't seem to find a good desklamp that can fit a retro. The Viper saved me the trouble of purchasing a retrofit anyways.
Stewie, I have an CUSA Orbit and the fans are LOUD. I'd read this issue with many other CUSA lighting products as well. Something to keep in mind if you plan on purchasing the modded Orbit.
Hope this helps. If you've got questions, please feel free to ask away.
Starting with the ballast, the ballast box is HUGE, slightly bigger than the 250 watt EVC DE Electronic ballast I have, although this is mainly in part due to the larger housing box. It seems like the actual ballast is only in the bottom half of the box, the top half left open with vent slits for circulation. In addition, the ballast box comes houses a fuse and a nice power switch. It's definitely made in China, the box says "HuaQuan Electrical Lighting Co, LTD". I googled the company and it doesn't seem like they manufacture cheap products, been in business for 20+ years and have a pretty decent website. Time will only tell.
The lighting fixture I purchased houses a 14k 70w DE MH bulb. The reflector is pretty poor, it's just one flat reflector behind the bulb, no parabolic, etc, although honestly I wouldn't expect an incredible reflector from such a small enclosure.
Mounting was pretty simple, two simple knobs that you tighten in. Took all of five minutes to mount on my rimless tank. My only complaint, however, was the spacer you put between the mount and the tank. It's a separate piece from the actual fixture, so you have to kinda hold it in place as you're tightening one of the knobs. Once in, however, the mount definitely stays in place. No wiggling of any kind.
Here's the only part I don't like about the fixture. The neck. The neckpieces are made of softer plastic, I'm guessing to keep heat from transferring down the unit, but as a result, the fixture is kinda wobbly sideways. It's not wobbly to the point where it'll tip over by itself, but I can see the neckpiece possibly breaking if you were to smack into the lamp head hard. Vertically, forwards and backwards, the lamp is superstable. You shouldn't be touching a metal halide lamp anyways, so I don't see the problem with the wobblyness. Adjustment is supereasy, just turn the knobs to tighten the neck after you've adjusted it to the correct position. As to concerns that this fixture may fall into your tank, let me alleviate them by saying that, as long as your mounting screws are all tightened properly(only need to hand-tighten), there is NO WAY I can see the fixture dropping forwards into your tank. Even with a hard push forwards on the lamp, I see the mount breaking your glass tank before it falls in.
Performance-wise, I love it. The color on the 14k bulb is awesome, and I get shimmer lines galore. I have it on a 5 gallon open top tank right now and, as expected of metal halide lighting, it did heat up my tank upon my initial setup of ~6" over the water line. 5 minutes of adjusting and I have it sitting at nearly its max height, ~12" over the water line, and the temperature is already dropping down. I won't even bother mentioning the light output, since all metal halides are dimmer during their "break-in period". I'd have to wait a week or two until I can properly give an evaluation of its light output.
Packaging is decent, this is the first JBJ product I've purchased and it looks like a packaged Viper lamp should be able to survive anything short of crushing the box itself.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with purchasing one of these Vipers. The small size and 70watt MH option makes it PERFECT for placing over a nanotank that's less than 20" long. I've considered both the SunPod and Coralife Aqualight, but the SunPod doesn't have anything smaller than 20", and the Aqualight doesn't have a 70w version(150w would BOIL a 5 gallon tank). I've also considered retrofitting a desklamp, but I can't seem to find a good desklamp that can fit a retro. The Viper saved me the trouble of purchasing a retrofit anyways.
Stewie, I have an CUSA Orbit and the fans are LOUD. I'd read this issue with many other CUSA lighting products as well. Something to keep in mind if you plan on purchasing the modded Orbit.
Hope this helps. If you've got questions, please feel free to ask away.
Newreeflady
New member
dystopian, thanks for your review. I purchased the same setup as you, but UPS seems to have screwed up and rescheduled delivery is for Monday. My tank is a 12g, so i'm guessing I will probably be able to put it a little closer to the water line. I will definitely do my own review when I get it and after the burn-in period.
Angela
Angela
Dystopian,
Thanks for the very useful review. Granted you light is over a 5 gallon tank, but I would assume the lighting would be fine over a 10 gallon tank. (not poor lighting after the break in periood)..
