blue "moon" light help

[bhammer]

i have no want to play with electric or setting my family on fire...lol...

The big difference between Xmas lights and LED is the power. Xmas are AC and LED are DC. I'd go with DC anytime over AC for the moon lights... The DC we are talking about doesn't hurt when you touch something you shouldn't

 

[headsonfire]

I once spent ages making blue moonlights in different ways. I tried high intensity LEDs - soldering them together on a batton, I tried cold cathodes etc...etc...
In the end it was far cheaper and easier and more timely to just buy a strip of waterproof high intensity LEDS, they come complete for the cost of making my own. They have been on my tank for 6months and still look brilliant.
Save money, Save time ----makes sense to me

 

[headsonfire]

Make sure you insulate them!! Dont want them shorting out !!

 

[cabezon]

Good going all. Can I take this one step further. How about a all LED hood for fresh water tank. Would you use all white or would you use multi colors to get a wide spectrum of light. In a planted tank can LEDs supply the kind and quality of light needed. Or is it just simpler to use fluorescent light? The hoods I got with my yard sale tanks don't work so do I build or buy?

Well, since I cant get my florescent to work, I am going to try an all LED. I bought a string of 180 white and a string of 180 blue and will do an all LED hood for the 55. it's 48"X12" on the top. I am thinking this is going to be bright.

 

[Rob.F]

I forget exactly which colors combine for white light. (any drama majors?) I was thinking the same thing, because I also have an extra string of the multicolor lights. White would definitely work. As far as using them for grow lights... the LED grow lights I have seen use specific blue and red frequencies. I believe that the Xmass lights are white with plastic covering for color and would not meet requirements.

So Rob, why don't the hoods work? there are only three parts, the wires, the ballast, and the bulb.

The colors are red/green/blue to make white light. Thank you Internet. I to have seen the LED grow lights the red is said to help set flowers the blue I don't know maybe just to make them look more like growlux tubes? I did get my fluorescent lights to work a bulb for one the other was a bad wire. The christmas LED lights I have use colored lamps in side same color covers. Good luck with the white/blue combo hood. Pictures would be good.

 

[thincat]

Well, since I cant get my florescent to work, I am going to try an all LED. I bought a string of 180 white and a string of 180 blue and will do an all LED hood for the 55. it's 48"X12" on the top. I am thinking this is going to be bright.

Correct me if I'm wrong, are you going to use it as your main Lights?

 

[cabezon]

Correct me if I'm wrong, are you going to use it as your main Lights?

Right you are sir.

why?

 

[mermaid8]

I like the blue effect on the water. nice job

 

[thincat]

Right you are sir.

why?

Are these lights led or xmas tree type? If led what is the total Wattage and what type of led's are they?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Im thinking the same thing thincat is getting at... Those lights, either led or christmas tree lights wont be very bright... even if they appear bright, they wont penetrate very deep... ever seen an led flashlight? They are really bright, but dont shine light very far... at least i think thats what thincat is getting at anyways

 

[thincat]

Yes it's all about penetration. On another thought 360 LED's would be very expensive even if they where not the high power type.

 

[Badger]

Speaking of Christmas lights....I've run rope lights behind my aquarium around the bottom or top before, it's pretty nice. Lots of light if you use LED rope lights though.

 

[cabezon]

this is a string of Xmas lights from Sam's Club. Last year the box had three strings of 60, this year it was one string of 180. The box says that it is rated as 14 watts. which isn't a lot compared to my 2 watt flashlight, which does have a lot of penetration.

So the strip I made with the blues does light up the sand pretty well for 60 with all blue, so i am thinking the 180 whites will do a better job than the florescent, but obviously not a better job than other HO bulbs. I drilled the 180 holes yesterday and started gluing in the lights. I will work on it more on monday. Remember I am unemployed, so I have time not money. As I was drilling, I wished I had a piece of pegboard.

 

[thincat]

If you are planning to use them as your main lights they will only work for a "Fish Only" tank. They will not support corals of any type. I take that back you could get a no-Photo coral like a sun coral.

 

[cabezon]

this is for FW.

 

[thincat]

My bad, It still may not be enough for a planted AQ. I believe that this thread started out as a saltwater moonlight thread.....................

 

[cabezon]

I kinda threadjacked. Yeah, break out the "Itoldusos" I plugged it in last night and it is dim. It doesnt even compete with the 18 watt fluorescent. It looks cool, and casts shadows of the surface on the bottom, but is way too dim for use as a main.

I might have to mount it on the bottom of the tank pointing up. lol

 

[Rob.F]

So we looking at 500/1000 bulbs or learn to love fluorescent?

 

[thincat]

Go and do a search on "highpower Cree LEDS" and you can do it for a lot less.

 

[mfdrookie516]

I kinda threadjacked. Yeah, break out the "Itoldusos" I plugged it in last night and it is dim. It doesnt even compete with the 18 watt fluorescent. It looks cool, and casts shadows of the surface on the bottom, but is way too dim for use as a main.

I might have to mount it on the bottom of the tank pointing up. lol

ummm... I TOLD YOU SO