moon lighting questions? Thought heavy

No prob!

You can always you the REAL moon with these too:

http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-lighting/solar-tubes-action-39352.html

 

Yes I did, I haven't hooked it up yet, but I will tonight. I wanted a dimmer for the LED unit, because it consists of 5 LEDs on a 4" strip. I saw the R2 moonlight controller for only 29$ at Marine Depot. So I said what the hay. It does moon phases according to a 29.5 day moon cycle. I will take pics, and do a full review, because I know Matt Rogers is keen on the review section. I will take pics of the cycles. I know moon lights encourage spawning and growth from corals and fish, and I would say that leaving them on all night might not be good. R2 recomends 5-8 hours. Also I'll do a review on the AquaC Remora I just added last night.

 

This is an interesting thread. I use my moonlights differently than everyone else but not because of philosophical differences--so far it has been out of necessity.

I used to run them all night on my 5g but when I upgraded to a 20g the new hood I bought (new as in used!) did not have separate switches for the actinic and daylight bulbs. So I decided to use my moonlights as pseudo-actinic lighting to help "wake" everything up before the full lighting comes on. I use R2 moonlight strips, so they are very bright and they actually do help to wake up many of my corals.

I realize the predominate wavelength of the R2 isn't correct for actinic lighting but I swear my corals react to this light when it comes on. It seems like the majority consensus on 3reef is that corals do "see" moonlighting. I agree--the feeling is contrary to what the guys at the LFS say. They are always stating that the moonlights are not "seen" by corals.

 

I agree, my corals, inverts, and fish react to the R2's.. they seem frisky.

 

Another R2 user! I don't know anyone else that uses them. I love those things! They are so bright--I have never seen other LED moonlights that compare. The only problem is how expensive they are.

 

I pay like $40 each for them at the LFS. I also wish they made them so you could daisy-chain a bunch together.

 

i keep my led moon on all night on my 36 and have no ill affects but do have candy corals that like to open to them. But there is only one fish in that tank so didn't know if fish were affected by this either. I have notced that on alot of programs that I have watched on reefs that there are many diffrent spawning times that coinside with moon lights and tide times. Is there anyone that has use these controlers for any period of time and can anyone tell a diffrence on fish not just coral.

 

My candycane opens with it too.

I was curious about the tide/moonlight topic. The gravity of them moon pulls on things regardless of whether they are in the ocean. What about using the controller set to coincide with the real lunar cycles so that the corals get the light/gravity combination. Has anybody ever tried that?

Also, the sun causes a slight tidal effect as well. The combination of the solar and lunar positions determines the magnitude of the tide--that's where spring and neap tides come from. Could the solar tide also factor into the coral reproduction equation?

 

from what I have seen and read about corals the tide is the main reason for mass spawn. They have better chance of spreding there seed across the oceans. I have also seen where land crabs will mass spawn on tidal currents that also coinside with the moon, it gives the right flow of water to carry there young to a nutirent rich enviroment. There are also whales that feed in certin spots and return to these spots with luner cycles.
The other thought is the gravitational pull of the moon might not be felt by our small tank cause the moon is affecting a more massive body of water in the ocean. But then in the same note maybe many fish/coral can just sense this gravitational feild and will spawn or feed cause of it, and mybe the light might just be the que for this to happen.

 

ahhhh just another thought while watching a program on gravity, they say that the gravitational feild is stronger the farther from the equater that you get. maybe the corals and fish feal this feild and don't know what to think of it. just a thought