Moonlight setting

[gareth.hubbarde]

Got my tmc aquabar leds set up with a controller and am able to set daytime light power and a moonlight power. The lights are a reef white and a fiji purple bar. Current daytime settings are
White 60%
Purples 70%

The moonlight settings are
White 20%
Purple 10%

The moonlight settings go off totally at 9pm so no lights on the rest of the night.

Would this be enough of a difference between night and day?

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[mcgyvr]

Would this be enough of a difference between night and day?

Does it look like enough to you?
Are your corals still closing up at "nighttime"?

 

[TokiHacker]

Got my tmc aquabar leds set up with a controller and am able to set daytime light power and a moonlight power. The lights are a reef white and a fiji purple bar. Current daytime settings are
White 60%
Purples 70%

The moonlight settings are
White 20%
Purple 10%

The moonlight settings go off totally at 9pm so no lights on the rest of the night.

Would this be enough of a difference between night and day?

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

I have ran in "moonlight" and complete darkness. I suggest the complete darkness.

 

[sde1500]

My moonlights are 3 total LEDs. It filters just a little light through the tank. I'd say whites at 20 is way overkill for a moonlight setting.

 

[top shelf]

Turn your whites to 0 and purple to 1%

 

[protie]

Are your corals still closing up at "nighttime"?

Just out of curiosity, what harm is it to corals to leave lights on 24/7?

 

[OldReefGuy]

I run my lights (moonlight) purple only for 5 hours and than all lights off for 2 hours, until 6 am and than natural room light comes in.

 

[squeakymcmurdo]

I'm curious what harm it is too. I like being able to see nocturnal animals in the "œmoonlight." I have my main lights on a timer and some blue LED strip lights on 24/7.

 

[sde1500]

Corals need time without lights, constant light will create constant photosynthesis without the chance to rest. Constant strong light 24/7 will kill the corals.

 

[oldhead]

Like everyone else said no whites for moon light. I have AI prime HD's. I run the blue and royal blue at 2% for an hour or 2 after the ramp down and the same before the ramp up. This gives my corals and fish 5 hours of complete darkness.

 

[EMeyer]

A few points.
1. Real moonlight is extremely dim. Surely I'm not the only one here who has gone scuba diving on a reef during the full moon. It is nearly pitch black. Any LED solution is ridiculously overpowered relative to real moonlight, and certainly you should turn it all the way down to its minimum setting if you want to even approach realistic levels.

2. Real moonlight is highly variable. There is only a full moon for 1 or occasionally 2 nights each month. Most of the month there is much, much less moonlight, approaching none at all.

In short, moonlight isnt bright blue light all night long. Its extremely dim light for a few hours on a few nights per month.

3. Light-dark cycles have a strong effect on nearly all biological processes. In particular, exposure to blue light at nighttime turns out to have negative health consequences for humans, and shocking effects on fruit fly longevity. In corals we know it controls spawning. It seems inevitable it is affecting our fish and inverts too at some level.

Overall -- most of what I read discussed as "moonlight" is nothing like actual moonlight and I suspect its having negative consequences for our animals. All for no benefit, since no one is awake at 2 AM looking at their tank. Why not put the "moonlights" on a timer so it goes off a couple hours after the sunlight?

 

[sde1500]

^^ exactly what I do, my 3 moonlight LED's are on for an hour before the other lights come on, and on for 2 or so hours after the other lights go off at night. Rest of the night is pitch black.

 

[cincyjim]

Well for me I like to the critters in the tank to either one run/swim or two defend themselves should something attack them. My moonlights are not that bright but any light once eyes are adjusted is enough light to tell if you going to be attacked or not. Just my two cents.

 

[gareth.hubbarde]

My whites ramp down for 30 minutes at 6pm, then go off. The purples ramp down for 30 minutes then operate at 10 percent until 2230. Then it's dark until 6am ish when I get up with baby and put living room lights on. Fish tank lights come on at 0830 with 30 minutes ramp.

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[protie]

Corals need time without lights, constant light will create constant photosynthesis without the chance to rest. Constant strong light 24/7 will kill the corals.

Thank you, that is what I figured. I prefer total darkness at night but was just wondering.

 

[gonereefing654]

If we are trying to simulate the the moon here has anyone tried something that looks like the moon?
Homedepot has these 8” round ceiling mount led lights that are way to bright but maybe if it could be dimmed down?? It has a white dome shape cover that if mounted inside a canopy it might look more like the real thing.

 

[Uncle99]

Moonlight is virtually useless and as correct stated very very dim.
One case where we do use moonlight (1-1watt blue) is to induce the hatching of spawns into the water column.....works great for shrimps and clowns....otherwise darkness is all ya need.

 

[Tripod1404]

I have 2H of moon light that gradually drops to complete darkness. My corals only extend their feeding tentacles few minutes after complete darkness. Also amphipods come out of hiding only after complete darkness. So I am a strong proponent that tanks need complete darkness during the night.

Blue light advertised as moon light produce light light intensities close to dawn/dusk conditions, not the natural moon light.

If you want to observe nocturnal creatures during the night, get a red led flashlight. Eyes of most nocturnal creatures are not sensitive to red light, so it wont disturb them. That way you can observe how they behave as if they are in complete darkness.