Thanks for the input about the cusa's sunpod's fans being loud. Its actually a modded orbit w/ a hqi 70 watt bulb in it. I've owned the orbit, and the fan noise didn't bother me. I think since the color of the bulb looks somewhat blue, I think i'll go with the viper!
Stewie
Thanks for the very useful review. Granted you light is over a 5 gallon tank, but I would assume the lighting would be fine over a 10 gallon tank. (not poor lighting after the break in periood)..
Thanks for the input about the cusa's sunpod's fans being loud. Its actually a modded orbit w/ a hqi 70 watt bulb in it. I've owned the orbit, and the fan noise didn't bother me. I think since the color of the bulb looks somewhat blue, I think i'll go with the viper!
Stewie
DragonFish
Unregistered Member
My 150W is sitting on my doorstep. Expect a review tonight
Nice dragon..
Too bad it isn't a review for the 70 watt! Come on people! There's gotta be some other people who can post some reviews of the 70 watt! I have money burning a hole in my wallet wanting to buy this fixture, but want to make sure it is a decent one before I buy!
Stewie
Too bad it isn't a review for the 70 watt! Come on people! There's gotta be some other people who can post some reviews of the 70 watt! I have money burning a hole in my wallet wanting to buy this fixture, but want to make sure it is a decent one before I buy!
Stewie
Newreeflady
New member
70W jbj viper
70W jbj viper
Dude, buy it! It is an awesome lamp.
Review:
Ok, I purchased at Blue Zoo Aquatics, they were very helpful on the phone, I got an awesome deal, and they shipped it the same day I ordered it! Thumbs up for BZA!
Now, on to the review.
Out of the box, this thing is pretty plug and play. Tighten a few things, and add the clamp on it, remove the sticker and it's pretty ready to go. The instructions suck. Ignore them and go with your instincts, lol!
So, structurally, this thing seems pretty sound. The reflector looks like it'll last, but we'll see. I like that the UV sheild cannot fall out the way it is placed in. The joints will not move unless you loosen them. The clamp style is great because you can adjust the lamp at 3 points, so you can get a position that will not blind you and will direct the light where you want. And, best thing with the clamp on is that you can adjust the height of the lamp to acclimate new corals or to alleviate any heat issues.
The lamp: I got my 70W fixture with the stock 14k lamp. This lamp is a tad blue for my taste, but I think it will whiten up a bit as it burns in. Overall, I like the color and the shimmer lines are, as with all halide, just beautiful. This amount of light is perfect for the 12g nanocube, imo. It is very bright, illuminating the whole tank, but doesn't have a crazy kill your eyes to look at glare.
All in all, I am very impressed and I am glad I went this route. It saved me time and money to use the clamp on instead of modifying the hood and running 4-5 fans.
So, this product has my thumbs up! The ballast box doesn't bother me (it's hiding behind my couch.) It is probably about 15" x 6" x 6" (maybe 16 x 7 x 7) I am not going to get up an measure it, i'm too busy enjoying how gorgeous my tank is
Pictures to follow ...
Angela
70W jbj viper
Dude, buy it! It is an awesome lamp.
Review:
Ok, I purchased at Blue Zoo Aquatics, they were very helpful on the phone, I got an awesome deal, and they shipped it the same day I ordered it! Thumbs up for BZA!
Now, on to the review.
Out of the box, this thing is pretty plug and play. Tighten a few things, and add the clamp on it, remove the sticker and it's pretty ready to go. The instructions suck. Ignore them and go with your instincts, lol!
So, structurally, this thing seems pretty sound. The reflector looks like it'll last, but we'll see. I like that the UV sheild cannot fall out the way it is placed in. The joints will not move unless you loosen them. The clamp style is great because you can adjust the lamp at 3 points, so you can get a position that will not blind you and will direct the light where you want. And, best thing with the clamp on is that you can adjust the height of the lamp to acclimate new corals or to alleviate any heat issues.
The lamp: I got my 70W fixture with the stock 14k lamp. This lamp is a tad blue for my taste, but I think it will whiten up a bit as it burns in. Overall, I like the color and the shimmer lines are, as with all halide, just beautiful. This amount of light is perfect for the 12g nanocube, imo. It is very bright, illuminating the whole tank, but doesn't have a crazy kill your eyes to look at glare.
