Jimbau Posted July 26, 2015 Share Posted July 26, 2015 I have a question; My tanks have always had hoods which hold the lights and keep the brightness contained to the tank itself. I am considering upgrading but the hood for the tank I am considering is only 8" which seems a bit short to fit LED's in. I am considering an open top with hanging lights like I see many people have. What worries me is that I like to lay on my couch and watch my tank and/or watch TV and I am worried that being below the lights will cause them to shine into my eyes all evening. How do people handle this or does it not bother people? From some photos I have seen it appears half the room the aquarium is in is lit up by the loghts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) LEDs have a much more direct lighting. Just because the room may light up because of ambient light, it won't blind you. I suppose different lenses will disperse the light differently, but overall light spillage is minimal with LEDs. I don't mind sitting beneath mine. Edited July 27, 2015 by Higher Thinking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbau Posted July 27, 2015 Author Share Posted July 27, 2015 Appreciate the reply. I think I need to stop by cuttlefish and sit under a couple of his tanks. ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catfish2 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I agree with higher thinking. My LEDs are higher off the tank than my t5s were and the light spillage is way better. I have OR t247s so I can't speak about any other lights, but mine don't bother me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger334 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I use AquaRay, which have a modular design. 11 different fixtures for different designs. The AR have small tiles, strips, and large tiles. All can be mounted super low, so there is no light in the eyes. Might even fit in that hood. No fans, water proof. It does help by mounting lower, esp if you are sitting, cause the light will shine into your eyes. One of the reasons I dont like having to mount high and also risk light spilling over the aquarium. Plus the AR have a 5 year warranty, which are the longest on the market. Here's a link. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/LEDLights.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimbau Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 I was mostly considering the OR's but I will also research the aquarays. Might be a viable alternative and I like having a hood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softy Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 The OR's... just like most LEDs will suffer from the same issue. It has to do with the secondary lens over the diode. If you want to stay low over the tank, then you can change the secondary lens on the lights to allow for a wider spread. That's what i ended up doing to retrofit a ReefStar Alpha Nano light into the hood of my 29g JBJ. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I am wondering if a metal or plastic "skirt" attached to the light fixtures would help prevent some of the light spillage into the room? If done neatly, it would not detract from the looks of the fixture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger334 Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I was mostly considering the OR's but I will also research the aquarays. Might be a viable alternative and I like having a hood. If your still doing some research, here are a couple reviews you might find helpful... http://www.aquariumopinions.com/2013/12/23/review-of-ocean-revive-evergrow-led-lights-for-reef-aquariums/ http://www.aquarium-digest.com/tag/ocean-revive/#ocean_revive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 What tank is this for? Is your hood space limited for some reason? Most LEDs with secondary optics can be removed and run with no optics or a diffused optic in limited space areas. It's easy to DIY and optics are cheap on eBay. I would say most leds are more focused and won't be as much of an issue without a hood as you realize. You may want to get in contact with Kenny from Reefstar, he has a free trial program for his lights so you can give them a test drive on your tank first. Food for thought! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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