# How to get "shimmer"?



## Phormium (Dec 28, 2012)

I have an Aqua Medic 6x54w T5 canopy light on my 75 gal tank with a mix of actinic and coloured bulbs, which produces great lighting, but not the shimmer effect I've always wanted. The light is bright, but sorta flat in a way. For a tank this size, does anyone know if there is a clamp-on type LED light (or any style for that matter) that is bright enough to send a "shaft" of light shimmer into the tank? I don't think I need the shimmer effect over the whole length, but it would be nice to kinda imitate a shaft of sunlight in one spot. Any ideas?


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## Tn23 (Apr 21, 2010)

grab a par38 full spectrum bulb and throw it in, its LED so it should provide you with a slight "shimmer" effect.


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## dabandit1 (Dec 6, 2010)

Throw a 10000k led stunner strip on there easy to sneak in somewhere as they are so small.


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## Phormium (Dec 28, 2012)

What is a stunner strip and where would I get one? Sounds good and if it is LED it wont add any heat load like a PAR lamp would.


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Shimmer only happens with point light sources. I think there is a chance that your highpowered T5HO light will flatten out any shimmering effect that a low powered LED would create when both are on.


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## dabandit1 (Dec 6, 2010)

A par lamp is Led too,just bulb form like a house light. Heres a link to the strip Stunner LED Strips - 6watt, 12in.
You can link as many as you want toghether,seahorse is likelly right about the flattening effect?....then again a halide in a good reflector is hardly a point light source and they shimmer.....one way to find out


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Shimmer only happens with point light sources. I think there is a chance that your highpowered T5HO light will flatten out any shimmering effect that a low powered LED would create when both are on.


I believe Anthony is correct. The point light source has to be fairly intense to overcome the T5HO lights to be visible as a point light source to get the shimmer effect.


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## aQ.LED (Nov 13, 2012)

yup, agree with anthony there for sure, the T5 would blend all light source. Only MH or LED would provide you shimmering


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## Phormium (Dec 28, 2012)

I might try a PAR LED clamp on fixture and see if that will send a shaft of shimmer into the tank. I don't want ot overdo the shimmer (lots of tanks with just LED lighting are too disco-ball for my taste).


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