Lighting design help for my new tank

[mattseattle]

ok, so now I understand what you are saying about the reflector. The way it is in the that photo the light will be reflected out the back of the canopy and out the front and not directly into the tank. if you rotate it 90 degrees then it's reflected to the ends of the aquarium and not out of the front and back. *light bulb*

 

[Krish]

Only problem with that krish the mh lamps need rotating but nice design.

That's what I meant to ask you from your post on the other thread...If you were to supplement VHO's or something, where the hell do they go if the reflector is running front to back over your tank and the sides curve down? If the stretch all the way to the front of your tank and all the way to the back, then the VHO's wouldn't have anywhere to go? See what I mean or do I have to pull out my drawing skills in microsoft paint?

 

[Scooterman]

Do you have a picture of a perfect design Scooty?

jiddy i spent over & hour saturday looking down threads form several web-site when this one dude made a very awesome thread, detailed every stand off, the entire hood & light set-up, it was better than I could do it but unfortunately I can't scoop it man sorry big time because I remember wanting to save it.

 

[Scooterman]

Yea krish it isn't perfect, I need to try & find something better we all can look at because I need to make one also.

 

[szidls]

Matt...I see you are looking for reflectors as well. This is how Rob's reflector looks over his 75 gal. He's running about 750 watts! It has places for VHO's or T-5's as well as MH's. Here's the link to the reflectors and the photo of Rob's

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=PFO-PR24ONLY&Category_Code=Sockets

Matt these are the PFO parallel reflectors that I am running. You can also get the horizontal "spider style"reflector and mount your vho or t-5 seperately to the top or sides of your canopy. If you go with the luminarc mini, you would mount the supplemental actinic the same way to the top or sides of canopy. I would have gone with the Luminarc mini but it was not available when I purchased reflectors.
My 2cents,
Scott

 

[mattseattle]

thanks Scott. I think I may go the mini route.

 

[bc_slc]

You should come see how 3 bulbs sit over my tank. They are DE and in pendants so they focus the light quite a bit more, but I would recommend either adding a 3rd bulb in the center OR going with the luminarcs. With SE bulbs and a nice pair of luminarc reflectors, you would probably be fine with 2 bulbs.

Mat

 

[mattseattle]

thanks Mat - I may take you up on that and come check out your lights.

I think I may go with the minis though as I've read some great things about them. Little pricey but hey!

 

[liveforphysics]

In that pic tha Krish posted, I belive there would be little to no difference to the lighting in the tank if it had no reflector at all, and just the top of the box painted flat white.

 

[liveforphysics]

Ok, now i know everybody is gona be asking why? why?

So, I will validate the statement in advance. Sometimes I wonder why I am willing to spend 25mins drawing something...but, here it is.

 

[Krish]

In that pic tha Krish posted, I belive there would be little to no difference to the lighting in the tank if it had no reflector at all, and just the top of the box painted flat white.

Ever seen the tank??? The lighting is doing just fine...Too much physics for me. I don't see why a company would produce a reflector that houses MH's as well as T-5's or VHO's that aren't worth more than a painted canopy. I think the physics is going a bit too far for me these days ...Just my opinion though...

 

[mojoreef]

Matt are you using a aquacontroler or simular??


Mike

 

[NaH2O]

I don't see why a company would produce a reflector that houses MH's as well as T-5's or VHO's that aren't worth more than a painted canopy.

Krish - I agree. If you are interested in looking at specific tests on reflectors, check out Sanjay's studies: Resource Library - Lighting. Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the reflector tests. You can see the different types of reflectors and how they perform. With the Lumenarc IIIs being the ultimate, IMO

. Weeee...I can't wait to get mine on!

 

[Reefdaddy1]

Well to be honest , Those reflectors do a nice job of lighting a tank. I have to say. PFO makes some nice stuff. I have seen the dual bulb 36 inch, Its really nice with VHO supplementation. Mkaes for a nice looking tank.

 

[mojoreef]

Nice drawing Luke but a little off

 

[mattseattle]

yeah, I'm using an Aquacontroller Junior right now with the hopes I may upgrade the 3 before long.

why ya ask?

Matt are you using a aquacontroler or simular??

 

[mojoreef]

I had to pull my flour bulbs off as they were putting so much noise out they were interfering with the controller, a in the PH temp and orp readings were going all over the place, that and it was also interfering with the X10's. I tried the noise suppressor they sell but it didnt work


Mike

 

[mattseattle]

get curt on the horn and bitch him out! i have read their controllers are very susceptible to noise.

btw, what are flour bulbs?

 

[liveforphysics]

Ok, its not that model of reflector that has the problem at all. That reflector would actually be my personal choice if I had to use a single folded sheet reflector for something close to the water.

The problem is the useage/application of that reflector, which has gotta be about as bad as it gets.

That drawing is just a 2D cross-section approach to looking at what happens with light leaveing from different portions of the plasma chamber. Dont try to see it as a 3d plot, because its definately not. However, I can show a mathimatical proof as to why looking at a 2D plot is effective when dealing with a reflector that is bent from 1 flat sheet.

 

[mattseattle]

oh flour - fluor bulbs....