hmello@bermexin
New member
Beautiful, well thought out an executed plan. Am following along to see the results or your efforts with the horse cube.
My Shadowbox Background Project
- Thread starter euromomtx
- Start date
Christian J
New member
Good reflectors (or optics for LEDs) should help in general. Usually a lot of light spills out of tanks, causing glare and (in my experience) bleaches nearby furniture and walls (at least MH lamps due to their UV light). But I guess most of the light that hits the aquarium glass has first been reflected from the tank's rocks, sand and corals - as opposed to coming directly from the light fixture - so the fixture's reflector may not make much difference there.
Darn, it sounded so easy just being able to squeege matte window screen onto the tank glass...
NanoReefWanabe
Active member
heheh you could buy a piece of cheesy acrylic from HD or lowes and leave the blue plastic on it, and use double sided tape to hold it to the back of your tank's trim..
NanoReefWanabe
Active member
SH tank looks equally amazing...if you really want those mangroves to takeoff you need to simulate low tides...the tree will then form its beautiful branching roots faster...remember to wash/mist the leaves daily with fresh water too...are all those macro's alive or are some fakies? got some really nice colour going on in there..
Matt_Wandell
New member
Great looking tanks!
So if you really wanted to spend some dough, a digital picture frame or flat screen TV can produce the same effect. Obviously it requires adequate protection and would cost quite a bit, but imagine moving shoals of fish in the background, or sharks passing by. Pretty much unlimited options. There are two coldwater tanks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium that utilize sealed monitors like this.
So if you really wanted to spend some dough, a digital picture frame or flat screen TV can produce the same effect. Obviously it requires adequate protection and would cost quite a bit, but imagine moving shoals of fish in the background, or sharks passing by. Pretty much unlimited options. There are two coldwater tanks at the Monterey Bay Aquarium that utilize sealed monitors like this.
Molehs
the H is silent
Using the idea with the gel sheets I wonder what it would look like to layer the sheets but have silhouettes cut out. This is my 30 seconds worth of work example. I think it could be stacked better. But I think you get the idea.
EDIT made a slightly better version
EDIT made a slightly better version
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lionfish_shane
New member
Just found and read your thread and that is just awesome! Love how it all turned out. I think it would entice anyone to build something like this. Congrats on ThOTM way back.
euromomtx
New member
The lighting from behind is what makes all the difference.
Seriously it's the glow that gives you the 'endless' feeling not the fake rocks, sunken ships or whatever.
Without the backlight it will just be a darkish background
Plus you can incorporate the background light nicely into a dusk/dawn scenario (as the first light on/off)
If there's not much space just a thin colored sheet with stick on LED sticks can work. I've done that for my seahorse tank
(see here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1988229 )
Seriously it's the glow that gives you the 'endless' feeling not the fake rocks, sunken ships or whatever.
Without the backlight it will just be a darkish background
Plus you can incorporate the background light nicely into a dusk/dawn scenario (as the first light on/off)
If there's not much space just a thin colored sheet with stick on LED sticks can work. I've done that for my seahorse tank
(see here: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1988229 )
Hi, I've been looking at this thread for awhile and I just want to add my 2 cents. I love the concept. What you said in the last post Karin is exactly my thoughts too. The light is the key. IMO it should be called a "light box" actually. The shadows aren't really necessary. What you achieve with this lighting is the illusion that there is ocean behind the tank. That is what a clean blue or black background does too. If you look at the great aquascapist Steve Weast's tank you'll see that the clean blue background basically gives a feeling of being in the ocean. The light box takes it a step further by letting the diffuse light actually come from that direction rather than just reflecting the tank light. This concept has an even greater potential in azoox tanks because you can actually let a major portion of your lighting sit in the back. I have seen Amano and the other freshwater planted tank folks use the same concept. They use white diffuse backgrounds that create the illusion of an open sunlit environment.
euromomtx
New member
Jon,
yeah you wouldn't even have to call it a box. There's no box around the seahorse tank. Just call them backlit tanks!
It's the lighting that's the important part.
Here are a few newer pics from the big tank:
at dawn (NPS gorgos are eating their baby brine breakfast. PS gorgos don't have the polyps out yet)
and with more light up during the day
yeah you wouldn't even have to call it a box. There's no box around the seahorse tank. Just call them backlit tanks!
It's the lighting that's the important part.
Here are a few newer pics from the big tank:
at dawn (NPS gorgos are eating their baby brine breakfast. PS gorgos don't have the polyps out yet)
and with more light up during the day
euromomtx
New member
Tracey,
on the seahorse tank I just taped the blue plastic sheet with double sides tape to the top rim so it hangs just milimeters behind the glass (You don't want it fused to the glass).
It's actually two sheets stuck together: a blue clear one for color and a colorless textured one to create the diffusion.
The only space you need for the blue plastic sheets and LED stick combo is about 1 1/4" to accommodate the stick on LED light.
on the seahorse tank I just taped the blue plastic sheet with double sides tape to the top rim so it hangs just milimeters behind the glass (You don't want it fused to the glass).
It's actually two sheets stuck together: a blue clear one for color and a colorless textured one to create the diffusion.
The only space you need for the blue plastic sheets and LED stick combo is about 1 1/4" to accommodate the stick on LED light.
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