Bishopsnet
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So as I'm on day 2 of my cycle I turned the lights on and realized the day and night lights are different plugs. No switch. What's the best way to control it?
Lighting control?
- Thread starter Bishopsnet
- Start date
If they are on separate power cords you could use timers.
http://aquarium.bulkreefsupply.com/search?w=digital timers
You can usually pick timers up at say Walmart, HD or Lowe's also.
Bishopsnet
New member
That's what I figured. I thought maybe there was something more integrated.
Bishopsnet
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Can you use one timer for both light? Or do you have to buy 2?
Half Vaped
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You would have to buy one that is a dual timer.
Example : http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...pkUKA6QZIAnj8bSpV19nkObWojrS5WOHtvRoCYLzw_wcB
Ron Reefman
Active member
Day and night lights? What is it you are calling a 'night' light?
Is it a few blue leds or half the display of leds or a few t5 fluorescent bulbs? If it's the latter, they aren't night lights. They are intended to run with the white lights. Corals have an algae called zooxanthellae that live inside the coral polyp. This algae uses the blue light to do photosynthesis which feeds it and the coral.
Bishopsnet
New member
It has a panel of white leds and in the 4 corners there are blue leds
1) I agree with Ron, all lights should be out at night. If you mean blue and white are on different plugs than run the white cycle on a timer from 10-4, and the blue cycle on a timer from 8-8. This is just a rough estimate as everyone has a little different preference on timing lights based on their tank's needs.
2) Many of your reptile timers have a day/night plug so you can run UVB and heattape on seperate circuits to replicate natural light cycles. This would work if you have some actual lights you run at night, which I don't recommend.
Or you can get one of the many reef light controllers and have them ramp the circuits separately to your needs
2) Many of your reptile timers have a day/night plug so you can run UVB and heattape on seperate circuits to replicate natural light cycles. This would work if you have some actual lights you run at night, which I don't recommend.
Or you can get one of the many reef light controllers and have them ramp the circuits separately to your needs
Bishopsnet
New member
So do the blue leds represent moonlight?
The blue LEDs represent blue light which is the most prevalent light under water. Actinic (blue-violet) light is one of the most beneficial lights for corals. Some people will run their actinic at low power in the morning and evening or some overnight to replicate moonlight, but this is not really necessary.
Half Vaped
New member
This is for your JBJ Nano Cube with intermediate lights, yes? For that system the (4 * 0.5 watt) blue LEDs are meant for moonlight.
Some of the other guys think that your blue LEDs are actually for actinic lighting, which stays on longer before and after the main lights go off to give a nice sunrise/sunset effect. They also give corals beneficial blue light. I believe your system uses only 14000K lights on the main plug. I guess your moonlights can be used for the same sunrise/sunset effect, but they're way too weak to provide the "true" actinic experience, since they're really meant to be used as a moonlight.
Studies have shown that for optimum growth, corals need to be kept in complete darkness for at least four to six hours. In my tanks, I tried it both ways with moonlights on all night and moonlights only on for a few hours. I did both ways for several months each. I honestly found no difference between the two as far as coral growth.
I guess you have three ways to use them: 1) as sunrise/sunset before and after the white lights, 2) moonlights on for a few hours a night or 3) moonlights on all night on the opposite schedule as the white lights. I doubt the corals or even algae growth will show much difference with only 2 watts of light, but you never know. Try all ways and see what works best.
Half Vaped
New member
Now that I think of it, you have a fourth option of keeping the moonlights running 24/7, which I've read others do on the their Nano Cube. I wouldn't recommend this, since it would shorten the lifespan of the blue LEDs. But it would be cheap in the short term, since you just need one $10 timer.
Giving it more thought, I recommend getting two separate timers. Have the blue LEDs turn on two hours before the white lights and turn them off four to six hours after the white lights go off. Your choice whether or not you want them to be on at the same time as the white lights. Gives both the sunrise/sunset and moonlight effects all at once.
And to clarify about the actinic lighting, most of the better LED and T5HO lighting systems have separate controls for the actinic and white lights. The "pro lighting" version of the Nano Cube has this feature. Your system's 14000K lighting already supplies a mix of blue and white lighting, but you have no control of showing only the blue spectrum.
Giving it more thought, I recommend getting two separate timers. Have the blue LEDs turn on two hours before the white lights and turn them off four to six hours after the white lights go off. Your choice whether or not you want them to be on at the same time as the white lights. Gives both the sunrise/sunset and moonlight effects all at once.
And to clarify about the actinic lighting, most of the better LED and T5HO lighting systems have separate controls for the actinic and white lights. The "pro lighting" version of the Nano Cube has this feature. Your system's 14000K lighting already supplies a mix of blue and white lighting, but you have no control of showing only the blue spectrum.
Bishopsnet
New member
I have a seperate plug for the blue lights and white lights. So I can run them seperately or together. Is that what you are talking about with the pro version?
Half Vaped
New member
You have the "Intermediate" lights. The two plugs are for the white lights and moonlights.
The "Pro" lights costs a few hundred dollars more and I imagine, probably has three separate plugs: one for the white lights, one for the actinic lights and one for moonlights.
The "Pro" lights costs a few hundred dollars more and I imagine, probably has three separate plugs: one for the white lights, one for the actinic lights and one for moonlights.
Half Vaped
New member
What I mean to say is that when you plug in only the plug for the "white" lights (leave the plug for the moonlights unplugged), they already have a blue tint to it, so you have some of the benefits of actinic lighting.
But since it's only powered by one plug and you have no controller for the lights, you don't have the ability to have show only the blue spectrum of the "white" light. I am not talking about the moonlights at all.
Bishopsnet
New member
Ok got it
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