Viper or Sunpod?
- Thread starter hgbarwick
- Start date
Zero-2-Sixty
New member
dont quote me on this, but ive heard from the guys at my LFS that the Sunpod puts off more intense light than the viper
but who knows for sure
but who knows for sure
DragonFish
Unregistered Member
I have the 150w Viper. I'll live with it for now but if I had my choice I'd take the Sunpod, or even better a nice T5HO setup. The design is simply flawed in so many ways that it just doesn't measure up. I will admit that it looks nice and now that I upgraded to an XM 20K bulb I like how the tank looks. The problem is that there are so many things about it that could have been done better that you may as well just spend the extra $50 up front and not have to deal with it like I do. If you have more specific questions I'll do my best to answer them.
All Delight
New member
Anyone ever consider this light? I'm also considering the sunpod, but this Finnex sounds good too. Just don't know anyone people that have this light.
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=209
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=209
Last edited:
fantastic4
New member
I own a Sunpod, I love mine, I wish they made a 250w version. It runs a bit hot for an electronic ballast (although it has a fan), the ballast must not be as efficient as the IceCap, but it rocks in my opinion, well worth the price.
fantastic4
New member
ezcompany, is that you in your avatar?
digitaledge
New member
Another vote for SunPod 150
I think there's smaller version which can fit on 12G perfectly but I think it's only 70W version. 20" will fit on top of AP12 since I did put 20" sunpod on my NC12, mounting leg is adjustable. However, I had like 2" both side outside the tank. It didn't really bothered me much but my wife hated it. So I eventually updated to 20" long tank, just to get my sunpod fit on top of it.
Anyway, Sunpod is awsome.
DragonFish
Unregistered Member
Specifically heres what sucks with the Viper. First is the knob on the head. I got a first generation Viper and it shipped with a plastic knob for the "head" of the fixture. When it heated up the knob would lose grip and the head would drop. They shipped me a metal knob and it is better but it will still slip with the slightest bump. I have it as tight as physically possible. Second, the ballast runs bulbs way too yellow. I changed out the crappy stock bulb for a nice Hamilton 14K after a month and it was way less blue than on other ballasts. I think the ballast is just cheap. I recently upgraded it to an XM 20K and it is finally where I like it. Now on to the design flaws. The reflector is possibly the most ineffecient design ever. They might have done better if they just painted the inside white, it is that bad. I'm seriously considering gutting it and making my own with a more intelligent design. The material they used for the reflector sucks too, it is a hammertone style and not very polished. Next, the bulb sits so far back in the "head" that half the light is going INTO the fixture itself and not being reflected into the tank. I looked into using posts to move it an inch closer to center but they made the fixture so that it tapers towards the front so the bulb can not be any farther forward without risk of cracking the bulb. Overall I think it looks nice but there is no way that it is putting out nearly as much light as the sunpod, based entirely on reflector design and bulb placement. I would like nothing more than to sell it and buy a T5HO fixture or even a sunpod. I tried recently to get $175 for the fixture with two nice bulbs with less than three months use on them and the best offer I got was $125 shipped! Oh, and did I mention that I already had to get a replacement ballast from JBJ?
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