Reef Tank Metal Halide Shimmer Effect
by Aquaboy on Sunday, May 9th, 2010 | 25 Comments
Frequently people looking at new lighting options for a reef tank question what the “shimmer effect” is. This video helps display the shimmer from a 150w Metal Halide (MH)light. Shimmer will occur with any single point source light, however, for the reef tanks this is usually limited to MH lights. This is one compromise that is lost when choosing T5 HO lights over MH. Equipment: 25 Gallon Reef Tank with JBJ K2 Viper MH light equipped with a 150 watt 14000K Phoenix bulb.
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hmmmm i just bought one for my 20 gallon tank but its doesnt seem as bright as my 94 watt t5… is that normal??
hmmmm i just bought one for my 20 gallon tank but its doesnt seem as bright as my 94 watt t5… is that normal??
hmmmm i just bought one for my 20 gallon tank but its doesnt seem as bright as my 94 watt t5… is that normal??
Also i was wondering…if it will be ok if i have 2 blue actinic t5 and 1 white instead of 2 white and 1 actinic??? i like it beter because it seems more like sea…but i am not sure if it is ok with the corals…is 1 white t5 enough??
Hello guys…I have a 75 gallon tank and i am planing to make it a proper reef…Unfortunately i am not familiar with lighting issues and so i have some problems with my reef…I also have heard that metal halide are very expensive to maintain because of the high energy amount they need to work….Can u give me some advice please….I have a socket of 3 t5 39w 14000k and 1 of them is actinic…
i just got this light today and set it up, all i can say is wow its bright and hot!
@200ItrRoma,yeah,hahaha,you’re right!! I’ve heard that many times,yup,bigger aquariums have more water,so that would make them easier to maintain,also I saw your other comment below to “hunter704″,yeah you tell’em!!!,I mean “hunter704″ is a cocky s.o.b.!!!….haha……Peace and thank you for your reply!!
Major overkill mate. why not post a vid and prove your comment
I see your point, but they are also harder to maintain than larger aquariums as there is less room for error, so more rewarding.
You will find you’ll have less evaporation with a closed top but imo an opent top is better for gas exchange providing enough surface movement
Cool, i get a really good shimmer effect from my aquabeams but my video dont seem to capture it well.
Il try and make another and post up here.
Beautiful, I don’t really understand marine tanks yet, I see a lot with this open top look, is that just an optional thing or does it have a purpose? I’m starting a tank very soon but I won’t want it to be open at the top.
WOW, your a loser.
Beautiful aquarium,5 Stars!!!
you’re a knuckle head.
Your fucking big mouth is too strong.
fish stew anyone?
ahaha,Smaller aquariums are alot less overwhelming compared to larger aquariums.
cost alot of money though
I have got a 250watt DE pendant with a 20000k bulb on a 20 gallon an I bet it beats your shimmer effect
nemo / clownfish
your pump pulse is too strong.
Shimmer has to do more with being point source then being intense. This is why MH shimmers and t5 tubes don’t really. You can even get some shimmer with a single LED, many people do this.
Water rippling will certainly add to the effect so disturbing the surface can add tot he effect if you enjoy it.
The light itself is silent, the ballast hums a bit but cant hear it over the other tank sounds.
@r15324 yeah i have 2 – 20watt lamps on my 10gallon planted and it shimmers. it depends on how high the light is from the water surface, the water surface disruption and the light intensity. It get’s annoying after a while i think….
You can achieve the “shimmer” with a strong enough light, thus the metal halide. As long as the light you are using can penetrate the depth of the water, you will get the shimmer, thus in a more shallow tank, even a standard fluorescent tube can achieve that effect.