Lots of people are adding LED light bars it seems to reduce shading, supliment existing main lights and or add extra colour pop to their corals. Many position a light bar at the front and one to the rear of their main lighting to even out the spread.
When I bought my new Orphek icons on my 5' D-D 1500 proreef I also put 2 x 4' orphek O3 light bars with them. I first tried th usual configuration, one front one back. However, it appeared to me I wasn't getting the best use out of the rear light bar and that at least some of the light was wasted positioned so.
To get the best out of light bars much will depend on your reefscape as to how best to position your lights and the light bars. My reefscape starts with a few inches of bare sand at the front then roughly speaking graduated incline towards the rear of the tank. This is broken up with some overhangs of rock all of which is living rock I have acquired secondhand over the years and transferred from tank to tank.
Having overhangs with your reefscape can pose it's own problems when it comes to light positioned causing shaded areas when lit directly from above as they can cast shadows away from the overhanging rock work. Some corals will also cause issues with throwing their shadow over a coral situated below the one above.
Anyway, I decided to bring my rear light bar to the front of my icons with 2 in a line on some DIY brackets attached to each icon like outriggers you could say. Each light bar was then tilted towards my reefscape so they are more or less at right angles to my reefscape.
The above has improved a number of things. Firstly I have no wasted light from the light bars as in no overspill of light from them.
Secondly shading is reduced even though my icons are one of the better lights at reduced shading. Thirdly the light from the light bars is better used and each reaches more of my reefscape and corals. Fourthly the individual LEDs colours are better mixed and spread over a larger area of my reefscape and corals.
I have found the above configuration of my light bars best for my reefscape and happy with the light they give my reef.
When I bought my new Orphek icons on my 5' D-D 1500 proreef I also put 2 x 4' orphek O3 light bars with them. I first tried th usual configuration, one front one back. However, it appeared to me I wasn't getting the best use out of the rear light bar and that at least some of the light was wasted positioned so.
To get the best out of light bars much will depend on your reefscape as to how best to position your lights and the light bars. My reefscape starts with a few inches of bare sand at the front then roughly speaking graduated incline towards the rear of the tank. This is broken up with some overhangs of rock all of which is living rock I have acquired secondhand over the years and transferred from tank to tank.
Having overhangs with your reefscape can pose it's own problems when it comes to light positioned causing shaded areas when lit directly from above as they can cast shadows away from the overhanging rock work. Some corals will also cause issues with throwing their shadow over a coral situated below the one above.
Anyway, I decided to bring my rear light bar to the front of my icons with 2 in a line on some DIY brackets attached to each icon like outriggers you could say. Each light bar was then tilted towards my reefscape so they are more or less at right angles to my reefscape.
The above has improved a number of things. Firstly I have no wasted light from the light bars as in no overspill of light from them.
Secondly shading is reduced even though my icons are one of the better lights at reduced shading. Thirdly the light from the light bars is better used and each reaches more of my reefscape and corals. Fourthly the individual LEDs colours are better mixed and spread over a larger area of my reefscape and corals.
I have found the above configuration of my light bars best for my reefscape and happy with the light they give my reef.
