so you mean by suspending the light above the aquarium you get a better lighting effect? How far away from the top of the tank? 6 inches?
tank lighting...what i have found
i set my tank up in a spot with two recessed down lights some distance above it ...and quite by chance was quite pleased with the kind of light they threw into my tank.
but at a later stage i bought a tank strip light thinking it was going to be amazing but all it did was blast my tank with light in all direction ...making the water look more cloudy..the black background look grey as well as the shadows ..and all the marks on the glass stood out like a sore thumb.
so i decided to go back to the idea of two spots way above the tank...
so now im building a baffel so that the light is only really heading into the tank or as a backlight....not direct to the eye.
and the tank looks great ...the light direction is more like the sun ..which is a parrallel light from above and the blacks are real crisp...the shadows under rocks are black too.
also as an added bonus the water movement in the surface seems to cast much more pronounced water patterns throughout the tank ..giving it a real third dimension.
i just think that having a strip light a couple of inches above the water level is probably the last place you should have it......so unnatural undramatic.
so as a result i have put the strip into storage and bought even more powerfull downlight bulbs....and it looks great for it.
maybe this has been said before but i found the excersise really interesting and rewarding.
maybe you guys can confirm or deny these findings...
but at a later stage i bought a tank strip light thinking it was going to be amazing but all it did was blast my tank with light in all direction ...making the water look more cloudy..the black background look grey as well as the shadows ..and all the marks on the glass stood out like a sore thumb.
so i decided to go back to the idea of two spots way above the tank...
so now im building a baffel so that the light is only really heading into the tank or as a backlight....not direct to the eye.
and the tank looks great ...the light direction is more like the sun ..which is a parrallel light from above and the blacks are real crisp...the shadows under rocks are black too.
also as an added bonus the water movement in the surface seems to cast much more pronounced water patterns throughout the tank ..giving it a real third dimension.
i just think that having a strip light a couple of inches above the water level is probably the last place you should have it......so unnatural undramatic.
so as a result i have put the strip into storage and bought even more powerfull downlight bulbs....and it looks great for it.
maybe this has been said before but i found the excersise really interesting and rewarding.
maybe you guys can confirm or deny these findings...
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
It's the same effect with the LED moonlights. People put so many that all that happens is u end up with a blue tank. It's the shadows and dark spots along with the shimmering of the water as it passes underneath just a few LEDs that makes it so interesting.
the lights are about a meter above tank surface....in an ideal world i think this is a good position .....but the tendency is to treat the tank and lights as a compact unit.
so the lighting for your tank is your homes recessed lights right?
that sounds familir, i have 3 14w spiral buls in a kitchen light, above/to one side of my 75, with the glass top and no tube light on it looks real natural,
i think you are having the same issuei am as withmy tube light its really bright, when i get the chance *** heard any 40w and under 4ft shop light will work, i may try some from H-Depot soon to see if i get a clearer, or dimmer light,
the LPS also sells like 5 different 4' tubes but at 15-25 bux each its a gamble whether you like it or not,
i have a lil 24" on a 30gal, with a stock bulb i think 20w, looks bright but ok,then i have a 20w bulb from mom and pop type LFS which is really deepblue, i guess for marine, i keep tryingto find somthing in the middle.
that sounds familir, i have 3 14w spiral buls in a kitchen light, above/to one side of my 75, with the glass top and no tube light on it looks real natural,
i think you are having the same issuei am as withmy tube light its really bright, when i get the chance *** heard any 40w and under 4ft shop light will work, i may try some from H-Depot soon to see if i get a clearer, or dimmer light,
the LPS also sells like 5 different 4' tubes but at 15-25 bux each its a gamble whether you like it or not,
i have a lil 24" on a 30gal, with a stock bulb i think 20w, looks bright but ok,then i have a 20w bulb from mom and pop type LFS which is really deepblue, i guess for marine, i keep tryingto find somthing in the middle.
1 - 5 of 5 Posts
- This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Cichlid Fish Forum
A forum community dedicated to Cichlid Fish owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Recommended Communities
