MoonLighting

[Ricerocket]

I currently only have the single light strip for my daily lighting. When the light turns off at night my room is absolutle darkness. Is it stressful for fish to be in that dark of a room? Should I plugin a nightlight near the tank or better yet should I buy one of those Custom Sealife Moon Lites? I have seen one of those for 29.00. Can anyone give me some feedback on one of those.

Thanks,
Kevin(Omaha)

[rockdr]

I have 1 of the CSL moonlights on my 75gal. I can see pretty well when it is on and the room is dark. As for being stressful for the fish ??? I dont keep the moonlight on all night just for a few hours after the actinics go off. THe moonlights are just little LED's it seems like there has been a few posts lately re: a DIY moonlight setup-maybe do a search.

[connecticut cichlids]

i see them on ebay for $18...

[MattG]

heres a link to a diy moonlight that im thinking about giving a try

http://www.kaotica.com/frag/diy/moonlight/

[GinaSofia]

I just attached blue tube lighting (under $10 at K or wal-mart) around the inside rim of my canopy and it has the same effect as the more expensive moon lighting..just enough light to look in at night and low enough that everything still gets to sleep.

[Chrash236]

take a 15 watt party blue bulb and paint black lines on it this will reduce some of the brightness of the bulb and it cost like 6 bucks

[Ricerocket]

Does the color have to be blue? I have seen some peoples tanks that have red lighting. What would be the purpose of red lighting?

I like Kataras idea but I don't have a canopy. I then thought about getting some small 48 inch long piece of oak and routing out a groove just big enough to lay that blue rope into and then use black electrical tape to wind it around the remaining blue rope. I don't think those rope lights create any heat. If they do I don't think it would be enough heat to cause any problem.

Thanks Katara..

Kevin(Omaha)

[GinaSofia]

Nope,you're right no heat..
The red lighting people use is because the inverts and fish can't see it so you can watch the critters that wouldn't normally come out.
However w'/this blue tube lighting the light is so faint that I see all my nocturnal critters come out..and I don't know how but w/out me having to position the lights in any special way, it sed beams into nooks and crannies,really making it look like the depths of the ocean..way cool and cheap to boot!I think you'd be fine w/your piece of oak..I know of someone who used a hot glue gun to glue the tube into place but it comes w/the plastic brackets and screws..took me less than 1 hr.Good luck!

[Rothie]

Katara-Do you have a pic of the blue tube.In what department did you find it?

[GinaSofia]

No..I haven't taken any pics and my camera sucks so i don't think you'd get the full effect..it's in the lighting/bulbs dept. at Wal-mart..just ask for tube lighting..it even comes in red if you prefer.but the blue looks awesomeIt's 12 ft long.

[Rothie]

Thanks,Katara!

[Mantis]

Thats a fantastic idea,

Thanks Katara

[connecticut cichlids]

just got back from wal-mart ..i bought the blue flexible lighting that Katara mentioned...it was just over $7.00 for 12 feet !!this is gonna be a cool project....:rollface:
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-6/241225/Nov19125.JPG

[Ricerocket]

Hey connecticut cichlids.

When you have completed your project could you post some pics so we could check it out? I'm hoping you have no canopy so I can see how yours works out.

Thanks,
Kevin(Omaha)

[connecticut cichlids]

will do..!

[HaKs310]

http://xoxide.com/elwire.html
on/off switch and has a brightness knob

[DouglasTiede]

Originally posted by Katara
I just attached blue tube lighting (under $10 at K or wal-mart) around the inside rim of my canopy and it has the same effect as the more expensive moon lighting..just enough light to look in at night and low enough that everything still gets to sleep.


Are you talking about those flexible tubes that people line stairs with or banister rails at christmas with? the one that look like they
have miniture christmas lights in them and are clear plastic tube
covered? they come is all colors white, blue, red etc...

[connecticut cichlids]

yup.. those are the ones.....

[ORLANDO]

ain't that too much light intensity

remember that the fish needs to sleep and some organism don't need that much light at night,

now if you did'nt get any fish killed like that let me know cause i might put one of those too

[connecticut cichlids]

orlando..the tube lights really only produce a soft light inside the tank.. gives it a awsome looking color at night..for $7 , how can you go wrong? I also thinking of buying the red tube set to see how that looks..!

[OrchidMan]

Originally posted by connecticut cichlids
orlando..the tube lights really only produce a soft light inside the tank.. gives it a awsome looking color at night..for $7 , how can you go wrong? I also thinking of buying the red tube set to see how that looks..!
Our 50 gal tank is a 36" long one. I am thinking that 4 passes of the light string might be a bit strong. If it proves to be to much, do you think a dimmer would work with it.

Gary

[connecticut cichlids]

u could try that or you could use black electrical tape and tape of the part of the tube that your not gonna use.. 2 passes might be the right amount of light

[Ricerocket]

You could make a dimmer switch from parts at home depot.
Maybe they even have one that is already made for it.