All in all, I am very impressed and I am glad I went this route. It saved me time and money to use the clamp on instead of modifying the hood and running 4-5 fans.
So, this product has my thumbs up! The ballast box doesn't bother me (it's hiding behind my couch.) It is probably about 15" x 6" x 6" (maybe 16 x 7 x 7) I am not going to get up an measure it, i'm too busy enjoying how gorgeous my tank is
Pictures to follow ...
Angela
Last edited:
Newreeflady
New member
Ok, my first try with posting from photobucket.. hope it works, bear with me...
I think the lamp is already starting to brighten from its originally blue hue. It is turning whiter with hint of blue... just what I wanted
Angela
I think the lamp is already starting to brighten from its originally blue hue. It is turning whiter with hint of blue... just what I wanted
Angela
Newreeflady
New member
Not sure why they are so large... is it just me, or are these pretty big? (I don't run my computer at high res, so maybe it's just me.)
-A
-A
ReefWifey
New member
The first two pics are large (but fit on my screen, I run at pretty small res), and the second two pictures are small.
Thanks for the review, it looks beautiful. My bday is coming up and I'm deciding which one I want hubby to buy me. I just don't know if I like the open top, but I'll agree its more cost effective than moding the hood and then having heat issues. I may try eggcrate like that one dude had has, but I wonder if it will defray the light any?
A - You're tank looks great!
Thanks for the review, it looks beautiful. My bday is coming up and I'm deciding which one I want hubby to buy me. I just don't know if I like the open top, but I'll agree its more cost effective than moding the hood and then having heat issues. I may try eggcrate like that one dude had has, but I wonder if it will defray the light any?
A - You're tank looks great!
DragonFish
Unregistered Member
I got my 150W last night and had a while to play around with it. I'm using it on an Oceanic cube tank. The first thing I found is that these are NOT designed to fit on the trim of an Oceanic tank. The trim is wider than an average tank and the included spacer is too thick to fit nicely. Secondly, the clamp uses two screws on the back to clamp down on the tank. On the Oceanic tank the screws hit the plastic trim which is not really very sturdy. I did finally get it to fit with some effort, however after a couple hours I checked the two screws and they were loose! I think they just compress the plastic trim and it simply isn't strong enough to support that. I tightened up the screws some more and it still never really clamped down well. This morning it felt like it might actually fall in so I took it off. When I get home I'll spend some more time getting it to fit well, and I'm going to email JBJ and see if it was ever tested on an Oceanic tank. The second issue is known to JBJ and they are fixing it. The knob closest to the lamp head isn't heat resistant enough so when it heats up it looses grip and the lamp head swings down. I only ran my light for a few hours last night and that was enough for it to fall. Luckily I had the rest of the arm high enough that nothing touched the water. I already have the replacement metal knob on the way to my house. If you get the 150W version, don't take this lightly! This flaw could easily drop your lamp in the water and I don't want to think about what would happen. Now on to the light itself. The color of my light is actually a very crisp white, its not very blue at all. As I only ran the light for a couple hours we will have to see how the color changes as the lamp burns in. One thing is for sure, this sucker is bright! It easily puts my 175W SE to shame. I'll post some pics tonight, I didn't have much time last night. I'll also let you know what JBJ says about the clamp, I think I'm going to have to cut the trim on the back so it can clamp right on the glass. Luckily, there is nothing in the tank right now but water so it won't be too much of a problem.
DragonFish, I have a 150w version on the way to my house as we speak. Who did you contact @ JBJ to get the new knob sent to you? I'd rather get this sent out ASAP from them so that I don't have to worry about (insert freak electrical accident here) happening while I'm not home. Thanks!
DragonFish
Unregistered Member
I actually talked to the vendor I bought it from. I got mine from Blue Zoo Aquatics and they told me I'd have the new knob by the end of the week, if not sooner.
Newreeflady
New member
Dragonfish, sorry to hear that. I knew of the 150w problem, but it isn't a prob on the 70w.
As far as mounting, I was thinking it may be a problem on tanks with different trim. It actually fits and holds very securely on the JBJ trim, it does not even touch the glass (thankfully!) After all the cracking issues, i'd really not want two points pressing on the glass directly anyhow (of course, there are screw covers, but still.) It is definitely made for the NC, but I think that with some modification it can probably fit securely on any little tank (unless it is an acrylic with very thick trim.)
