Lighting that allows viewing tank from above?

[burningmime]

Planning out how to light my new 72x24x24 tank. I have an open floor plan where I can look over a railing in the kitchen and see the tank in the family room, so I'm looking for unobtrusive lighting options. That also means that hanging lights from the ceiling is tricky since the ceiling is about 22 feet above the tank. So I'm looking for inspiration here -- anyone have a tank you can view from above, and how did you manage it?

I'm thinking the best option would just be "row of kessils". However, I'd really like to find a way to incorporate XHO strips for fill lighting, to dull the caustics, and to bring out the 450nm peak fluorescence. I wouldn't mind if there were 2 Reef Brite strips blocking the view, as long as they were mounted intelligently (and not 2 inches off the tank like the legs you get are).

 

[Ron Reefman]

Good luck.

It seems to me, any light fixture looking down into the tank from above will reflect light back up off the water surface.

 

[burningmime]

Good luck.

It seems to me, any light fixture looking down into the tank from above will reflect light back up off the water surface.

Reflection is a secondary concern unless it gets to be too intense. I'm more worried about a fixture blocking the view.

 

[Bfragale]

I was watching a YouTube viedo showing a huge reef tank. The guy who maintained the tank threw in a bunch of food and told the YouTuber to watch the water get clearer (they were viewing from above) . He had a theory that the oils in the food did something to the surface of the water allowing less reflection on the surface from the lights. I have no idea if this is true or not but thought it was interesting. Just food for thought - no pun intended

 

[burningmime]

I was watching a YouTube viedo showing a huge reef tank. The guy who maintained the tank threw in a bunch of food and told the YouTuber to watch the water get clearer (they were viewing from above) . He had a theory that the oils in the food did something to the surface of the water allowing less reflection on the surface from the lights. I have no idea if this is true or not but thought it was interesting. Just food for thought - no pun intended

You have a link to the video?

That makes sense actually. But it's not really actionable, just a neat trivia.

 

[Bfragale]

You have a link to the video?

That makes sense actually. But it's not really actionable, just a neat trivia.

i was trying to find it when I wrote that post. I’ve watched so many I can’t seem to find it. I have no idea if it works but it was something that stuck in my memory- and thought it was like you say neat trivia.

 

[Smarkow]

Joe Yaiullo, curator of the long island aquarium’s reef tank, talks about feeding the oily food to the 20k gallon display reef before he gives behind the scenes tours because it allows people to view the reef from the catwalks above.

BRS did a video talking about using stage light quality kessils with a narrow focus beam to light tanks in rooms with high ceilings. You could also take some reefbrites and light the edges of the tank along the rims, close to the water level, leaving the center open for viewing from above.

You could combine the above two options with just a few pendant kessil a360x hanging in the middle for their PAR punch if there will be high light corals.

 

[Smarkow]

This is the video I think?

 

[Bfragale]

That’s it!

 

[burningmime]

BRS did a video talking about using stage light quality kessils with a narrow focus beam to light tanks in rooms with high ceilings. You could also take some reefbrites and light the edges of the tank along the rims, close to the water level, leaving the center open for viewing from above.

Oh cool, found it:


That looks... expensive ;-P

Thanks for the info about oily foods.

 

[Smarkow]

Oh cool, found it:


That looks... expensive ;-P

Thanks for the info about oily foods.

Haha yes agree looks very $$$