Anybody here have experience w/ hoodless MH lighting?

[Fizz71]

I'm working on my new tank and I'm concerned with MH lighting I'll be putting over it and the fact that there is a couch backed up against it. I had a problem with a VHO system a long time ago that bled too much light into the room instead of down, and if you were close and looked up it was very bright. With MH I know it will be blindingly bright and I now have a toddler.

Here is what the tank setup will look like before the lighting (click for larger, excuse the color):
<img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/Fizz71/Posted/ReefCentral/Tank1.jpg?t=1231355639' width=350><img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v93/Fizz71/Posted/ReefCentral/Tank2.jpg?t=1231355790'' width=350>

Anybody have any experience with lighting that will not bleed too much? I can't afford a Solaris and I already have some IceCap Ballasts so I'd like to stick with them, but making this look nice and not blinding my family/company is more important.

I considered shields around the tank instead of a hood but I'm not sure I liked the look.

TIA

--Fizz

 

[psusocr]

You can actually hang MH pendants fromt he ceiling which actually wouldnt look bad if your a bit handy and put a nice fixture around them. They would have more of a spotlight affect int he tank without being to "blinding" although if someone looks up behind them when on the couch it still might hurt the eyes a bit, but i think its your best bet aesthetically:eek2:

 

[Fizz71]

I was thinking about that, but I read the specs on some pendants and they talk about having a "good spread" which is what I DON'T want so I'm hoping somebody out there has some specific models they know do the job well.

As a toddler, being on the couch is common for her, so looking up will happen OFTEN, hence my concern.

Thanks.

 

[rigleautomotive]

the ice cap pendants have more of a narrow spread then the lumenarcs or the like.The T5 lamps with individual reflectors would be a good choise and do not create the blinding glare that halides do but people seem to get pretty good results with them.

 

[Sanjay]

How wide is your tank ? Placing the lights closer to the tank will cut down on a lot of the light spill.

 

[x2uranium]

The Sunlight supply reef optics that I JUST sold actually Didnt spill much light at all into the room, and they were about 17" off the water surface.

I had them hanging from the ceiling with SS cables.

 

[Fizz71]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14106808#post14106808 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Sanjay
How wide is your tank ? Placing the lights closer to the tank will cut down on a lot of the light spill.

The tank is 8x2x2.

 

[Fizz71]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14107051#post14107051 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by x2uranium
The Sunlight supply reef optics that I JUST sold actually Didnt spill much light at all into the room, and they were about 17" off the water surface.

I had them hanging from the ceiling with SS cables.

Cool...but spill is only half the equation. The bulb would also need to be recessed enough that I can't really see it without putting my head under it. So my daughter doesn't stand on the couch (no comment), look up and go blind.

The more research I do the more I fear I'll need to build a hood. I was hoping somebody knew of a really cool pendant that is deep recessed and more spot than spread, but it's not looking good. I'll probably just mount the hood to the ceiling and make it look like a wall. Use cheap thin painted wood since it won't require support so that it woun't be as heavy as the last monster hood I built (and is still in one piece).


Sigh...more work.