The BeamsWork Vivio full spectrum LED light looks like it could be a great budget option for a planted tank.
But, is it right for you and your specific needs?
In this review, I’ll test the PAR so you can find out if it’s right for your tank and plants, I then ran this light on my tank for several weeks to find out how it stands up to daily use.
I then compared the results to four other popular aquarium LED lighting kits at various prices.
Here are the results:
Review Overview
We bought five different LED aquarium plant lights for a head-to-head challenge. This light came in last as far as PAR readings are concerned. However, this light came in fourth overall because some of its features gave it a slight edge over one other competitor.
This Beamswork light would be well suited for a low tech, low light planted tank, but, if you’re wanting to grow demanding plants like parrot’s feather, this light would not be a good choice.
Last update on 2024-11-07 / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
You can read the full comparison review for planted tank LED lights here.
How I Tested BeamsWork Vivo Full Spec LED Light
Each light was put through two different kinds of testing so that we could gather data, compare the results and assign each light a rating.
PAR Testing
PAR stands for photosynthetically active radiation. There are tons of super scientifical explanations for PAR that can send you down a Wiki hole of epic proportions.
I’ll just keep it simple and say that PAR is the measure of how much of the radiation that photosynthetic organisms can use for energy a light source is giving off.
Not all light is the same. Just because a light looks bright to us does not mean that it has the right spectrum that plants need to grow.
And, PAR decreases with distance, especially when the light travels through water. A light might have a reading of 500 when it hits an object a few inches away, but then have a reading of 100 a foot farther away.
Most aquarists can’t justify the high cost of a waterproof PAR meter. But luckily, we can!
We tested the PAR for each light. We took underwater measurements from 0.5 inches (1.27 centimeters), 11 inches (28 centimeters) and and 19 inches (43 centimeters) below the surface of an empty 55 gallon (208 liter) tank that we filled with very clear tap water.
We used a tank with no substrate, plants, fish, etc, so that we could reduce possible interference and get the most accurate readings possible.
Real World Testing
I wanted to find out what the real user’s experience is with each of these lights.
So I installed each one on an aquarium in my home. This allowed me to use the lights day in and day out for several weeks so I could get a feel for what they’re all like.
We rated the lights in the following categories:
- Installation and Set Up – was it difficult to get the light installed on the tank and set up for the first time?
- Customization – are you able to customize the light? Can you change the spectrum and intensity? Is there a built-in timer?
- Reliability – does the light save your settings when it’s disconnected from power?
- Appearance – does the light make the tank look attractive? I know this is a bit subjective, but after using these lights for so long, I feel confident enough to give my opinion.
- Economy – how expensive is the light compared to the others tested?
BeamsWork Vivio Full Spectrum LED Light Review
What’s in the Box?
Unboxing this light is rather simple, there’s just the light, power cord and an instructional pamphlet.
This light comes with a wired remote that’s part of the power cord.
Let’s take a look at the categories we discussed earlier:
- Installation and Set Up – installing this light is super simple. You just unpack the light, plug it in and slide the wire leg brackets to the length you need to fit your tank. There is no internal clock that you can set for this light. So, if you want to set up the timer, you’ll need to push the button on the remote at the exact time you want the timer to start.
- Customization – there are lots of options for customizing this light. There are several color options, like blue and red, but you can’t change the spectrum of the daylight setting. You can set the timer for 6, 8 or 10 hours and there’s a built-in dimmer.
- Reliability – this light will lose all of its settings if it’s disconnected from power. So, you’ll need to redo all your settings, including pressing the timer button at the moment you want the cycle to start. This can be a bit of a pain when you’re trying to get your lights running after routine maintenance or a power outage.
- Appearance – This light has a really nice appearance. Its daylight setting is very natural looking. Overall, I thought it showed off the tank really well. The fish’s colors looked good, they didn’t quite pop the same way they do with stronger lights, but this light did make everything look pleasant.
- Economy – this was the least expensive light in this group of five that we tested. (While this light is technically the cheapest, I still think the best deal is the Hygger light we tested because that light has such a high PAR and is packed with really cool features.)
Overall Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Built-in timer and dimmer
- Several color choices
- Overall appearance is very appealing
- Economical price
Cons:
- Low PAR
- Does not save settings if power is disconnected
How Does it Compare With Other LED Lights?
This light came in fourth in our head-to-head challenge pitting five different LED plant lights against each other.
So, not the worst, but it also didn’t knock our socks off.
It had the lowest PAR of all the lights we tested.
As you can see, all four of the other lights were more powerful, with the top performer having more than 3 times the PAR.
However, the Beamswork placed fourth overall because it has features, like a built-in timer, that its closest competitor does not offer.
This light tested poorly when it came to reliability, but so did two other lights, the Hygger and Nicrew. None of these lights save your settings when they lose power, which can be a little annoying.
Meanwhile, the Fluval Plant 3.0 and Current USA lights both save your settings for you, but you do have to reset the clock on the Current USA when it turns back on.
As far as appearance, although this light isn’t as bright as others, the light it casts makes the tank look really nice. I found the appearance of this light to be much more pleasant than the Nicrew.
This light has more options for customization than the Nicrew light, but far fewer than higher ranking competitors like Fluval.
Final Verdict
This would be a great light for a low tech setup growing low light plants.
Not all tanks are alike. If you’re wanting a simple setup with easy to take care of plants, and you’re on a budget, this is a great little light.
It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of some of the more expensive lights, but it does have both a built-in timer and dimmer.
This light also had a really nice appearance. It showed off the fish and plants well and cast a pleasant light that was nice to look at.
So, if you’re wanting to have a Dutch aquascape filled with demanding high light plants, I’d recommend going with the Hygger or Fluval lights.
But, this Beamswork would be great for a low maintenance tank filled with flame moss, anubias and Java fern.
I hope you find this article helpful.
I wish you and your fish the very best!
Last update on 2024-11-07 / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API