How to best emulate this beautiful tidepool lighting in an aquarium? Can it be done?

[buruskeee]

And in all fairness- aren't lasers, in fact, a type of led?

No. Similar, but VCSELs are quite different from LEDs.

It’s like saying MH and T5 are similar types because they’re both in a tubular bulb.

 

[A. grandis]

Well, so a thread is opened asking what would be the best light source to represent a very shallow tide pool like the one in the video. The real answer is to use metal halides, or a combination of metal halides and T5s because metal halides is indeed the ONLY artificial light source for aquariums that will BEST REPRESENT in spectrum qualities an distribution/ delivery of photons (with the right application) the sunlight over a shallow water tide pool in the tropics. Period.
The rest will be only to defend someone's personal preferences in terms of aesthetics, or to sell LEDs, or to defend a purchase.
People can use what they want. That's fine! I just don't like to see posts trying to show the presence of ultra violet as mere detail in real full spectrum just to prove his "point" (whatever point it is in favor of LEDs... cause he doesn't have any experiences jumping in those pools nor any reef aquarium experiences anyways...). Sorry, you guys can continue with whatever you want to go with in this thread...
Oreo, I like some of the posts you publish, but I just couldn't let this one go in a thread like this, man! It was too evident! LOL!

 

[buruskeee]

Well, so a thread is opened asking what would be the best light source to represent a very shallow tide pool like the one in the video. The real answer is to use metal halides, or a combination of metal halides and T5s because metal halides is indeed the ONLY artificial light source for aquariums that will BEST REPRESENT in spectrum qualities an distribution/ delivery of photons (with the right application) the sunlight over a shallow water tide pool in the tropics. Period.
The rest will be only to defend someone's personal preferences in terms of aesthetics, or to sell LEDs, or to defend a purchase.
People can use what they want. That's fine! I just don't like to see posts trying to show the presence of ultra violet as mere detail in real full spectrum just to prove his "point" (whatever point it is in favor of LEDs... cause he doesn't have any experiences jumping in those pools nor any reef aquarium experiences anyways...). Sorry, you guys can continue with whatever you want to go with in this thread...
Oreo, I like some of the posts you publish, but I just couldn't let this one go in a thread like this, man! It was too evident! LOL!

The OP can correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s looking to replicate the color temperature and shimmer of that video he linked. All he needs to do is pick a fixture that looks like that spectrum while producing the shimmer.

T5 is the worst application to do this. Both MH or LEDs will work.

 

[Reefering1]

No. Similar, but VCSELs are quite different from LEDs.

It’s like saying MH and T5 are similar types because they’re both in a tubular bulb.

Might it be closer to saying halide and t5 are similar because they both ignite and vaporize gasses and metals which then glow, emitting light- much like the sun?

 

[KrisReef]

I do wish that I could use these! Unfortunately, the tank will be in a finished basement.

A long time ago in a far away town I worked in a LFS. When people came in and asked me what size tank they should have I always told them a 240 gallon tank. Often they would say that they didn’t have enough room. Then I would ask; “Do you have a couch.” If they said yes I told them the same thing that I would recommend to you. “Move it.”

This hobby may require you to question and change your priorities. It may be for the best

Good luck with your quest to find the perfect light!

 

[Reefering1]

The OP can correct me if I’m wrong, but he’s looking to replicate the color temperature and shimmer of that video he linked. All he needs to do is pick a fixture that looks like that spectrum while producing the shimmer.
T5 is the worst application to do this. Both MH or LEDs will work.

I almost fully agree with you here!! I believe the t5/mh combo is the best of the best(currently run mh/led). T5 by themselves would be lackluster but is the perfect compliment to mh. Maybe the only way to add to halide light.

 

[KrisReef]

By the way, your tanks footprint is awesome and I hope that you will post some pictures once it’s finished. It’s going to be fantastic!

Hopefully you will get a useful answer from Dana or one of the public aquarium folks who are using the equipment you are looking for.

 

[buruskeee]

Might it be closer to saying halide and t5 are similar because they both ignite and vaporize gasses and metals which then glow, emitting light- much like the sun?

Sure, you can say that as the analogy instead - but the point is they’re different technologies.

Also, the sun emits light through nuclear fusion which is very different than lighting a gas.

 

[oreo54]

If you want to defend your personal preference for LEDs... or try to justify your LED purchase... cause no one can go against the truth that metal halides IS in FACT the best representation of sunlight over ANY aquarium!

