any one try the moonlights?

[lbaier]

I just ordered 2 96 watt bulbs with the hood, one 10000k bulb and one 03 actinic bulb, with 3 one watt moon light, we'll see if this gets the job done!

has anyone had any experience with this set up?

[BillyZ]

The moon lights are still rather new to the hobby i believe. Not a lot of hard evidence as to what they will do for the tank. Please be sure to let us know how it affects your tank! What are you plans for a lighting schedule?

[justDIY]

most of the retail moonlights are just LED bulbs glued inside a plastic 'shell'

if you have a nack for DIY, you can make yourself moonlights for a LOT less than retail.

another thing to consider is "cold cathode" fluorescent. The are typically used to light up the underbody of a car or inside a computer. You can find them at most major discount stores (meijer, walmart) as well as most automotive stores. They vary in price from 15 to 35 depending on size and come in a rainbow of colors.

I currently use two 10" blue-white bulbs on my 29 gallon; mounted inside the hood right above the regular lights. They look very nice in a dark room. I have them timed to come on just before the main lights turn off.

The cold cathode lights run off 12 volts DC (found in computers and cars), but any "wall wart" power pack that puts out 10 to 14 vdc will run them, just make sure you match up polarity.

[lbaier]

i'm not sure about a lighting schedule... what are your times? this is the one part i haven't researched thoroghly. i just moved into a new house, i've been cleaning up the wazoo. but i always have time for my fishtank and where would i buy the right kind of timers. i know all the lights are independent so i can time them all seperately.

[justDIY]

well, I run freshwater tropical, a planted tank, so it's light requirements are different than a marine tank's would be.

I run my lights 10 hours a day, from 11am to 9pm. The moon lights right now are actually manually controlled ... sometimes I turn them on, sometimes I forget. For me (and my freshwater fish), the lights are purely ornamental ... the fish don't seem to see very well in the dim blue light, and just take to their night time activities of sleeping. my pleco and oto catfish become more active, since it's now "dark" out for them.

I did have the lights on a timer previously, but I'm in the process of rebuilding my lighting, so things are a bit dismantled right now.

I leave the timing of moon lights up to the marine experts, as I have no experience here, nor do I know their effects on a marine enviroment.

[BillyZ]

I don't know enough about the moon lights to comment on their use/schedule either. In terms of my SW tank I have the actinics on for an hour by themselves in the morning, then both the actinics and the 10ks on for 10 hours. Then the 10k's shut off leaving the actinics on for an hour, then off. 1 hour blue, 10 hours full, 1 hour blue, 12 hours dark. It's important to have a full light/dark cycle for all the critters in your tank.

[lbaier]

what i've read about moonlights is you just leave them on during the dark no light period and they help spawing. i got some oscellirus clowns so maybe theyll make me proud. the LFS just keeps raising prices and he's a real nice guy, i would love to sell him inexpesive fish to sell at a steal deal.

[marinelife]

I use two 25 watt blue party bulbs on my 180 reef and they work great, I have them come on as my VHOs go off but I do change it at different parts of the year. They make a controller that does this for you to get it on the cycle the moon is on. This is all about coral spawning, I believe that to be the one main reason and I did read somewhere that most fish do not like 100% darkness because they have the moon on the reef .

[kidafius]

Here's the thing about the moonlights. I think they might disturb your tank somewhat unless you get the proper wavelength. I can't remember exactly, but I believe that it is in the 455-470 nm range. Research first, but I hear that you can indeed get some LEDs of that spectrum.

The main reason to use them, however, is not for your critters, but for you. So you can enjoy all of the night-time activity with the lights, but the light wavelength is a natural "moon" range that will not disturb sleeping and/or nocturnal paterns.