I cane across this video and it mentions how the blue moonlight in our tanks can actually harm corals... the youtuber also mentions in another video that moonlight is closer to 4100k. Whas wondering if any else here runs moonlight and for how long?
Is moonlight killing your corals?
- Thread starter merereef
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Interesting topic.
A few things about real moonlight that are very different from the shocking bright blue lights that people run and call moonlight:
1. real moonlight is very, very, very dim underwater, even during the full moon. Go SCUBA diving at night during the full moon and turn off your lights. Its nearly pitch black.
2. real moonlight doesnt come on for a few hours after sunset each day. The timing of moonrise doesnt line up with sunset, its on its own cycle.
3. moonlight is much more white than blue.
Does moonlight affect anything? Well, a few years back I simulated moonrise in my old experimental tanks and induced planulation (release of asexually produced larvae) by Pocillopora the morning after the full moon for 4 or 5 months in a row. Just like in nature, moonlight appears to affect at least some biological processes in the aquarium.
Not sure if we have evidence of harm yet. The cases that make me wonder about possible harm are the tanks with lights on 24-7 (white at day, blue at night). Thats gotta be weird, to evolve in a 12-12 light cycle then suddenly go to a 24 on.
A few things about real moonlight that are very different from the shocking bright blue lights that people run and call moonlight:
1. real moonlight is very, very, very dim underwater, even during the full moon. Go SCUBA diving at night during the full moon and turn off your lights. Its nearly pitch black.
2. real moonlight doesnt come on for a few hours after sunset each day. The timing of moonrise doesnt line up with sunset, its on its own cycle.
3. moonlight is much more white than blue.
Does moonlight affect anything? Well, a few years back I simulated moonrise in my old experimental tanks and induced planulation (release of asexually produced larvae) by Pocillopora the morning after the full moon for 4 or 5 months in a row. Just like in nature, moonlight appears to affect at least some biological processes in the aquarium.
Not sure if we have evidence of harm yet. The cases that make me wonder about possible harm are the tanks with lights on 24-7 (white at day, blue at night). Thats gotta be weird, to evolve in a 12-12 light cycle then suddenly go to a 24 on.
Magellan
2500 Club Member
That’s really interesting...i don’t run moonlight 24/7, but there is some faint blue LED light that runs for about 5 hours after lights out. Recently noticed some random Pocillapora growing from seemingly nothing and had no idea how it got there.
