# A thread dedicated to the Chihiros WRGB2 Pro



## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

Hi everyone,

A couple months ago I bought the Chihiros WRGB2 Pro 120cm lights from Aqua Rocks Colorado. I bought that one as a result of this thread requesting a comparison between the WRGB2 and the Vivid2.









Chihiros RGB Vivid II versus Chihiros WRGB II


Hi folks, I'm working on plans for the restart of my 48" wide 90 gallon tank. Main thread is here: https://www.plantedtank.net/threads/back-after-15-years-lighting-and-stand-hood-for-90-gallon-tank.1323121/ But, I've only recently come to the understanding that there are two different Chihiros...




www.plantedtank.net





Who knew there was a new PRO version in the offing with a new white channel to go with the RGBs! Fortunately for me, the participants there turned me on to the Pro, and as soon as the first shipment arrived, I had my lights. Time passed, and my tank is almost ready for plants, having just finished cycling. 

Although the new Pro is mentioned here and there I figured it would be good to have a thread dedicated to this model.

I really like it. I haven't planted yet so I can't say I've dialed it in yet. Here it is at 20% power.










My only gripes so far are:

1. The stands on the side. As I mentioned in the other thread, they really aren't designed for wide rimmed tanks. Very crappy implementation:










I've bought the hanging kit and may very well switch to hanging mode.

2. The app... I have only occasionally had trouble connecting to the lights with my phone, but I haven't figured out if
there's a way to change the options on the main page:










I'm never going to use "Green" or "Red" but I'd love to add some of my own presets there. I wonder where the "Buce" setting is from? 

Is there some way to change those buttons?

I will post back here regularly as I explore the lights now that I'm close to planing!


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## ddiomede (Feb 21, 2011)

What's the width of your tank's rim? If you want I can measure the UNS hanging hit I have to see how wide of a rim it'll work with.


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## ak7v (Jan 9, 2022)

Thank you for posting this. I've been curious to see how these lights work with rimmed tanks. I am running 2x Fluval Plant 3.0 lights, but one of these would have probably cost less and might be better. I'll follow your progress with interest!


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

ddiomede said:


> What's the width of your tank's rim? If you want I can measure the UNS hanging hit I have to see how wide of a rim it'll work with.


Thanks! The top part of the rim is 1" (or fractionally under 1" perhaps), and with the lower part of the rim, just under 1.5".

Curious about the UNS kit; also considering a curling hang or hanger mounts from the wall. There's a big duct behind the wall so drilling into the wall poses some challenges.

Here are a couple laughable attempts at photographing rim measurements for my tank.


















Oh one more note:

My wood is still leaching tannins into the tank water at a prodigious rate despite soaking for a month and being bleached. So, pictures I take that aren't right after a massive water change will look red/yellowish. No fault of the lights!


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## Virtus (11 mo ago)

ak7v said:


> Thank you for posting this. I've been curious to see how these lights work with rimmed tanks. I am running 2x Fluval Plant 3.0 lights, but one of these would have probably cost less and might be better. I'll follow your progress with interest!


Did you go with two Fluvals from the start or getthe second after finding one to not be enough?


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## ddiomede (Feb 21, 2011)

Marc_G said:


> Thanks! The top part of the rim is 1" (or fractionally under 1" perhaps), and with the lower part of the rim, just under 1.5".
> 
> Curious about the UNS kit; also considering a curling hang or hanger mounts from the wall. There's a big duct behind the wall so drilling into the wall poses some challenges.


Unfortunately the UNS kit that mounts onto the rim will only fit 5/8". 

They do sell another hanging kit that mounts to the stand I believe. That could be another option for you if you don't want to DIY something.


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## ak7v (Jan 9, 2022)

Virtus said:


> Did you go with two Fluvals from the start or getthe second after finding one to not be enough?


I had one 48" Fluval and one shorter 36" BuildMyLED fixture to start. I thought this was enough light, but I didn't like the 36" fixture on a 48" tank. So I found a deal on a second Fluval 3.0 48" fixture here and bought it. I run both at 100% and I think it's plenty of light. 

I used the Photone app on my iPhone to measure PAR of one Fluval 3.0 at 17 inches, through air. I got around 100-105. The app is just an app, not calibrated by me, so I don't know how accurate that is. I also don't know what knockdown to apply for PAR through water. But it gave me confidence that with two of these lights, I'm probably at least 100 where they overlap.

One Fluval should be enough light for most plants right under the light, but in my 75 gallon tank, it wouldn't light up from back to front evenly. I also want to try demanding plants and growing a carpet, so I figured two should give me enough light and the control to bring it down if I need.


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

ddiomede said:


> Unfortunately the UNS kit that mounts onto the rim will only fit 5/8".
> 
> They do sell another hanging kit that mounts to the stand I believe. That could be another option for you if you don't want to DIY something.


