# Moon lighting ?



## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

I'm new to the hobby and keep hearing about moon lighting , my question is what exactly is it and is it beneficial or harmful
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## rexpepper651 (Dec 25, 2012)

i wouldnt see it to be harmful. if you think about a night with a full moon or something to that affect. benefits im guessing would be more natural environment for the fish and you get to seem them still. alot of people have planted tanks an run their lights on a timer so it gives you more time to enjoy your tank(s) without risking a algae outbreak.


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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

Well when u put it that way it makes sense lol thanks
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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

Can they stay on al the time?
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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Bigdawg355 said:


> Can they stay on al the time?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


I have an LED light fixture that has built in moonlights, and they are always on. 3 choices - all on, all off, or moonlights only. I have other modular moonlights that don't have an on/off switch, so they just stay on 24/7.


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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

Ok I wasn't sure cause I've heard they need complete darkness for a period of time
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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

Well, there are nights where there is no moonlight. I actually have in interesting experiment I can run. I have both blue and white moonlights. The BGK only comes out at night - the instance I turn off the lights it is out exploring. I'll run both lights on the tank and see how the fish reacts.


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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

Ya my African featherfin only comes out at night so that would help out a lot thank you
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## rexpepper651 (Dec 25, 2012)

depends on how bright your moonlighting is. theres a good diy one on here i believe. using cold cathod computer lights and a 9 volt power supply.


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## JDM (Dec 9, 2012)

I set my timer to activate the blue lights before the white lights and stay on longer afterwards. With my plant cover it doesn't really do anything but the fish do become more active once they come on in the morning so I wouldn't want to leave them on. Besides, the bulbs are rated for so many hours and running them 24 hours a day at least halves their life expectancy. Not such a big deal with bulbs but more of an issue with LED fixtures... although mine would still last almost 6 years. 

I wouldn't use them at all except for the multistage timer. 

Jeff.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

I have those on a good portion of the night in all the bedroom "nightlight" tanks. The fish are fine, No algea, plants are all fine too. Actually in one of my bigger tanks with the two crayfish I've found that when I want them to come out in the day I just turn the blue moonlights on and they come out ready to interact thinking it's night as long as the sun isn't shinning in the room too much. My kids do it all the time to "play" with the crays.


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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

rexpepper651 said:


> depends on how bright your moonlighting is. theres a good diy one on here i believe. using cold cathod computer lights and a 9 volt power supply.


I have some blue LEDs from an underglow kit from a car so they are 12v there are 32 LEDs in the two strips they aren't really that bright but they do have a low and high setting
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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I think there were only like 8 LEDs on my fixture. 32 sounds like it would be a lot.


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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

jaysee said:


> I think there were only like 8 LEDs on my fixture. 32 sounds like it would be a lot.


It does sound like a lot but they are two 24 inch strips and are end to end covering 48 inches. They are made to put under a car to produce a blue glow so it's not an intense light they have a diffuser to spread the light evenly I would post a pic but can't figure out how
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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

If it works it works  A pic is not going to depict what the lighting actually looks like - you are the only one that will really know how bright it is.


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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Bigdawg355 said:


> I have some blue LEDs from an underglow kit from a car so they are 12v there are 32 LEDs in the two strips they aren't really that bright but they do have a low and high setting
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Overkill depending on your tank size. Only my 75 runs that many blue LEDs and that light is an absolutely absurd light all around 62 of the blues and it's really rediculous when I put that on at night. The 48(or 46 can't remember lol) there are 6 which is good and all the nightlight tanks which run 4-6g have 3.

Edit.. just turned the switch and it leaves only ~36 on for the night setting. Still bright a hell.


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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

Agent13 said:


> Overkill depending on your tank size. Only my 75 runs that many blue LEDs and that light is an absolutely absurd light all around 62 of the blues and it's really rediculous when I put that on at night. The 48(or 46 can't remember lol) there are 6 which is good and all the nightlight tanks which run 4-6g have 3.
> 
> Edit.. just turned the switch and it leaves only ~36 on for the night setting. Still bright a hell.


It's a 55 gallon and only 32 total
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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

jaysee said:


> If it works it works  A pic is not going to depict what the lighting actually looks like - you are the only one that will really know how bright it is.


I know the high setting is really bright but you still can't even see the fish just kind of a silhouette
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## Agent13 (Apr 23, 2013)

Like Jaysee said a pic will not really show how bright it can be but here is mine..middle of a very sunny day with 36 blue leds. I only leave this one on the moonlight setting when I have friends over or for whatever every once in a while because I do worry the brightness of that will effect the fish. I would half that if I were you. But you already have it set up? Maybe it'll be fine. One way to find out.


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## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

My caution would be not to leave any "lights" on for at least a few hours at night, maybe 6 or so, so the fish (and plants if you have therm) have the period of complete darkness which they* do* need for their physiology. You might find more data in my article on light and its effect on fish:
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/.../lighting-how-affects-freshwater-fish-188633/


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## Bigdawg355 (Jun 24, 2013)

Mine dont look that bright . I have it just temporary to see what it looks like but I plan on turning it off when I go to bed at night
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