moon light

I just got I new 36inch t5 lighting fixture for my 48 gallon marinetank the fixture includes 8 blue moon lights such are very bright it is slot brighter than other moon lights that I have see should I leave the moon light on all night every night or will this stress out the fish if u think I should only leave of on for a few hour what time of night and for how long

 

hey what make and model? Im thinking about doing yet another tank...

I would leave it on all night, actually I never turn mine off, with the diode life being what it is and and the energy consumed, it isnt a bother. YMMV

 

most moonlights are made in a spectrum that will not bother your fish. I would leave them on all night. if you do decide to limit your moonlights set a cycle that fits when you want to view your tank under moonlights. imo its the best coral viewing time.

 

It's a aquatic life 36 in fixture it has 4 39 watts fixtures I like it slot very clean looking and bright it is very low to the water level but I like it u can get it at bigalsonline.com it cost $289 an for me shipping was $16

 

My moonlights have a dimmer built in so I play around and try to follow the brightness of the moon outside.....doesnt matter really if you leave them on all night....the dimmer is a cool feature though......you can buy one and add it onto the cord for your moonlights....just a small step for a big stepper like yourself
Danny

 

IMO, the lunar lights are just for "show", they do not add any benefits to your system. They do not "imitate" what the Moon does for the Earth in any way, not even close. My lunar lights turn on after the Actinics turn off and stay on all night until the Actinics turn on again.



Luna

 

I've noticed the feeder tentacles on my bubble and trumpets don't come out when the moonlights are on. If I'm out in the living room at night after the actinics are off, I'll have them on to sorta "create the mood" in the room. The color is beautiful and the blue tank off to the left is relaxing while I'm watching TV or reading.

I no longer keep them on overnight, though. When I leave the room, I turn them off. The corals seem to appreciate the true down time. At night in the ocean most nights, it's pitch black.

I agree with Luna completely. The "moonlights" are about as much like the moon as as fat free cheese is to the real stuff.

 

Well, again, another debatable subject. I believe moon lights benefit the tank. As I have stated before, blanket statements about any subject are usually inaccurate. Here are a couple excerpts for the other side;
Most experienced reef owners will tell you that sit on top hoods pale in comparison to open tanks with high bay lights that are suspended above the tank. It causes less heating issues and also acts more like the sun (in the fact that it's farther above the water, not right on top of it.) Most suppliers can also help you with setting up daytime lighting and nighttime lighting. It's been proven that marine life get just as much benefit from moonlight as they do sunlight. For some reefs, moonlight is even more important than sunlight.

Lunar/Moon Lights
A recent trend in marine aquaria has been the addition of lunar lights, aka moon lights. These are low-intensity blue or white lights that are intended to simulate the moon's light.
Breeding cycles of fish and invertebrates are closely linked to lunar cycles, so it is believed that the use of lunar lights helps encourage breeding in captivity for many species.
Also, fish are not typically subjected to complete darkness in the wild; there is usually a small amount of lighting from the moon at night. When they are subjected to complete darkness in captivity, this can cause some stress, which can have a negative effect on the health of your livestock. Adding lunar lights helps to combat this. They also are great for viewing nocturnal activity that you would not otherwise get to see. Since they are typically LED bulbs, they have a virtually infinite life span. They come in two colors, blue and white.

 

Sounds like a quote from a lighting dealer or manufacturer lol. All they can ever say anyway is they believe it may help with breeding cycles. My brain wont put its sweepers out under the moonlights so it cant possibly be simulating a natural environment.

 

I'm not debating where or not the Moon, the real Moon helps the earth and all of its animals, I know it does. But your going to tell me that a man-made LED bulb is going to simulate what the Moon does?


Luna