What type of lighting for a deep tank?

[fishmonkey]

Is there anything that could give good lighting down 7-8 feet? I have a huge cylindrical tank in the planning
(http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f11/floor-to-ceiling-cylindrical-tank-269478.html)
and I am wondering how to light this sucker! LED's with optics, or MH?

 

[CraigRets]

Maybe try from a different approach and put some lights on the outside of the tank facing down at the bottom?

 

[fishmonkey]

That seems like the general consensus at this point. I was just wondering how far down the light goes down using different kinds of lights?

 

[dmolavi]

My limited experience with seeing tall tanks has them mounted on a stand (if only 1 or 2 feet tall to allow for plumbing access immediately beneath the tank w/o having to go into the flooring), and has lighting both on the top and bottom of the tank, usually high power LEDs.

Seeing as how you're planning a SW tank for this, presumably using live sand, I'm not sure you can do this, though, unless you put the LEDs in a watertight "hula hoop" on the inside perimeter, laying on top of the sand.

 

[Tkey3425]

I wouldnt put lights on a loop inside the tank on the bottom unless you plan on diving in if sand or algae covers then lol

 

[fishmonkey]

I wouldnt put lights on a loop inside the tank on the bottom unless you plan on diving in if sand or algae covers then lol

Exactly. Although who is to say that the loop couldn't be on the outside of the tank, around the bottom? They wouldn't be too hard to conceal...

 

[Tkey3425]

Exactly. Although who is to say that the loop couldn't be on the outside of the tank, around the bottom? They wouldn't be too hard to conceal...

+1 that's what forums are for lol. Different minds working together make masterpieces.