Shimmering Lights

gsxunv04 · 04/21/2008, 08:48 AM

I thought it was only with metal halides that you would get shimmer lines into your aquarium. I have recently added 6 T5's, a combination of ATI and UVL bulbs, with Icecap SLR Reflectors and Accustart Ballast and I have remarkable glistening light concentrations at random occurences. I am glad I chose T5's over halides for multiple reasons; 1) My tank has cooled by 2 degrees since i added the new hood and i have doubled my topoff water and 2) The t5's are just as bright to my eyes, and it seems to be more than enough for my corals(my ric's, zoos, and mushrooms all shriveled up after the first few days under new lights but I have them under a section with layers of screen to block light to slowly acclimate them) however my sps corals LOVE IT, they have colored up so vividly over the past week.

Just thought I would post this to share with all of you that are debating between T5's and Halides, go with T5's!!! You wont regret it and plus you wont need a chiller!

Not to mention Bulb options...

reefcrazy0821 · 04/21/2008, 11:35 AM

How high did you mount your lights off the surface of the water? Thanks...Chris

reefcrazy0821 · 04/21/2008, 11:36 AM

How high did you mount your lights off the surface of the water? iam settin up the same setup for my 55g only diff is im doing 4 bulbs. I am also goin to be using 2 workhorse 5 ballasts.

tbone28 · 04/21/2008, 11:57 AM

Would you be able to shoot a quick video to share?

gsxunv04 · 04/21/2008, 01:28 PM

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1364810

heres the build thread reefcraZY

sorry but no video, i took some pics but i have a crappy camera and its blurry so i will have to waite for a chance to borrow a better camera, sorry once again

qfrisco · 04/21/2008, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gsxunv04
I thought it was only with metal halides that you would get shimmer lines into your aquarium. I have recently added 6 T5's, a combination of ATI and UVL bulbs, with Icecap SLR Reflectors and Accustart Ballast and I have remarkable glistening light concentrations at random occurences. I am glad I chose T5's over halides for multiple reasons; 1) My tank has cooled by 2 degrees since i added the new hood and i have doubled my topoff water and 2) The t5's are just as bright to my eyes, and it seems to be more than enough for my corals(my ric's, zoos, and mushrooms all shriveled up after the first few days under new lights but I have them under a section with layers of screen to block light to slowly acclimate them) however my sps corals LOVE IT, they have colored up so vividly over the past week.

Just thought I would post this to share with all of you that are debating between T5's and Halides, go with T5's!!! You wont regret it and plus you wont need a chiller!

Not to mention Bulb options...

I have never noticed any shimmer with my Icecap T5HOs, and this is the only thing I regret about going with T5s. Where do you think your shimmer is coming from? Maybe you have so much surface agitation that your getting shadows from it?

I've actually toyed with the idea of using a single 75w MH clip-on light to supplement my T5s in order to get some shimmer, but didn't know if the 75w would just be drowned out by the T5s.

reefcrazy0821 · 04/21/2008, 02:03 PM

Thanks alot. I appreciate it.

DarG · 04/21/2008, 02:10 PM

If you have some decent surface agitation there is a little shimmer from T5's but it isnt much compared to that of halides. That shimmer isnt important to everyone but if you are running Halides now and you just have to have the shimmer then a swich to T5 would be dissapointing. For most people it is probably a side benefit to halides. I for one would miss it very much. But I wouldnt switch from my halide + T5 lighting to go with all T5's now for many reasons besides the halide shimmer. But the shimmer is certainly one of them.

qfrisco · 04/21/2008, 02:24 PM

I just did a quick search and found these: http://www.current-usa.com/powerbrite.html

I couldn't tell from the information on the website, but I wonder if these are bright enough to shine through and provide shimmer even with T5s?

an411 · 04/21/2008, 02:27 PM

Yeah the shimmer is one of the reasons that I switched to metal halides. Everyone that came over noticed it. That and the fact that you now have to wear sunglasses to look at the tank. lol

04/21/2008, 08:48 AM	#1
gsxunv04 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 874	Shimmering Lights I thought it was only with metal halides that you would get shimmer lines into your aquarium. I have recently added 6 T5's, a combination of ATI and UVL bulbs, with Icecap SLR Reflectors and Accustart Ballast and I have remarkable glistening light concentrations at random occurences. I am glad I chose T5's over halides for multiple reasons; 1) My tank has cooled by 2 degrees since i added the new hood and i have doubled my topoff water and 2) The t5's are just as bright to my eyes, and it seems to be more than enough for my corals(my ric's, zoos, and mushrooms all shriveled up after the first few days under new lights but I have them under a section with layers of screen to block light to slowly acclimate them) however my sps corals LOVE IT, they have colored up so vividly over the past week. Just thought I would post this to share with all of you that are debating between T5's and Halides, go with T5's!!! You wont regret it and plus you wont need a chiller! Not to mention Bulb options...

04/21/2008, 11:35 AM	#2
reefcrazy0821 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: spring hill, florida Posts: 394	How high did you mount your lights off the surface of the water? Thanks...Chris

04/21/2008, 11:36 AM	#3
reefcrazy0821 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: spring hill, florida Posts: 394	How high did you mount your lights off the surface of the water? iam settin up the same setup for my 55g only diff is im doing 4 bulbs. I am also goin to be using 2 workhorse 5 ballasts.

04/21/2008, 11:57 AM	#4
tbone28 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 6,503	Would you be able to shoot a quick video to share?

04/21/2008, 01:28 PM	#5
gsxunv04 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 874	http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1364810 heres the build thread reefcraZY sorry but no video, i took some pics but i have a crappy camera and its blurry so i will have to waite for a chance to borrow a better camera, sorry once again

04/21/2008, 02:03 PM	#7
reefcrazy0821 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: spring hill, florida Posts: 394	Thanks alot. I appreciate it.

04/21/2008, 02:10 PM	#8
DarG Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 5,515	If you have some decent surface agitation there is a little shimmer from T5's but it isnt much compared to that of halides. That shimmer isnt important to everyone but if you are running Halides now and you just have to have the shimmer then a swich to T5 would be dissapointing. For most people it is probably a side benefit to halides. I for one would miss it very much. But I wouldnt switch from my halide + T5 lighting to go with all T5's now for many reasons besides the halide shimmer. But the shimmer is certainly one of them.

04/21/2008, 02:24 PM	#9
qfrisco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Area Posts: 1,389	I just did a quick search and found these: http://www.current-usa.com/powerbrite.html I couldn't tell from the information on the website, but I wonder if these are bright enough to shine through and provide shimmer even with T5s?

04/21/2008, 02:27 PM	#10
an411 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Derby CT Posts: 2,861	Yeah the shimmer is one of the reasons that I switched to metal halides. Everyone that came over noticed it. That and the fact that you now have to wear sunglasses to look at the tank. lol