Lighting effects question, fresh water

[Ram_Puppy]

Hey all, I have been in the process of designing a 110 high tank for my wifes office, she has a love affair with fat little goldfish, and they need a bigger home before the tank becomes overstocked (as they grow.)

Anyhow, for the number she has the 110 is perfect. since I can't grow plants in a goldfish tank (expensive food, and I don't want the hassle for her office tank anyway) I am planning on landscaping the tank with wood and silk plants.

I am working up a painting scheme that will give the effect of the tank being a slice of a jungle pond (imagine in asia, since that is where they came from!) the forground of the painting effect will be mimicry of the plants and wood, fading to an open scene with shafts of light breaking through the surface.

This is where lighting come in, color temp doesn't matter, effect does. I want the lighting to be very targeted, in a terestrial example, look like sunlight breaking through a tree canopy. I have been thinking halogen pendants? any opinions?

I am holding off starting this project until My digital camera is back, I especially since I am testing a non-abrasive scratch removal system on the glass, I figured everyone would want a blow by blow photo essay on that one... so no hurry.

[lax]

all i can tell you is that to make the selective lighting that your talking about your gonna have to use a point source light, ie; halogen, not floursecent. make sure that you dont get a flood lamp though cuz thatll defeat your purpose.

haha, i got an idea how about a bunch of flash lights. wait there now i guess that you could do some sort of halogen flood if thats the easiest lamp to get, but fit a very acute angled mirror reflector to it and you could even possibly postition it so that the light comes in at angles. to further help the flood effect, get the lamp as close to the water as possible.

[Ram_Puppy]

thanks lax, I was thinking about the halogen pendant sets they sell at lowes and home depot, they are a little over an inch across, but I think they may be set up as floods.. not sure.

[lax]

i think that your talkin about mr-16's. they are flood lighting, you could do this except you would need a long cone reflector that has a very small angle so that it concentrates the light, otherwise your defeating the pupose. i done know where you could get such a reflector, matbe you could get one for a retro kit, shape and cut it to the look that you want.

[Ram_Puppy]

thanks... I think a Need a fieldtrip to home depot to find an ideal bulb.