It's no worry. I've got the hanging kit from Chihiros, here is a picture of the bits:










The question for me if I hang it is: do I want to sink lag screws into the ceiling joists, and are the joists positioned conveniently? And: Would I rather put hanger mounts on the wall to hang from?

Also, I've got a bit of a damned fool idea to angle the lights up in the back, so as to shine more light to the back of the tank. Doing this might take some retrofit, and frankly might be easier to perform just by me reworking the rim mounts instead of hanging the thing.

Also, I should point out member @RazzVegas did a great build post of some shades for these lights, here! I'm considering following his lead on this.


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## ddiomede (Feb 21, 2011)

Marc_G said:


> It's no worry. I've got the hanging kit from Chihiros, here is a picture of the bits:
> 
> View attachment 1042430
> 
> ...


It might not be a bad idea to check out what @minorhero and @EmotionalFescue did for their lights. I was going to choose one of their solutions but decided to hit the easy button with the UNS brackets.


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## Kitsune (9 mo ago)

I was lucky to get a WRGB 2 pro here in Germany, even though it's not officially out yet.

I decided for the 60, even though I have an 80cm tank, since I like the "light smaller than the tank"-look and a bit more shadowy areas on the sides.
It's a bit too shadowy for now, but I plan to hang it anyways. 2 inches higher than it is now should be absolutely perfect.
The power should be enough for anything, even if it's 2 inches higher than the standard mount.

However, the hanging kit is impossible to get here for now. Chihiros advised I should order it from China. 

The light quality is excellent. The colors look *so *much better than with the A801.


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## jellopuddinpop (Dec 12, 2016)

Marc_G said:


> It's no worry. I've got the hanging kit from Chihiros, here is a picture of the bits:
> 
> View attachment 1042430
> 
> ...


I wouldn't rely on the ceiling joists being in the right spot. Odds of them being perfect are slim to none. Find a nice piece of hardwood the length of the tank, stain or paint that and screw it to the ceiling, then hang the lights on there.


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

My tank is now planted, with starter plants and a few fish.

Will be trying this profile:


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## RazzVegas (Dec 22, 2020)

Its been a couple months now since I replaced my fluval 3.0 with the wrgb 2 pro. Much better colors on my plants!


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## ak7v (Jan 9, 2022)

RazzVegas said:


> Its been a couple months now since I replaced my fluval 3.0 with the wrgb 2 pro. Much better colors on my plants!
> View attachment 1043032
> View attachment 1043033


Looks great. What size tank is that and are you using one light fixture or two? How is the light mounted?


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## RazzVegas (Dec 22, 2020)

ak7v said:


> Looks great. What size tank is that and are you using one light fixture or two? How is the light mounted?


Its a 135G. Using 2 90cm pro. Just using the stand it came with. Probably about 6" above the water


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## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

I realize this is probably a dumb question, but is there a benefit to having a light so strong you only run it at 20%?


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## MoreliaViridis (May 19, 2021)

LidijaPN said:


> I realize this is probably a dumb question, but is there a benefit to having a light so strong you only run it at 20%?


For temporary use(algae outbreak or new tank) its useful. 
If you blast light when things are not stable it will quickly overthrow everything.

If the spectrum of full-blast light is sub-par (less red/blue or too much yellow or green etc etc) then it needs to be adjusted to good spectrum via decreasing certain wavelengths so its waste of money.....in a prolonged use.


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

LidijaPN said:


> I realize this is probably a dumb question, but is there a benefit to having a light so strong you only run it at 20%?


I like that it gives me lots of options. I don't use mine near 100% (yet) but I can see I might move to a shorter, more intense photoperiod. And as MoreliaViridis said, the ability to tweak up and down the individual channels is really cool. Since I have a tank that's 24" deep, I will probably be increasing the intensity of at least some of my channels. 

And, maybe one day I will turn it into a tanning bed...


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## Virtus (11 mo ago)

LidijaPN said:


> I realize this is probably a dumb question, but is there a benefit to having a light so strong you only run it at 20%?


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## rzn7z7 (Aug 17, 2013)

LidijaPN said:


> I realize this is probably a dumb question, but is there a benefit to having a light so strong you only run it at 20%?


 Not a dumb question at all....IMO you can read all the reviews available re. a light but until it's installed on your tank and it's up/running it's a bit hit or miss, and I'd rather have a light that has power to spare than one that's under-powered


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## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

Yeah that all makes sense.

I’m surprised tho, by the general narrative on this forum I had the feeling my kit light is pretty terrible.... but over time and watching the plants grow I don’t see anything struggling with lack of light. Ok the pearlweed is growing upwards. But everything else seems to have enough light... true I’m not growing any ambitious plants but I see a lot of people with a collection of fairly low maintenance plants but getting the super overpowered lights.... 

