led optics help

[dabo]

I know this might make me seem really stupid but i don't know, so i must ask. I have leds over my tank and have never questioned having optics or not. Why would i need or want optics on my leds? Also i don't understand the different degrees that they come in. do the optics make the light stronger ?

To better help me , my tank is a

125 gallon 72"x18.5"x23.5"

lighting= 6 member modified led units

 

[thefishbuddy]

Yes the optics makes a more pinpoint Light. There for more par at the bottom. 120 is what most are without optics. Then there is 90° then 60° optics.

Edit: I have the RB 32" with 90° over my 40b

 

[ringo®]

Optics just make the beam tighter.....think mag light flashlights.

 

[dabo]

so its to make more light reach the bottom of the tank? and it will be a stronger beam of light,
will this also add more shimmer?

 

[nickg]

Yes, much more shimmer, from what I have seen...

 

[reefkeeper]

dabo;921447 wrote: so its to make more light reach the bottom of the tank? and it will be a stronger beam of light,
will this also add more shimmer?

Exacty!! The lower the degree of lens, the less spread of light. Which means the beam is stronger and capable of reaching deeper depths. The only issue you have to consider is over lap from the distance of light to light. If you don't have enough light spread, you'll end up with shadows in your tank which means dead spots.

 

[kirkwood]

for a 125 there most likely isn't much need to go higher than 90 degrees. Some members have mentioned that 60 degree optics made the light too strong. I'd say the one issue with MM's is that the 55 diodes are so tightly packed together that adding optics can really increase PAR levels centered directly under the center of the units. It really helps to increase PAR values to more growable levels in the lower half of the tank as well as outside the footprint of the unit... I recently had my PAR tested under MM's and the reading was good directly under the unit but tapered off quickly once you got outside the footprint or about 10" under the water line. Also contrary to what another member posted, a non-optic unit is not a 120 optic. There are 120 optics. No optics means that the light is not focused at all so it is going in everywhich direction. It is the reason why when you see MM's over a tank the light explodes out in every direction, but if you see an LED unit like a Radion the light only penetrates into the tank and not into the surrounding room.

 

[dabo]

Thanks for the info guys i appreciate you advice and it really helps me understand optics now.

so now i think i don't need optics at all.

but how can i get more shimmer with out having to much lighting?

so what i just said don't make since. how can you have lighting that is to strong ? and what would it do to my live stock exactly?

 

[ringo®]

I don't think they're needed for tanks under 2 feet of depth. You can try lowering the light or agitate the surface of the water more. If you're trying to mimic something like a Kessil, they get the extra shimmer from not having leds spread out over a bar....so you're sol there.

 

[kirkwood]

I agree with Ringo that if you get some nice surface agitation you'll increase your shimmer. I get the most shimmer out of my 120 optics that I have on my moonlight... I wouldn't recommend 120's for any primary lighting units...

 

[dabo]

ok i understand now. so i need more surface movement.

thanks a lot guys

 

[jdwells]

http://reefledlights.com/ledmytank/">http://reefledlights.com/ledmytank/</a>
These guys have some really easy to understand diagrams and stuff like that. Just think about cones when thinking about optics.
I couldn't attest to shimmer, but definitely the more surface agitation you have, the more shimmer you'll get.

 

[dabo]

JDWells;921952 wrote: http://reefledlights.com/ledmytank/">http://reefledlights.com/ledmytank/</a>
These guys have some really easy to understand diagrams and stuff like that. Just think about cones when thinking about optics.
I couldn't attest to shimmer, but definitely the more surface agitation you have, the more shimmer you'll get.[/QUOTE]

Hey that was a good read thanks a lot.