Replicating Shimmer on T5's.. lets see

I have been looking into this too. I think the best way to do it would be to use some leds. To get the shimmer you need a point source light. If anyone has any other ideas I would love to hear them.
 
I think T-5's would wash out the shimmer effect you are trying to achieve with LED's.

I have 6 overdriven 48" T-5's on my tank which equates to around 480 watts.

I guess the only way to tell for sure is to give it a try.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15591310#post15591310 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by catman78
I think T-5's would wash out the shimmer effect you are trying to achieve with LED's.

I have 6 overdriven 48" T-5's on my tank which equates to around 480 watts.

I guess the only way to tell for sure is to give it a try.

From what Ive read/seen, the T5s do wash out alot of the shimmer.

Video of tank with LED spotlights and T5s-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVUfIatAXoE

I believe it was Sfiligoi who has a fixture that uses LEDs for shimmer- but they use a computer to flash them on/off to create the illusion of shimmer.
 
I tried it with luxeon 3 watters. I have pure T5 and 12 x 36" bulbs. It takes too many point sources to make it work. I had 24 LEDs at $4 each, and they still could not create a very noticable shimmer. Maybe in a smaller tank.

If you want to do it, you could use a point source light such as a 70W MH bulb (minimal heat/waste). Plasma lighting could do it, but not cost effectively. I'm sure someone has a LED solution for under $300 for a large T5 setup, but it's not cheaper then a single 70W MH or two.
 
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