T-5 vs MH vs LED???

fatrip · 07/16/2007, 01:49 PM

hey guys i know some one here will know the answer...lol... i was wondering why MH shimmer in the water and T-5's dont? And if Leds ahmmier or not???

hilgert · 07/16/2007, 01:51 PM

Any bright POINT source of light (like a MH bulb) will shimmer. LED's will do this as well as long as they are "clustered" in groups (my moonlight LED's have awesome shimmer at night). Strip lighting does not shimmer, as there is no "point" source of light.

The actual shimmer is from surface water changes refracting the point source of light, so it's good to have some water movement near the top of the tank to cause surface changes.

-Hilgert

theatrus · 07/16/2007, 02:12 PM

MH shimmer due to their point-light nature and surface water movement. Fluorescents do not as the area light is not focused readily . LEDs do shimmer as they are a very directional point light, just clustered together (how much vs MH I have no idea).

fatrip · 07/16/2007, 02:27 PM

thank you guys for your quick responces...you have deff put my mind to easy...

HBtank · 07/16/2007, 03:24 PM

I get shimmer from my t5's at dawn and dusk and @ night from my moonlights

The T5's are shorter bulbs (36") and pretty centered centered in my tank, so they act more like a point source and shimmer a good amount.

DarG · 07/16/2007, 03:34 PM

You get a small amount of shimmer from the T5's if you have decent surface movement but when you compare it to metal halide, it's not even close. That shimmer probably isn't a novelty that wears off for alot of people. I dont think I could go back to flouresecents only. I would have to have something to get the shimmer lines, even if it was a single 70 watt halide.

07/16/2007, 01:49 PM	#1
fatrip Yup That Stuff Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: , ny Posts: 4,317	T-5 vs MH vs LED??? hey guys i know some one here will know the answer...lol... i was wondering why MH shimmer in the water and T-5's dont? And if Leds ahmmier or not???

07/16/2007, 01:51 PM	#2
hilgert Excessive Minimalist Join Date: May 2004 Location: Republic of Texas Posts: 747	Any bright POINT source of light (like a MH bulb) will shimmer. LED's will do this as well as long as they are "clustered" in groups (my moonlight LED's have awesome shimmer at night). Strip lighting does not shimmer, as there is no "point" source of light. The actual shimmer is from surface water changes refracting the point source of light, so it's good to have some water movement near the top of the tank to cause surface changes. -Hilgert Last edited by hilgert; 07/16/2007 at 02:16 PM.

07/16/2007, 02:12 PM	#3
theatrus 100-mile-commuter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: almost nevada Posts: 4,721	MH shimmer due to their point-light nature and surface water movement. Fluorescents do not as the area light is not focused readily . LEDs do shimmer as they are a very directional point light, just clustered together (how much vs MH I have no idea). __________________ Custom electronics purveyor. blueAcro.com Current Tank Info: 90g SPS+mixed reef (10 yrs): LEDBrick LEDs, 40g custom sump, Ca reactor, chiller, Vortech, lots of custom electronics

07/16/2007, 02:27 PM	#4
fatrip Yup That Stuff Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: , ny Posts: 4,317	thank you guys for your quick responces...you have deff put my mind to easy... __________________ Vince "We learn from history that we never learn anything from history." Hegel

07/16/2007, 03:24 PM	#5
HBtank Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Huntington Beach, CA Posts: 2,957	I get shimmer from my t5's at dawn and dusk and @ night from my moonlights The T5's are shorter bulbs (36") and pretty centered centered in my tank, so they act more like a point source and shimmer a good amount. __________________ 80g Aiptasia dominated reef tank.. with fish and now a bunch of berghia! Current Tank Info: 80g tank, re-starting a reef after a zoanthid nudibranch plauge, followed by months of steady and unstoppable STN/RTN, crashed; stayed FOWLR for a couple years, currently an aiptasia dominated reef tank with fishies and BERGHIA

07/16/2007, 03:34 PM	#6
DarG Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,515	You get a small amount of shimmer from the T5's if you have decent surface movement but when you compare it to metal halide, it's not even close. That shimmer probably isn't a novelty that wears off for alot of people. I dont think I could go back to flouresecents only. I would have to have something to get the shimmer lines, even if it was a single 70 watt halide.