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Rippling light effect

Started by Guest_jblaylock_* , Jun 20 2013 04:45 PM

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13 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 20 June 2013 - 04:45 PM

Is there a way to pull off this ripple effect in the aquarium?

Thanks for the great footage Lance.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk HD

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#2 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 20 June 2013 - 05:10 PM

Yes. All it takes is a single point source of light. When the light source is long and covers a lot of the surface, the 'ripples' of light all cancel each other out. Try an LED light strip for distinct, punctate light sources. A single bright light in the middle of the tank like a single metal halide bulb would also work. What you're really trying to do is allow the shadows to remain.

Edited by EricaWieser, 20 June 2013 - 05:13 PM.

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#3 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 20 June 2013 - 05:42 PM

Agree with Erica. Reef tank folks do this all the time with powerheads and metal halide bulbs (very brightand nearly a point source). They dont care if the tank heats up. I have seen less success on our side of the hobby, but the physics should be the same. Rippling surface, shallow water, bright point source of light. We certainyl know how to do the first two,the third one tends to be a little expensive and hot... but we should be able to figure something out.

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

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#4 Guest_Yeahson421_*

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Posted 20 June 2013 - 06:45 PM

I'd recommend an LED light fixture, similar to what Erica said, but you may as well light your whole tank with it. You could arrange the LEDs in a way that creates an even more interesting lighting effect.

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#5 Guest_velvetelvis_*

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Posted 20 June 2013 - 09:55 PM

I have an EcoRay LED fixture on each of my tanks. With surface agitation from a powerhead or return, they provide the shimmering effect--without the heat thrown off by metal halides. The bulbs also last a lot longer.

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#6 Guest_Usil_*

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Posted 20 June 2013 - 10:06 PM

I have this effect in my 55 gallon tank from using my LED system I built.

Usil

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#7 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 10:52 AM

Does anyone have a video of this on their aquarium?

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#8 Guest_velvetelvis_*

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Posted 21 June 2013 - 12:14 PM

I have a Sicce Voyager 2 coming in next week (hopefully Tuesday) to kick up the current in my still-cycling darter biotope. I'll try to remember to film it after I install the powerhead and the tank clears up a little.

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#9 Guest_jblaylock_*

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Posted 24 June 2013 - 08:48 AM

I dug out one of my old powerheads from my 75gal and put it in my tank near the surface to produce the ripple. It kinda worked. There is some light flickering, but it only goes about 1/3 down the tank, the effect doesn't really show up on the bottom. I don't think I'll be able to pull this off with water movement alone, plus the sound of the water rippling drives me kinda nuts.

Edited by jblaylock, 24 June 2013 - 08:48 AM.

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#10 Guest_kamikazi_*

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Posted 19 July 2013 - 01:41 PM

I have effect on my 75 gallon blackwater tank. It is very easy. I have a LED spot light type bulb in a clamp fixture.

Here is a video of my tank.

Here is the fixture I use
http://www.lowes.com...bayco=

The bulb I used was like this, I don't know if this is an exact match but LED Flood light with the flat lense is what you want because it allows for the point source light that erica mentioned.
http://www.lowes.com...ights=

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#11 Michael Wolfe

Board of Directors

North Georgia, Oconee River Drainage

Posted 19 July 2013 - 02:15 PM

well I don't like all those foreign fishes [-X

... but the tank looks very nice :smile2:

... rock work, roots... plants... and your ripple effect is great on only 30 bucks!

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin

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#12 Guest_kamikazi_*

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Posted 19 July 2013 - 02:52 PM

well I don't like all those foreign fishes ... but the tank looks very nice ... rock work, roots... plants... and your ripple effect is great on only 30 bucks!

Yes, lol well, by the time next June 5-8 rolls around those foreign fish may very well be up for sale. :-k

Edited by kamikazi, 19 July 2013 - 02:52 PM.

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#13 Guest_EricaLyons_*

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Posted 07 August 2013 - 09:03 PM

Hey everybody,
I was scrolling around on ebay looking at auctions and I found a light that would work. It's a 750 to 1000 lumen LED light, 6000 K color temperature, for $20. Link: http://www.ebay.com/...=item257dfc7837

That would work excellently as a point source to make a ripple effect.

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#14 Guest_Doug_Dame_*

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Posted 08 August 2013 - 12:49 AM

I have effect on my 75 gallon blackwater tank. It is very easy. I have a LED spot light type bulb in a clamp fixture.

Here is a video of my tank.
.. (snipped out)

Here is the fixture I use
http://www.lowes.com...bayco=

The bulb I used was like this, I don't know if this is an exact match but LED Flood light with the flat lense is what you want because it allows for the point source light that erica mentioned.
http://www.lowes.com...ights=

Interesting. I put a light kinda like that on a tank last week. I went shopping for another reflector ($9 I think), but was quite surprised to find a PAR38 lamp containing a GE spiral CFL for just $7.50, so I snapped one up as an experiment. (PAR38 is your basic floodlamp, but it conveniently fits in conventional "medium-base" light-bulb socket, such as is found in these hardware section utility light reflectors.)

26 watts generates 1300 lumens. CRI=82, but it's only 2700k so it's distinctly yellow compared to the 2 std issue non-encased spiral CFLs also over the tank in similar reflectors. Claims to be rated for 10,000 hrs. (GE Model 47483, at a Super-Wally.) Don't know if that's enough kelvin to keep plants happy in a deep tank. (But I also have the 2 spiral CFLs on it, plus a legacy 2-tube fluorescent fixture.)

Household CFLs do not seem to last anywhere near their rated hours in my fishroom, which may be due to humidity, ventilation, and/or bulb orientation. I am hoping that the packing of the CFL in an enclosed outdoor rated package will help.

I'd like to tell you I now have great ripple, but in fact I have a thick layer of duckweed and not much surface movement in that tank, so thus far I have not seen any ripple.

I'm sure it's not as good as an actual LED lamp like Kamikazi is using, but they're much cheaper up front and may be a good compromise solution.