If you stick to a 6500k Iwasaki that "may" be true.
I've stated that before.
As to any other "flavor" of mh.. HIGHLY suspect.
Depends on how one wants to define it.

You hang your hat on IR/UV for your definition. Thing is the "value" of such has NOT really been determined.
And anyways both can be added to LEDS.. well except for the radiant heat part..

Oreo, I like some of the posts you publish, but I just couldn't let this one go in a thread like this, man! It was too evident! LOL!

AND what you couldn't let THIS go?

Basically what you need.. Doesn't matter on the source..
6500k high CRI lights.

You really never hear yourself do you?
Anyways while you were doodling..
Red line is spectrum at 1M under water
Grey is sunlight.
Spectrum proportions are all screwed up.

Spectrum is a 10000k quality mh
Luminous flux: 10,500 lm
Radiant flux: 70,682 mW
PPF: 288 umol/s
TCP: 14080 K
CRI: 64
λp: 418 nm
Color: #A6A8FF

Keep in mind the deeper under water you go the less cri matters in real life and of course the higher the K goes.

Of course this isn't a "light" per se but the point is the basic led with some fill can more closely match the overall spectrum of light at any depth and any requirement IF one wants to consider the overall balance of wavelengths.

Now the fact that most sw led lights do not "favor" such combinations is not the leds fault.
Point is if one wants to go led for this particular situation there is nothing wrong w/ fw fixtures or some to the better sw ones like Radion g6 pros, or any that have a decent amount of output at the whiter settings one prefers.
Which is why I earlier said one may want to consider a fw led over a reef specific one IF you want to consider one at all..

 

[KrisReef]

Fission.

Be mindful of the op

 

[A. grandis]

If you stick to a 6500k Iwasaki that "may" be true.
I've stated that before.
As to any other "flavor" of mh.. HIGHLY suspect.
Depends on how one wants to define it.

You hang your hat on IR/UV for your definition. Thing is the "value" of such has NOT really been determined.
And anyways both can be added to LEDS.. well except for the radiant heat part..



AND what you couldn't let THIS go?


You really never hear yourself do you?
Anyways while you were doodling..
Red line is spectrum at 1M under water
Grey is sunlight.
Spectrum proportions are all screwed up.


Keep in mind the deeper under water you go the less cri matters in real life and of course the higher the K goes.

Of course this isn't a "light" per se but the point is the basic led with some fill can more closely match the overall spectrum of light at any depth and any requirement IF one wants to consider the overall balance of wavelengths.

Now the fact that most sw led lights do not "favor" such combinations is not the leds fault.
Point is if one wants to go led for this particular situation there is nothing wrong w/ fw fixtures or some to the better sw ones like Radion g6 pros, or any that have a decent amount of output at the whiter settings one prefers.
Which is why I earlier said one may want to consider a fw led over a reef specific one.

Hehe... tell us then what LED in this world he should get for that system that would be equal or even better than a 6500K or 10000K metal halide...
Give us the brand, wattage, how many, the coverage and the price.
Thanks.

 

[buruskeee]

Fission.

Be mindful of the op

Fission splits, fusion merges. The sun creates energy from fusion.

 

[Reefering1]

Sure, you can say that as the analogy instead - but the point is they’re different technologies.

Also, the sun emits light through nuclear fusion which is very different than lighting a gas.

Different yes, but similar in the sense that they are closer to each other than led is to either right?

 

[Ernie Mccracken]

All you need is a couple 1000 watters. And a big chiller.

 

[buruskeee]

Different yes, but similar in the sense that they are closer to each other than led is to either right?

they all emit the same exact photons (assuming spectrum is exactly identical). In that sense, they’re all the same except for aesthetics (like shimmer).

 

[Reefering1]

All you need is a couple 1000 watters. And a big chiller.

Probably like 4-8, depending on depth of water

 

[buruskeee]

All you need is a couple 1000 watters. And a big chiller.

That thing must have its own orbit!

 

[oreo54]

Hehe... tell us then what LED in this world he should get for that system that would be equal or even better than a 6500K or 10000K metal halide...
Give us the brand, wattage, how many, the coverage and the price.
Thanks.

 

[buruskeee]

Its lasers!

 

[Reefering1]

they all emit the same exact photons (assuming spectrum is exactly identical). In that sense, they’re all the same except for aesthetics (like shimmer).

But spectrum is not equal between the 2.. the differences shouldn't be ignored, imo