Have you seen this moonlight system?

[balticbsc3]

Hello everyone. I just bought some T5 retro kits from hellolights for my 30 gallon and was looking at moonlighting to complete the 24-hour cycle. I have a few questions. First of all, I know that moonlights create a cool look after the lights turn off, but do they actually benefit your reef aquarium? Also what are you guys and gals using for your moonlights (if you have them)? I was looking at Fishbowl Innovations Moon cycle controller. Tell me what you guys think. Any pictures of your setups would be great to. Thanks!!

 

[signal7]

I have the Fishbowl Innovations moonlights. They're a little pricey but are well made and work very well. I have the controller with 3 tubes hooked up. It provides a nice even amount of moonlighting over my 125 gallon (6 ft wide).

This is a pic with the moonlights when I was starting to setup my 125:

 

[OO7]

I think this looks like a sweet system! I wonder though how reliable they are . . . .

I also wonder if the extra $30 for the computer is worth it instead of just the controller.

Do these moonlights fade in to maximum brightness (depending on where in the moon cycle they are) and then fade out, or do they just click on and off . . . .

 

[balticbsc3]

The moonlights actually never turn off. They change intensity according to the phase of the moon. The full moon is when they are brightest etc. The actual LED's never turn off.

 

[signal7]

On the basic controller, the knob fades from 0 to full bright, and the last setting clicks it into auto mode, which automatically fades from full-brightness to zero to back over the course of 30 days..

As for the reliability, I've had them for over a year with no issue. Not really sure what could go wrong with them unless you got things wet.

The new high-end moon computer seems to have a built-in on/off timer so that you can turn them off at daytime when you don't need them. However, if you use this mode, you have to set the moonlights to one brightness level, and doesn't use the 30-day cycle feature. It would be similar to using the basic controller with an external timer, it sounds like. Honestly I just leave mine on all the time...

 

[OO7]

Ahh, I see . . . . so in the controller set up, they are just on . . . there's no on/off cycle. The intensity just increases and decreases.

I'm sold . . . . I'll give em' a whirl.

 

[detroit_fan]

i have 2 tubes on my 55. i like thembut they are not as bright as i thought they would be. i think their pic gallery is a little misleading. good product tho. i have the regular controller, didn't see the value in spending the extra $$$ for the comp controller