New Build - Lighting Ideas /suggestions

[Jabba]

OK I made the decision on the tank - getting one custom built - 78x30x24 200gal with hood and cabinet.

I need now some ideas for the lighting, the tank will be only tropical freshwater, lighting tubes must fit inside a 100mm gap inside the hood above the condense plates / covers.

I want it to be flexible so daylight and moonlight but I am not sure how to deliver the moonlight part yet - and I don't agree that blue LED's or blue cold cathodes etc look like moonlight, nice yes but like moonlight ... nah.

I want T5 and also wish to keep the number of starters to a minimum, I reckon at least 4 x 36 inch 24 watt tubes each with reflector.

What fittings would you recommend, I was thinking of a pair of Arcadia AEUS580, two T5 Daylights and Two T5 Actinic for now but the mounting methiod escapes me (the Arcadia I bar is ideal but you can't turn on only half of it i.e. have the daylight tubr on one side and the moonlight on the other) and will 48w in either day or night mode be enough?.

Are there any systems available that are 'dimmable' ?

 

[SkiFletch]

Are there any systems available that are 'dimmable' ?

There are dimmable ballasts out there for T5's here in the States. They're only sold through industrial channels though, not aquarium ones yet. Like major industrial lighting supply places carry them.

 

[Jabba]

Well the project is underway ...

Got two dimmable T5 80W High Frequency ballasts from Huco, and a single 54Watt dimmable from Osram, all are 1-10 VDC or switch dimmable, total cost £170.

Added the Arcadia IP67 tube ends, suitable arcadia reflectors and 20 tube clips, two 80 Watt T5 High Output 'Daylight' tubes and one 54 Watt Actinic to fill the gap in the 80W tube spectrum, this will be dimmed to become the moonlight in the evenings as its spectrum is far more accurate with regards moonlight than the other daft blue offerings I have seen - newsflash - moonlight is NOT blue !!, you cannot really see colour easily in moonlight, if you can see colour i.e blue then it isn't moonlight. After days of research I found out that moonlight is exactly the same spectrum as daylight but it is clipped at both blue and red ends of the spectrum and at much lower intensity such that the human eye almost sees in black and white in moonlight. To simply select only one portion of the spectrum i.e 480nm as most of the LED kits seem to misses all the other stuff.

Total build cost for all is just under £200 - less than half the cost of the cheapest available commercial dimming unit from the aquarist world and twice the size with more flexibility to boot.

All will be turned on and off and faded in and out using a programmable controller from the company I work for that will also be configured to run the heaters (eventually) - this bit is free.

If anyone is interested in me documenting this project then let me know or I won't bother.

All I need now is a tank and hood to fit them in .... it is due for completion on 20th September ..... with delivery soon after, very soon I hope