How to light my tanks without blinding people over zoom?

[gilsonal]

I'm seeking some advice on how I can keep one of my tanks lit for high tech specs while also not having to turn it off during work hours. I'm a therapist and do video calls 4+ hours a day, but the lighting on the tank to my right behind me is so bright you can't even see into my (presently quite overgrown) aquarium. Nobody has complained about the brightness bothering them in a sensory way, but I'm not convinced that they're not just trying to be polite, as I work with a lot of folks with sensory sensitivities.

Right now I turn it off during work hours and split the photoperiod to before and after my sessions, but I'd like to be able to see in my tank while I'm in my office. I tried seeing if there is a film I could apply to the front/side glass to reduce the light coming out of the tank to a more reasonable level, like in a tinted car window. There appears to be film for windows that block UV light, or you can get an opaque film to block the view altogether, but that's not what I need either.

Can anyone recommend settings on my lamp (Fluval 3.0) or my webcam that might be less disruptive while also letting me keep demanding plants? Or a product that might change how it shows up on camera? It looks reasonable in person but on screen its an eyesore. Worst case scenario, I turn it into my long-planned all Crypt tank and go lower tech, but I'd planned on doing it in a 10 gallon, not this smaller one (I think it's a 7G, if it matters).

Thanks!

 

[Dennis Wong]

You can use lamp shades (probably have to customize them) for the ones in direct line of sight (like the one on the right in your pic). Brightening up the entire room with additional lights will also give a more even visual exposure for the camera. If you are into DIY stuff, you can also fit your camera with polarizing lenses.

 

[Koan]

Hard to see from the pic, I assume you're using the Fluval 3.0 long light, not the individual square Nano lights?

Lots of shades are available for the Nano lights on Etsy. For the long light, this guy created a compound custom shade for my 48 inch light of a different brand, he would be happy to design one for you

Thread 'Custom MicMol / Aquamaxx shades!'

Jul 5, 2025

For those of us who picked up the Aquamaxx closeout last year, or otherwise have the MicMol G3 Aqua Air lights,

Ross @engineered printings on Etsy has worked with me to create custom fit shades for the the 12" and 48" inch models:





He can easily extend for the 24" or 36" sizes as well

We designed the 48" as a series of overlapping pieces for ease of handling, or he can also print as a single unit if you prefer




Excellent prices and great to work with. Give him a shout!

• Koan

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[TheWetScape]

I was staring at the photo thinking this isnt bad at all, but then I saw the light on the right haha trying some kind of shade is honestly your best bet, if you can’t turn down the exposure on the camera. But that will darken the entire picture with you included.

 

[Jeff Miotke]

The best way is to even out the lighting on you relative to the tanks. I do this all the time with my studio lights when creating my videos. This will also improve the video quality in your calls.

 

[Pepere]

Well, begging the question entirely…. Can you rearrange the office somehow so when you are working the tanks are in your line of sight and not the clients on the zoom call?

If you could, double win. Lights out of clients eyes, you are able to enjoy gazing into the tanks while you work…

 

[Minorhero]

Shades would be useful if the camera was seeing the light directly. However, for the tank on the right, it doesn't appear to my eye to be the issue. That looks like reflected light. Which means a shade is not going to do anything to correct the issue. You have 2 options.

1) Position your camera and your tank so the tank is not in the line of sight of the camera.

2) Add significantly more light to your room so that your face is illuminated at or near the same level as your 'too bright' tank.

The reason these are your only options is because the way cameras work its auto adjusting its brightness level (or ISO) to keep your face in good exposure. This is all done with software in web cameras. With a very bright object in the background and your face darker, you will always get your current 'too bright' tank look.

Alternatively you can use a software background or an actual in room dividing screen. Good luck.