What Are You Doing to Reduce Shadowing?

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 7, 2016

fishboy11 said:
I am in the process of building a canopy to add t5s to my AI primes. I have 3 primes on a Reefer 250 and definitely have shadow problems even on small frags. The only way to see the color of the corals right now is to look top down, so hopefully the t5s allow me to see better color when looking through the glass.

MAke sure you vent. these are cool, some you can put small computer fans in
http://veada.com/pontoon-boat-parts/air-flow-vent.html?gclid=CIPCi5ze_c4CFQQxaQodWhEK-w

najer · Sep 7, 2016

Tried led only with wide angle lenses, eventually switched to an 8 tube Pacific Sun hybrid with led supplement.

CastAway · Sep 7, 2016

I struggle with shaded areas using LED's. I'd like to supplement, I suppose with t5's, one day.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 7, 2016

CastAway said:
I struggle with shaded areas using LED's. I'd like to supplement, I suppose with t5's, one day.

Ive looked at your tank. Not sure your struggling

smokin'reefer · Sep 8, 2016

I've been getting set-up with a pair of radions and have been thinking about this. If I were to paint the bottom of the radions white and fabricate some kind of " shade" around light, would this give a softer light. I know the leds wouldn't hit these directly, but would create a bit of "fill" around where LEDS hit in tank. Anybody think this would work?

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 8, 2016

smokin'reefer said:
I've been getting set-up with a pair of radions and have been thinking about this. If I were to paint the bottom of the radions white and fabricate some kind of " shade" around light, would this give a softer light. I know the leds wouldn't hit these directly, but would create a bit of "fill" around where LEDS hit in tank. Anybody think this would work?

eh kinda yes. You be better with a canopy or floating canopy and having the light at a good height

On my cube I actually looked at lamp shades at Ikea. One had white one had silver.
Chepo me they were $40 bucks so I got the $8 curtain kit and some fabric

smokin'reefer · Sep 11, 2016

A work in progress. I see a definite improvement in shadowing.

reefaboo · Sep 11, 2016

smokin'reefer said:
A work in progress. I see a definite improvement in shadowing.

Whst an idea ..
Are they mh lights on radion mounts ? Can you give more details ? What reflectors are those ?

smokin'reefer · Sep 11, 2016

Nope. Radions with a shade/reflector to soften the harsh light. Helps in the tank and got the light spill under control.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 11, 2016

smokin'reefer said:
Nope. Radions with a shade/reflector to soften the harsh light. Helps in the tank and got the light spill under control.

Did you put a veneer on them???

smokin'reefer · Sep 11, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
Did you put a veneer on them???

No vaneer. Just used some PVC moulding from lowes and then painted the outside black. Not finished completely today but got one about 90% complete. I'm quite pleased at how they turned out.

bif24701 · Sep 11, 2016

An coral tank with zero showdown looks very unnatural to me. I do fear that shadowing in my tank could become a problem if/when my acros grow out but as of right now I don't mind shadows at all.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 11, 2016

bif24701 said:
An coral tank with zero showdown looks very unnatural to me. I do fear that shadowing in my tank could become a problem if/when my acros grow out but as of right now I don't mind shadows at all.

not that kind of shadowing. a sharp edge made by a single lightsource overhead esp a lensed light.. On a reef or outside the light is a bit more spread, or a high t5 fixture on a tank.

bif24701 · Sep 11, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
not that kind of shadowing. a sharp edge made by a single lightsource overhead esp a lensed light.. On a reef or outside the light is a bit more spread, or a high t5 fixture on a tank.

I have Kessil AP700s, they do create shadows.

My system and corals are still young.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 12, 2016

I just saw that one that one this week end. Amazingly good spread and actually lack of shadowing is quite good. The reflector and lens optics engineering is ingenious. And simple.
Check out the shadow area in your pic. Then google some Kessil images or Chinese black box. Notice how in most pictures the rock is correctly exposed and the shadow is black. In your pic the shadow area still has detail. So some light in it. Not no light. A common prob in led.

bif24701 said:
I have Kessil AP700s, they do create shadows.

My system and corals are still young.

is week end. For a two emitter light they did a good job

bif24701 · Sep 12, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
I just saw that one that one this week end. Amazingly good spread and actually lack of shadowing is quite good. The reflector and lens optics engineering is ingenious. And simple.
Check out the shadow area in your pic. Then google some Kessil images or Chinese black box. Notice how in most pictures the rock is correctly exposed and the shadow is black. In your pic the shadow area still has detail. So some light in it. Not no light. A common prob in led.

is week end. For a two emitter light they did a good job

Yes, you are right. I chose these lights just for that in fact. The fixture is genus, a single fisheye lens that blends the output perfectly and a reflector that pushes the light out evenly. Though it cost me this fixture is worth every penny. I've measured 200+ almost 300 PAR in the corners at the bottom of my tank. This Kessil AP700 is very underrated. Still it is a single point output so I might consider adding a few T5s, out only if there is just so much coral light can not pass through, lol, I can wish right.
Thanks for the kind words.

Shadows are a problem for LEDs, they are single point and can not add a large reflector like a MH. However the best coral tanks I've seen myself are Kessil 360s+ few T5s. Honestly this might just be the very best lighting for corals period. Best of both worlds.

saltyfilmfolks · Sep 12, 2016

bif24701 said:
Yes, you are right. I chose these lights just for that in fact. The fixture is genus, a single fisheye lens that blends the output perfectly and a reflector that pushes the light out evenly. Though it cost me this fixture is worth every penny. I've measured 200+ almost 300 PAR in the corners at the bottom of my tank. This Kessil AP700 is very underrated. Still it is a single point output so I might consider adding a few T5s, out only if there is just so much coral light can not pass through, lol, I can wish right.
Thanks for the kind words.

Shadows are a problem for LEDs, they are single point and can not add a large reflector like a MH. However the best coral tanks I've seen myself are Kessil 360s+ few T5s. Honestly this might just be the very best lighting for corals period. Best of both worlds.

What par meter are you using.

bif24701 · Sep 12, 2016

saltyfilmfolks said:
What par meter are you using.

SENEYE.

bif24701 · Sep 12, 2016

Forgot to mention, that was 70% at there current height. 7" from water. To be honest I don't dare take it over 70, easily bleached a few monits. I was surprised they perform that well myself.

Lenny_S · Sep 12, 2016

bif24701 said:
Forgot to mention, that was 70% at there current height. 7" from water. To be honest I don't dare take it over 70, easily bleached a few monits. I was surprised they perform that well myself.

If you have power to spare you may want to try raising the lights higher and just increase the power to compensate. Did that with my Hydra's and got much better results than with the lights set lower and dialed back.