The Mars Aqua is a good basic fixture and it will grow coral as well as any led fixture. It has just manual dimmers, which is fine.
The Viparspectra has the same basic light, but is a step up in terms of control. It has digital timers to turn it on/off and it has digital dimmers (not sunrise/sunset). Again, a good fixture.
One step up in terms of control from the Viparspectra would be the Euphotica or the S Box Reef fixtures that have sunrise/sunset control. They are still black box style and about half the price of a Photon V2. I used the EverGrow version of that fixture for 5+ years before I switched tanks and needed new fixtures.
I'd have recommended the EverGrow or Reef Breeders versions, but they have upgraded to the V2 look and 6 channels of color control. If your fixture is inside a canopy, looks shouldn't matter much. If your fixture is out where everybody sees it, maybe the good looks of a Photon V2, plus 6 channel color control is worth the extra? But understand, all of these lights, and even the WAY more expensive led fixtures all grow coral. The extras are about you having more control of how your tank looks to you, not how well it grows coral.
As for cost savings, I had MH and t5 fixtures before I got leds. I live in SW Florida (south of you) where we run A/C a lot, and we keep our house at 80F. So I needed 2 chillers as well! My switch of 4 tanks to all leds cost me $1200 (a huge group buy). Between bulbs (MH are expensive) and the electricity used by the fixtures, the chillers and the house A/C, mine paid for themselves in under 2 years! But my case is an extreme example. My 2 chillers went from running 50% of the time or more, to hardly running at all. My house A/C went from running all day in the summer to only running 75% of the time. I saved over $400/year just in electricity! But MH run a LOT hotter than t5's.
If you ever get down my way (Ft Myers/Cape Coral) let me know. I'm always showing my tanks to somebody.
