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Backlight ideas

Fisher2007

Member
Joined
19 Feb 2018
Messages
430
Location
Warrington
Hi All

I'm considering backlighting my new aquarium and I'm looking for ideas if anyone has done the same

Aquarium will be 1400mm long. Thinking an LED strip just stuck to the cabinet will do the trick (where the aquarium meets the cabinet)? If so, anyone done the same/similar and does it have the desired effect? Guessing something around the 6000k mark in daylight white would do the trick. Ideally a waterproof strip that can be cut to length (if such a thing exists)

I did a search but there wasn't much coming up from what I could see

Cheers!
 
I've done it in several ways... Effect can be nice.. Tho with white light only to the cabinet, sounds like light from bellow shining up.. The effect is different than no backlight at all. But still imho it looks rather off and quite unnatural.. Because light in a waterworld always comes from above, from the sun and it gets darker while going deeper. Than where on earth do you find a light source shining up from the bottom towards the surface?.. :)

Another rather more natural option is using a white light comming from the top down and a colored light from the bottom up.. This way you could mimic a stained water color that actualy is not there, for example yellow/orange or green.. :) The darker color will gradualy mix up into a (warm) white color comming from above giving a natural sense of depth.
 
I've done it in several ways... Effect can be nice.. Tho with white light only to the cabinet, sounds like light from bellow shining up.. The effect is different than no backlight at all. But still imho it looks rather off and quite unnatural.. Because light in a waterworld always comes from above, from the sun and it gets darker while going deeper. Than where on earth do you find a light source shining up from the bottom towards the surface?.. :)

Another rather more natural option is using a white light comming from the top down and a colored light from the bottom up.. This way you could mimic a stained water color that actualy is not there, for example yellow/orange or green.. :) The darker color will gradualy mix up into a (warm) white color comming from above giving a natural sense of depth.

I think you might be right re the mix of up and down and colours. Just been trawling through YouTube to see what I can find
 
Had to dig in my archieves to find some pics back.. This is white light from above and a yellow brownish light from the bottom up. Created with RGB led and a proper controller.

h1idsjt-jpg.jpg


Same but than Crimson color evening sun theme.
vwlwlak-jpg.jpg


Done with an programmable TC421, set to change color change automaticaly over the day.
I had a collection of pics in different colors but can't realy find them back..

Fun to play with.. :)
 
So thinking about buying two of these;

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B07T6F1341/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A1ZKZM6YZWJBXW&psc=1

Then building a frame the size of the back panel (1400mm x 450mm) out of some kind of batten (say 25mm x 25mm) then attaching a set of lights to the inner bottom of the frame and another to the inner top. Then attach a piece of white panelling to the frame to act as a back/reflector and then pushing this up to the back of the tank (which will be frosted). Then I can adjust the bottom and top lights independently of each other to create a mix of light. If that makes sense?!

Any thoughts?
 

Great looking tank. Just had a read through

Re the self adhesive tiles you added, was this to the back or side of the tank? I suspect I'm going to encounter the same problems with the suckers hence the question. And if the back how does this affect the backlight?

Looking at the link you provided for the light I think I'll need the 108cm for my 140cm tank, I just hope this will be long enough. I did consider two shorter ones pushed together but the sizes don't really work there either
 
Great looking tank. Just had a read through

Re the self adhesive tiles you added, was this to the back or side of the tank? I suspect I'm going to encounter the same problems with the suckers hence the question. And if the back how does this affect the backlight?

Looking at the link you provided for the light I think I'll need the 108cm for my 140cm tank, I just hope this will be long enough. I did consider two shorter ones pushed together but the sizes don't really work there either
The tiles were for the side of the tank and have worked really well.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk
 
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