Reefwifey, I think on the 12g you would be happy with the 70w lamp. Whether or not you like the open top I would leave that to you do decide. A lot of fish stores have similar open top displays, maybe you would want to go take a look. As far as the grating, it would certainly diffuse the light a bit, but if it is clear it won't be too bad, just not AS intense (anything between the lamp and the water will diffuse the light, including surface film if you're not set up to skim the top of the water.) Just make sure it won't melt. I don't personally like the look of the grating, but to each their own. If I were going to do that, i'd probably first mod the hood or build a canopy of sorts.
Hey, and thanks
Angela
As far as mounting, I was thinking it may be a problem on tanks with different trim. It actually fits and holds very securely on the JBJ trim, it does not even touch the glass (thankfully!) After all the cracking issues, i'd really not want two points pressing on the glass directly anyhow (of course, there are screw covers, but still.) It is definitely made for the NC, but I think that with some modification it can probably fit securely on any little tank (unless it is an acrylic with very thick trim.)
Reefwifey, I think on the 12g you would be happy with the 70w lamp. Whether or not you like the open top I would leave that to you do decide. A lot of fish stores have similar open top displays, maybe you would want to go take a look. As far as the grating, it would certainly diffuse the light a bit, but if it is clear it won't be too bad, just not AS intense (anything between the lamp and the water will diffuse the light, including surface film if you're not set up to skim the top of the water.) Just make sure it won't melt. I don't personally like the look of the grating, but to each their own. If I were going to do that, i'd probably first mod the hood or build a canopy of sorts.
Hey, and thanks
Angela
Newreeflady
New member
Update: Recall!
Update: Recall!
So, I was just messing with the lamp to adjust the height and the top nob (nearest the lamp) came loose a little. I was able to grab a nearby dust rag and hold it in place to retighten it. It seems that it is not just the 150W lamp that they are replacing nobs on, also the 70W lamp.
Do not despair: I am told by Blue Zoo Aquatics that ALL NEW LAMPS are shipping out with the CORRECT NOB! My new nob will be here soon. For now, if you have one, after the lamp has been on enough to heat up, carefully tighten the nob on the lamp joint. This should tighten it enough so that you only have to do it once.
I have lifted the lamp up to about 9" off the top of the tank after seeing a temperature rise from 79.1 to 79.5 degrees in 2 hours. After just 15 minutes, the temperature has decreased back to 79.2 degrees. I may try to lower it an inch and see what happens. My goal is to not heat the tank up at all from it's running temp (the temperature the visi-therm heater is set to.) Afterall, the ocean's temperature is fairly stable over the course of 24hrs, i'm trying to mimic that
Angela.
Update: Recall!
So, I was just messing with the lamp to adjust the height and the top nob (nearest the lamp) came loose a little. I was able to grab a nearby dust rag and hold it in place to retighten it. It seems that it is not just the 150W lamp that they are replacing nobs on, also the 70W lamp.
Do not despair: I am told by Blue Zoo Aquatics that ALL NEW LAMPS are shipping out with the CORRECT NOB! My new nob will be here soon. For now, if you have one, after the lamp has been on enough to heat up, carefully tighten the nob on the lamp joint. This should tighten it enough so that you only have to do it once.
I have lifted the lamp up to about 9" off the top of the tank after seeing a temperature rise from 79.1 to 79.5 degrees in 2 hours. After just 15 minutes, the temperature has decreased back to 79.2 degrees. I may try to lower it an inch and see what happens. My goal is to not heat the tank up at all from it's running temp (the temperature the visi-therm heater is set to.) Afterall, the ocean's temperature is fairly stable over the course of 24hrs, i'm trying to mimic that
Angela.
I think the reviews have proved enough to do me in about $165.00... I'll be ordering this fairly soon as my new tank will be setup very soon! Can't wait! (10 display w/ a 20 long sump/fuge). Basically i'll be transferring the contents of my 10 gallon tank to another 10 that I drilled. Watch for the post in this forum. (and a review of the new jbj viper light!)
Stewie
Stewie
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