Can LED lighting be over diffused?

[Lessis More]

Hi all, I have a IM Nuvo 40 gallon build starting and now its time to decide on lighting. The tank will be 98% softies but would love to have a clam eventually.

I like the AI Prime HD, the functionality and lighting options is exactly what I want. BUT...To much shimmer really bothers me, after just a few minutes its hard to look at.

Can I stack diffusers until the shimmer is comfortable for me?

Will the use of to many diffusers "muddy up" the useable light spectrum?

I plan on having a canopy on the tank and the lower I can have the light to the top of the water the better.

Also, I can not possibly spend more than 300 on the lighting.

Thank you!

 

[Ron Reefman]

IMHO the shimmer is due to single source point lighting (pucks). Any spot source lighting, especially in leds, will increase both shimmer and shadows. I don't thik any number of diffusers will help much... maybe a little, but not much.

 

[blasterman]

Diffusers won't muddy up the spectrum because they only wavelength clear plastics (Polycarbonate, polystyrene, etc) start to mess with is wavelengths less than 400nm (UVA) or much longer thn 700nm (IR) . So, unless you're running mercury based blacklights that's not an issue.

Also, a diffuser *will* kill shimmer to a big degree because shimmer is caused by point light sources. Put chunk of frosted glass below your AI Prime and kiss shimmer good bye.

Most of the major LED lights have diffusers available, so I would start with that. If you can't find one home improvement stores typically have 2x4' sheets of plastic diffuser used for fluorescent lights. That works pretty good and is easy to cut. Another option is get a piece of 1/8 " clear plexi cut to size from a hardware store, get a pack of sandpaper, and just start buffing. Do not use milk white plexi because it eats way too much light.

 

[hart24601]

I would also suggest trying to minimize surface agitation if you don't like shimmer. Sometimes its easy to do, like angle a return line away from the surface. This will have a drastic effect on shimmer.

 

[blasterman]

Minimizing surface agitation means minimizing gas transfer, and with so many tanks suffering excessive CO2 levels and low pH already do we really want to do that?
I was in an office supply store the other day and they were selling plastic reports covers with translucent covers for $1.99. Get a pair of scissors and problem solved.

 

[hart24601]

Minimizing surface agitation means minimizing gas transfer, and with so many tanks suffering excessive CO2 levels and low pH already do we really want to do that?
I was in an office supply store the other day and they were selling plastic reports covers with translucent covers for $1.99. Get a pair of scissors and problem solved.

With skimmers the amount of oxygenation from the surface isn't critical - I have never heard of a single modern reef tank where they has issues due to low oxygen unless during a power outage. The high gas transfer also just means co2 meets the room co2 levels faster. During high photosynthesis either coral during the day or a fuge at night it's uptaking co2 quickly so increased gas exchange is actually going to lower pH in those situations. I had a kessil h380 on a fuge 60cube and at night pH increased to 8.7+ measured by two calibrated pH meters. I had to add an airstone to lower pH as described above.