The Moon Light Effect

Hello everyone,

Well I have been looking at different moonlight products for my tank because the new fixture does not come with them...i was wondering. Will the change from white moonlights to blue mess with the tank critters?

 

Also, does anyone have any tips on mounting the moonlights lol...i dont have a canopy. Maybe i can glue them to the t-5...ugh this might be troublesome...

 

Hey Bruce! I still owe you a pic of my T5 reflector mod, but I don't have it yet because coincidently I am in the process of putting moon lights on it. I am taking strip of plexi, drilling holes to hold the LEDs in place and provide support for the resistors. I will probably slip the entire assembly in a plastic tube and mount it in the light assembly. Pictures to follow (just don't hold me to when! LOL)

Mike

 

Ic, do you have a hood or are you hanging / mouting your t-5s? also are you planning on putting them behind, below, or infront of your fixture?

 

IDK

Currently I have the ODYSSEA 48" 2 tube fixture that sits on two legs at the end of the tank. I have torn the whole thing apart since the TEK reflectors are a little too wide to fit. I think I am going to get another of the same fixture to get the parts, and design a custom fixture to hold the tubes. I will probably put the 'moon unit' (appologies to Frank Zappa's daughter) in the center of the canopy between the T5 tubes. I will probably end up hanging the canopy above the tank when I finish.

Mike

 

hmm, thats my problem...im going to have to put them probably behind the fixture...that might be troublesome...

 

This probably won't apply to you hobbyists with big equipment. On my 10 gallon tank I mounted my moonlight unit to the underside of my Satellite light fixture with double stick foam tape.

My Satellite came with one white LED, which corroded because I had no legs for it or a top to my tank. I mounted a dual blue LED unit in a bracket to the back, but my transformer went bad and I used a train transformer to power the LEDs, which burned them out. I like the white moonlight better, so I got a white dual unit. Since I didn't want to mess with the bracket after removing it, I just taped the unit over the spot where the factory LED used to be! Since I now have legs and glass top, this has been working fine. I am running the LEDs with an old calculator recharging transformer.

And no, the change in light color has not affected my tank inhabitants at all.

 

Hmm, i do like the white look better but the company that sells the moon (simulation unit) lights does not make white ones...hmm

 

Mine are add-on units. They come in a small yellow package with blue printing. I wish I had kept it so I could give you the name. A two LED white or blue runs around $20.00, without transformer, but with two jacks for serial wiring of additional units and a jumper cable. I think they sell the transformer separately. They also sell a single unit with a clip-on gooseneck.

 

Hmm, yes i am able to buy the auto dimmer...but i would have to mess with the connectors...which i might do and get the moonlight with the bendable arm...anyone think there would be a problem with the moonlights in the back? i just dont want there to be that many dark spots in the front...