LED shadow

[kevuwk]

I am using 2 Orphek PR-156 units over my tank but as much as the light is good at bringing out the colour of the corals I currently have in there, I am unhappy with the shadow cast on the fish when they swim close to the front (which they generally do).

Do any other LED light unit owners see this problem (I've seen it mentioned before so presume so) and have you added any addition lighting to the front of the tank to combat this?

as an example, my powder blue at the back of the tank looks like this...



at the front the colours look washed out like this...



I also rarely see the pattern on the kole tang unless it is swimming quite high in the water towards the middle/back of the tank

[Neil]

This you will find with any LED system and possible MH as the light is very directional and with the width of the units being very small compared to T5

to over come this problem I had a single T5 along the front of the tank and now have replaced this with aquarays

[kevuwk]

This you will find with any LED system and possible MH as the light is very directional and with the width of the units being very small compared to T5

to over come this problem I had a single T5 along the front of the tank and now have replaced this with aquarays

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/NoSHadow.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r...e/SHadow-1.jpg

did you find the t5 made a significant difference to the colour of the fish and what colour bulb did you run?

[Neil]

also I have mounted my Orphek towards the front of the tank at an angle pointing towards the back

see My hole in wall tank

[Neil]

did you find the t5 made a significant difference to the colour of the fish and what colour bulb did you run?

Yes tried blue dint like it then went for a white was OK but find the aquaray marine white very nice

[kevuwk]

Appreciate the replies Neil, will look into the aquarays in the new year.

On a final note, I love the blues on the orpheks, just have no idea how to pick up the colours with a camera without it looking like a blue blur, have you managed to find a way of picking it up (tried 2 phones and a samsung digital camera but they didn't work)

[Whipitup]

Appreciate the replies Neil, will look into the aquarays in the new year.

On a final note, I love the blues on the orpheks, just have no idea how to pick up the colours with a camera without it looking like a blue blur, have you managed to find a way of picking it up (tried 2 phones and a samsung digital camera but they didn't work)

I have the same problem trying to photograph anything to do with the tank when the blues are on........I just cannot get a decent picture.

With regard to the shadowing......I have found that the best type of LED for my tank is one with as many light sources as possible.

That type of LED unit (similar to the Reef-Beam) might not be considered as up-to-date as some, but I find that type light source looks very similar to that of a T5 unit.

I have very little shadowing.

[Nick-ACS]

Hi Kev

You could also try taking down the front Orphek and removing the lenses from the front row of LEDs nearest the glass, this will provide much more spread from the LEDs which will bounce off the inside of the front glass to light up the viewing side of your fish and would otherwise, I presume are generally just lighting up swimming area of water and sand.



Nick

[Whipitup]

Hi Kev

You could also try taking down the front Orphek and removing the lenses from the front row of LEDs nearest the glass, this will provide much more spread from the LEDs which will bounce off the inside of the front glass to light up the viewing side of your fish and would otherwise, I presume are generally just lighting up swimming area of water and sand.



Nick

That does help and is very easy to do......honest!

[kevuwk]

Hi Kev

You could also try taking down the front Orphek and removing the lenses from the front row of LEDs nearest the glass, this will provide much more spread from the LEDs which will bounce off the inside of the front glass to light up the viewing side of your fish and would otherwise, I presume are generally just lighting up swimming area of water and sand.



Nick

for that info Nick but it is 2 units side by side in the middle of the depth of the tank with the rock placed within their footprint. This would involve removing a lot of lenses and I feel this would affect the amount of focused light at the front of the rock which is prime coral territory. I couldn't move the lights forward as my plan is for taller corals to go at the back of the rock to use as much available space as possible. With this in mind, I think supplemental lighting will more than likely be the way forward