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Moon/Lunar Lights

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 3:31 pm
by call_apple
Any one using them on any of their tanks? I was thinking of getting some for my tank.

Bryan

Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 9:34 pm
by cheesenips
Lunar/moon lights are basically small LED lights that produces a blue beam luminating an area of water in your tank. Reef keepers use it for marine organisms because the LED lights simulates them with the "moon-like" feel just like in nature. Another reason why reef keepers use them is because the light would allow the reefer to view the tank with all the main lights off.

In a shrimp enviroment, moonlights have not been documented to stimulate shrimp or any other freshwater animals (in terms of health, breeding, ect). If you have plants in your tank, they will often obstruct the beam of light coming from the LED so that would make it useless as well.

I have tried moonlights for my shrimp tanks before because my PC lighting had slots for them built in, however I did not find them useful for the reasons stated above.

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:00 am
by Shrimp&Snails
My hubby has the spotlights and a moonlight tube light.

They look pretty and shy fish come out into the open but they get scared very easily of noises and vibrations because they think it's night time and aren't expecting it.

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:12 pm
by stuhrike
i have them on my nano cube but they seem kinda pointless to a freshwater tank :P

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 3:51 pm
by frugalfish
I find them very useful on my freshwater tanks for viewing fish and invertebrates that are mostly or only active at night with the lights off. I had a trio of shrimp that I still have no idea to this day what they were, and these shrimp hid all day, but were very active at night. Even though they had the tank all to themselves they still only came out after lights out. Only reason I discovered this was by using a moonlight on their tank. There are lots of interesting things that can happen in aquariums when the lights go out and with a moonlight you get to find out what they are.

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:41 pm
by cheesenips
Are we talking about LEDs still or actinic type fluroresent tubes, because unless your tank is really small or shallow the lights produced by the LEDs wont cover much of an area. This would be more true if you have plants in the tank.

Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2006 5:32 pm
by frugalfish
Well this is what I was talking about...


Image

Not all lunar/moonlites are equal. This was the first one I ever tried and still think it's the best. I'm not sure if it's manufactured anymore as I bought it a few years back. The thing is with these lites is that you must stay in the room until your eyes can adjust to the low light. Remember these lites are replicating night conditions and it's not that easy to see things at night. :wink: But besides growing corals etc in reef tanks these come in handy for observing animals that have unique behaviors at night. Perhaps they are not for everyone, but I find them very useful in my fishroom.

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:27 pm
by JayD976
i have them on my 90gal tank they look good.

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 8:55 pm
by Shrimpmania
Can post picture?

Posted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:09 pm
by JayD976
ive tried in the past doesnt come out well, but heres a pic i found on the internet of the system i use. Plus i like how u can dim the lighting with this system.

Image[/img]