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

[jda]

Thales has posted about Ecoxotic cannon at Steinhart. See if you can find them. They are not great lights for corals, but can be good for accents.

 

[A. grandis]

Those cannons are junk lights. Spectum is poor and gets worse fast, and they loose their intensity much earlier than you would wish. They don't cover much surface area either. Just party lights. Sorry, that's the truth!

 

[oreo54]

Those cannons are junk lights. Spectum is poor and gets worse fast, and they loose their intensity much earlier than you would wish. They don't cover much surface area either. Just party lights. Sorry, that's the truth!

Data?

 

[A. grandis]

Data?

Experience?

 

[A. grandis]

It's experience vs internet? Really, Oreo?

 

[oreo54]

It's experience vs internet? Really, Oreo?

So you used them?
Measured their spectrums yourself? ect?

So.. no you don't have experience with them.

 

[A. grandis]

So you used them?
Measured their spectrums yourself? ect?

So.. no you don't have experience with them.

Yup.

 

[twentyleagues]

Those cannons are junk lights. Spectum is poor and gets worse fast, and they loose their intensity much earlier than you would wish. They don't cover much surface area either. Just party lights. Sorry, that's the truth!

They are being used to great effect on a tank on this forum right now. How long will it last? I dont know but his corals look great.

 

[A. grandis]

T

They are being used to great effect on a tank on this forum right now. How long will it last? I dont know but his corals look great.

"Look great" is relative. Pictures showing the tank is also relative. Everything is relative! I can prove whatever I want using other's data too! So... You could try them and think it's good. Comparing to halides it's trash to what I want to reproduce, the way it should be IME! But only if you care about keeping the organisms healthy! That's how far I can go with this. Trust me if you want. I can't publish any data nor pictures to prove anything with those lights from where I worked with them! The animals slowly feel the difference coming from halides and it's evident! They just degrade very fast due to the heat applied for the application they were designed for. They're spectrum and delivery is weird too. Poor unfortunate light. Not sure what others say, but that's my experience with them. Sorry.

 

[twentyleagues]

T

"Look great" is relative. Pictures showing the tank is also relative. Everything is relative! I can prove whatever I want using other's data too! So... You could try them and think it's good. Comparing to halides it's trash to what I want to reproduce, the way it should be IME! But only if you care about keeping the organisms healthy! That's how far I can go with this. Trust me if you want. I can't publish any data nor pictures to prove anything with those lights from where I worked with them! The animals slowly feel the difference coming from halides and it's evident! They just degrade very fast due to the heat applied for the application they were designed for. They're spectrum and delivery is weird too. Poor unfortunate light. Not sure what others say, but that's my experience with them. Sorry.

Oh shoot. I skipped most of the argument phase of this. I forgot you were that guy. Sorry I stepped on a land mine.

 

[MnFish1]

Skipping the debate about MH and LED - not sure your resources, etc - but if I wanted that 'look' - I would use the sun itself. I will say the closest (I don't remember the K) coming close to nature would be metal halide

 

[jda]

I don't care what anybody buys or uses, just be careful when look at lights that are only part of a larger lighting scheme. There are other lights on that Anderson tank too. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[A. grandis]

Oh shoot. I skipped most of the argument phase of this. I forgot you were that guy. Sorry I stepped on a land mine.

Ha! Get their data on the light. Trust the manufacturer. Go to their web site.. that's how they hook their customers. That's how the hook the public aquariums!

 

[A. grandis]

I don't care what anybody buys or uses, just be careful when look at lights that are only part of a larger lighting scheme. There are other lights on that Anderson tank too. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Yup, like I've said... everything is relative. People think different. And there are many levels of reefing.

 

[twentyleagues]

Ha! Get their data on the light. Trust the manufacturer. Go to their web site.. that's how they hook their customers. That's how the hook the public aquariums!

Apparently it was a cluster land mine.

 

[twentyleagues]

I don't care what anybody buys or uses, just be careful when look at lights that are only part of a larger lighting scheme. There are other lights on that Anderson tank too. Good luck with whatever you choose.

Yeah I think hes got xhos on the tank too.

 

[oreo54]

Well .. Ecoxotic could do better spectrum wise. Especially their daylight ones.. 5000k and a cri of 73 is....pathetic.
Still pretty low wattage per unit. The Orphek w/ reflectors no lenses and 300 plus watts still wins..
L-90 is 2 plus years???
Meanwell driver has a 5 yr warrant.

 

[jda]

If I said this here, I apologize, but public aquariums have broken their normal build and display cycles to replace these... and this costs them DEARLY. You don't need to know much else. They used to make even higher wattage models.

I found a quote from Rich:

We did, they made great moonlights! They did not have the punch or spread or power for more coral growth coverage. But dang, if you like the bluish moonlight look on a 25 foot tall tank, they rock and throw great glitter lines

 

[oreo54]

Firts.. I am NOT defending the lights. They do not appeal to me really.
But lets be real here..

They did not have the punch or spread or power for more coral growth coverage

Kind of cryptic "for more coral growth coverage"?

.But dang, if you like the bluish moonlight look on a 25 foot tall tank

O/p's tank is 18" deep...See any resemblance to a 25ft deep one?

 

[A. grandis]

If I said this here, I apologize, but public aquariums have broken their normal build and display cycles to replace these... and this costs them DEARLY. You don't need to know much else. They used to make even higher wattage models.

I found a quote from Rich:

Thanks for this post! I hope they believe now. See... experience is everything!