SPS self shadowing, how to minimize it while using LEDs.

[larcat]

Hey all.

I've got a 34"x17"x17" tank. Currently running a single G2 Radion Pro with wide angles. About to upgrade my lighting some.

What I'm trying to minimize is the amount of self-shadowing my SPS does.

I want to get some of that "from the top" jaw drop from the primary viewing sides.

So far, the best idea I have is to get a second radion, rotate them both 90 degrees and run them with wide angles.

Without going t5 supplemental, anyone want to opine?

-L

[sceia]

I just had this happen to most of my sps colonies... The shading was actually causing them to go white from no light. I supplemented with T5's... Wish there was a better way...

[larcat]

Did you consider any LED solutions? What did you decide against and why?

Originally Posted by sceia

I just had this happen to most of my sps colonies... The shading was actually causing them to go white from no light. I supplemented with T5's... Wish there was a better way...

[TommyP]

I've noticed my SPS shadowing themselves as well within the past week since I just hooked up my kessils.

[FlyPenFly]

Angled T5 fill in.

[sceia]

Originally Posted by larcat

Did you consider any LED solutions? What did you decide against and why?

Well, it was a cost decision... 2 more gen3 radion pros or 180 bucks in a retrofit T5 solution. Was really a no brainer. I still get the led shimmur and the t5 colors... best of both worlds.

[ridetheducati]

Upgrade to MH.

[larcat]

Very much a rimless tank, everything exposed, form factor matters here.

Originally Posted by ridetheducati

Upgrade to MH.

[1000_smiles]

Originally Posted by FlyPenFly

Angled T5 fill in.

Nice. What kind of lights are those?

[larcat]

Very nice tank!

What is the primary lighting?

Originally Posted by FlyPenFly

Angled T5 fill in.

[larcat]

Are your fixtures exposed, or do you have a canopy?

Originally Posted by sceia

Well, it was a cost decision... 2 more gen3 radion pros or 180 bucks in a retrofit T5 solution. Was really a no brainer. I still get the led shimmur and the t5 colors... best of both worlds.

[FlyPenFly]

Its Hagen Glo Single bulb with ATI actinics. Primary lighting was ATI 8 bulb sun power, now it's GHL Mitras 6100.

[gardy]

I like the look of those fixtures, they fit well with the rimless look, I have also seen kessils mounted at an angle to help in reducing shadowing

[SkullV]

Only way you're going to achieve this is by ditching LEDs or supplementing with another lightning source. It's the nature of LED lighting, nothing you can do about it. For the poster above, Kessil is the worst led fixture on the market as ss far as shading due to be dense matrix design under a single optic.

A good low cost option for you would be to DIY a hybrid with a used TEK T5 or ATI fixture. This could be done for around $150 on top of whatever 6 bulb fixture you choose. You would only be running 4 bulbs of T5 so it would cut down on yearly bulb changes. If this is something you are interested in, I would be happy to spec it and build it for you, it would all fit beneath the original fixture splash shield and look like a factory build fixture.

Another option would be a Geissman T5/MH hybrid fixture, they are very nice looking and can grow anything you want. Not as cost effective though.

[gardy]

But mounted at an angle around the tank it can help, leaving the primary light as is, say if you put 4 near each corner pointed inward, granted on a larger tank it would take a lot.

[SkullV]

Originally Posted by gardy

But mounted at an angle around the tank it can help, leaving the primary light as is, say if you put 4 near each corner pointed inward, granted on a larger tank it would take a lot.

It'll do the job (maybe since the sps will need pretty strong light on the bottom) but ruins the look of the rimless tank above. The inside of the tank looks great though!

[gardy]

I wouldn't go that route without a hood, but the T5 fixtures above have sparked my interest for my 93 cube, define toy not full rimless look but still looks clean

[SkullV]

I did a T5 retrofit in my canopy and will be adding blue LED supplementation in the next week or so. Without a doubt in my mind T5/LED hybrid and MH/LED hybrid are the way to go for sps. Either one just utilizes the led for color/shimmer supplementation with the T5/MH bring the primary light source.

If you just want LPS/Softies/Nems, no need for anything but LED.

[tofucube]

If you have to stay with LED for the supplemental light then I would go with the Kessil 360 and get the gooseneck so that you can turn it any angle you want to hit all the shadow areas that you are seeing.

[ca1ore]

Originally Posted by ridetheducati

Upgrade to MH.

IME metal halide is even worse in this regard because its a 'point' source light rather than a 'line' source like most LED.

[acesq]

Originally Posted by ca1ore

IME metal halide is even worse in this regard because its a 'point' source light rather than a 'line' source like most LED.

Consider that MH throw light 360 degrees and they typically are housed in large (20+" square) reflectors that bounce the light into the tank from many angles. This makes for a very large point.

Radions, Kessils and dream chips are all very small point sources. Expect lots of self shading unless you use many units and angle a few as suggested with the Kessil gooseneck. Orpheks and others are wider sources, but each LED does throw a much narrower beam than a MH so even they can't avoid some shading. I'd like to see a LED fixture sold here that covers the entire tank and is made with hundreds of closely spaced low wattage bulbs with wide angle lenses.

[nikon187]

Originally Posted by ca1ore

IME metal halide is even worse in this regard because its a 'point' source light rather than a 'line' source like most LED.

and the reflector for the mh makes this moot. the reflector bounces the light in from every angle. LED, even in a line, are a point source light

the only way of eliminating shadows is with more led units

[Breadman03]

Originally Posted by acesq

Consider that MH throw light 360 degrees and they typically are housed in large (20+" square) reflectors that bounce the light into the tank from many angles. This makes for a very large point.



Radions, Kessils and dream chips are all very small point sources. Expect lots of self shading unless you use many units and angle a few as suggested with the Kessil gooseneck. Orpheks and others are wider sources, but each LED does throw a much narrower beam than a MH so even they can't avoid some shading. I'd like to see a LED fixture sold here that covers the entire tank and is made with hundreds of closely spaced low wattage bulbs with wide angle lenses.

An LFS near me makes them, but they're definitely of the beginner-DIY quality level. It's a good concept that I think would be successful if executed properly.

[FlyPenFly]

To be honest, T5, LEDs, and MH all have the same problem but to lesser degrees.

The only real way to solve it is with supplemental lighting. You can use whatever lighting it is as long as it's side firing. I removed the T5 GLO since the photos.

I recommend going with sleeker Build My Led fixtures on wide angles.

[bwrag]

+2 on bml i had on 75 no shadowing.