I had thought for a while I had to switch lights to get anywhere but right now I feel they’re perfectly matched to the rest of my setup. Of course I’m low tech so that probably makes a huge difference too. But I do often read posts like ‘I’m running my lights at 15%’ and it feels like taking your Ferrari out to go get groceries?


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## MoreliaViridis (May 19, 2021)

LidijaPN said:


> I don’t see anything struggling with lack of light


Most plants can do very well with way less light than people think.
Most of those "high tech" plants that you see might be ok even with your lightings. 
In fact they will be easier when it comes to CO2 or other nutrient demands. (It doesn't mean they will do well with no CO2.)
They won't be as colorful or compact, but you really need very low light (and I mean VERY low) over a long period to kill a plant with lack of light if you do other stuffs correctly.

I often find random stems of "high tech" plants in my tank that is completely covered up and denied from light. 
No algae no dead leaves no deficiencies...nothing.
It is smaller and slower and often completely green, but mst of the time it grows just fine.

And H. glomeratus normally grows upward.




LidijaPN said:


> it feels like taking your Ferrari out to go get groceries?


Exactly.....


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## Kitsune (9 mo ago)

LidijaPN said:


> and it feels like taking your Ferrari out to go get groceries?


If I had a Ferrari I would absolutely go get groceries with it!


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## LidijaPN (12 mo ago)

Kitsune said:


> If I had a Ferrari I would absolutely go get groceries with it!


I mean fair point 😂😂


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## Amphiprion1 (Jan 17, 2016)

I know I might be reviving an older post, but has anyone here had an in-person comparison with the original WRGB 2? How does the color rendition/saturation compare? I’m looking to upgrade so that I can lift the unit a bit higher to get some more coverage without sacrificing intensity.


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## rzn7z7 (Aug 17, 2013)

No, I've not compared the 2 lights in person, however, AFAIK the Pro adds dedicated white LEDs which you can manage thru an additional white channel/slider in the app...in theory if you turned the whites down to 0 there'd be no differences between the two lights...with the whites enabled, however, one would think you could obtain colors in the Pro that are not possible with the original WRGB2 which may make comparisons moot

I should add I have the WRGB2 Pro and am very happy with it


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

Still loving my WRGB2 Pro. I only use it at about half intensity, but it's nice to know it has power to spare.


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## jake21 (Aug 11, 2019)

Would be interesting to compare the wrgb2 pro to hydra freshwater and ghl 7004.


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## Amphiprion1 (Jan 17, 2016)

Marc_G said:


> Still loving my WRGB2 Pro. I only use it at about half intensity, but it's nice to know it has power to spare.


May have to consider one in the very near future, then. Thanks for the feedback!


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## chvvkumar (May 5, 2012)

A quick and dirty $5 shade cover for the WRGBII I made for my 40 breeder. It could take some refining but pretty happy for a 5 minute job. For my tank, only one sheet was sufficient.

I wanted something that left the heatsink exposed and did not want to shell out almost $90 for the official shades.
Materials:








Plastic Corrugated Board by Creatology™


Buy the Plastic Corrugated Board by Creatology™ at Michaels.com. Create a unique display board for your school projects and presentations with this corrugated board by Creatology.




www.michaels.com


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

Looks great! But doesn't it trap humidity?


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## chvvkumar (May 5, 2012)

Marc_G said:


> Looks great! But doesn't it trap humidity?


Shouldn't be a problem, I had a similar shroud made for my reef tank made of foam board that did not deform after two years on the tank. I also left the back open for hot air from the heat of the light to escape.


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## jake21 (Aug 11, 2019)

chvvkumar said:


> Shouldn't be a problem, I had a similar shroud made for my reef tank made of foam board that did not deform after two years on the tank. I also left the back open for hot air from the heat of the light to escape.


I wouldn't be worried about the foam; i would be worried about the light. Unlike, for example, the fluval 3.0, the wrgb 2 are not sealed and sensitive to humidity.


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

jake21 said:


> I wouldn't be worried about the foam; i would be worried about the light. Unlike, for example, the fluval 3.0, the wrgb 2 are not sealed and sensitive to humidity.


Exactly this. This concern was the basis for my earlier comment.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

I'm pretty sure in the description it states that it's not designed to be used under a closed top.


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

Perhaps the openings on the side at the top provide sufficient ventilation?


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## chvvkumar (May 5, 2012)

Good point about the light not being completely protected from humidity. I'm probably going to add a computer fan to pull air out from the back. Off to the 3d printer to see if I can design a mount.


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## Asteroid (Jul 26, 2018)

Is there an internal fan? I see that the mini has one


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## Marc_G (Jul 6, 2012)

No internal fan on the WRGB2Pro.


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## TigerWithBarbs (May 4, 2021)

Reviving this thread in case anyone would like to share their lighting profiles. I've been tinkering with mine for a couple of months but haven't found anything I like.


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