Kevin
(Omaha)

[Rothie]

I found a 6' string at Lowes. The shortest at Home Depot was 18'.
Home Depot also had a stick-on plastic channel to mount them,instead of using the enclosed hardware.I think it was 6' for $3.

[Konadog]

I have a 15w blue party bulb in one of those clamp on lights without the reflector. Using X10 lighting controller with eLightmaster software. The bulb automatically dims with the moon phases.

[MountainReef]

OK Konadog

I think you are taking this tekkie thing a little to far:D

Maybe I'll hang a MH from a boom on a timer so the sun will rise in the east and set in the west:D

[yessongs]

These are working fine for me, and they swivel so you can point them where you want. $12 for two. www.winplususa.com/products/lights/dash_light/10416.html

[Konadog]

Originally posted by MountainReef
OK Konadog
I think you are taking this tekkie thing a little to far:D

But its my job :rolleyes: The moon phase is pretty cool thou.

[gonefishin]

I have tried both the blue striplighhts and just tonight made the DIY moon light similar to that on the site www.kaotica.com listed in one of the previous posts. I got to tell you the single LEDs look much better than the strip IMO. It was really easy to make. I got a little brighter LED than the ones used on www.kaotica,com and they look really good. Sorry, I dont have pictures yet. Thye are to be mounted into a DIY canopy that is not yet completed. They have a much smalller foot print than the strip light and you can make as many or as few as you want. Cost was about $20. for a 5 led setup with the ac/dc convertor being the biggest cost. I am not very electrical minded and it was a simple project took all of about an hour to make.

[Rothie]

yessongs
I love the dash lights.What a great idea. Thanks!

[elefink]

yessongs-

I saw those in PepBoys. they look cool, but they work off the DC car plug. What did you do to get them to work?

[yessongs]

Before i cut the wires i wanted to test them, so i soddered(SC) the wires from a DC adaptor onto the DC car plug. Later today i will get a volt meter from a friend so when i cut the wires i can follow them, just in case they are the same color, also checking for resistors inside the plug, i used Shoe-Goo instead of the tape that comes with the light, this is a glue thats has a very strong bond, but easly comes apart when you want, they are mounted on my 250W MH pendent, and cast a nice light where you want it, i had them hooked up for a around a month now, the lights are about 1/4"W X 1"L, they are $12 and the DC adaptor was under $5. The LEDs are blue, but the case comes in different colors, blue, red, mine are black. I will see about getting some pics of the tank in a few days.

[Rothie]

Where did you buy the DC adaptor?

[rallendorph]

Hi folks,

I thought I'd chip in since I built a rig based on the ideas in http://www.kaotica.com/frag/diy/moonlight. I utilize 10x 500TB4DF 60 Deg. 5mm Blue LEDs.

I originally was going to do a fancy / professional job for the Moonlights, but I couldn't find the parts I wanted. And given time was very scarce for me, I decided to just get it done. The lights are connect via an old power cord that gave it's life for the project. This is in turn mounted to two 5' Plastic garden stakes I found at Ace. I would have preferred Acrylic, but just ran out of patience locating an acrylic rod. The lights are connect to the zip cord with a 150Ohm 1/2watt resistor on the (+) lead of the LED. And they are powered by a 6W - 300ma transformer from RadioShack. All-in-all the Light Rig ran me about $45.00. I may decide to twiddle the bits and build a fancy one later. But for know this works.

The spotlight effect in the Pics is actually a combination of reflection along the acrylic, and the exposure settings I set when taking the pics. (The brightness level is also exaggerated by the camera settings.) I am really very happy with the effect of the Moonlights. I wanted a very smooth even lighting effect, and the 60 Deg. bulbs provide that nicely. I get about a 20" diameter at 30" height. And by mounting 6x bulbs every 10 inches in front, with 2x on either side of the overflow in the back I believer I achieve the effect I want. Running 10x bulbs will also provides some flexibility in concentrating more/less light on a given area.

I tend to change the focus of the lights occasionally to match new additions to the tank. Also, under the LEDs some of the Corals still fluoresce. I only turn the LEDs off between 2:00am and 6:00am.

Here is a series of pics. The 1st pic show the Moonlights inside canopy.
Rob A. :beer:

[rallendorph]

Here is a pic of the moonlights in Tank - after I put in sand but before I filled with water. It demonstrates even coverage. Again the light level is exaggerated by camera settings.

Rob A. :beer:

[rallendorph]

And, here is a pic after I placed my LR. (For some reason, I don't have a current pic with corals. :( :hammer: )

Rob A. :beer:

[yessongs]

Originally posted by Rothie
Where did you buy the DC adaptor? Radio Shack sells them, i found mine in a electronic store, it was cheaper. BTW the socket it plugs into in the dash can be bought in auto stores, but its quite big, i think its best to sodder or use small wire nuts to connect the LEDs to the adaptor.

Rob A, i was going to use LEDs with a reflector from a mini Maglite part # 108-064 its the 2nd one down $1.00 each www.flashlightking.com/cgi-bin/store/commerce.cgi?product=REPLACEMENT_PARTS_2_CELL_AAA_SIZE they might spread the light more evenly over the tank.