Lunar lights - should I?

[A;exr54]

Minimum advertised price. It is basically the items that the manufacturer won't allow vendors to reduce the price on. They're usually only on sale a few times a year and it's the manufacturer that determines the sale.
A lot of the big name companies use MAP pricing including Neptune Systems.
That is why when you look at Neptune stuff it's always the same price from every website.

Wow thank you for that explanation.
Makes perfect sense now.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I'm up at 2am more then i would like to admit.

But in the time your not it will be useless unless you want spawning. I'm also up at 2am but I find lunar lights unless as by this time everything's sleeping

 

[Gtinnel]

But in the time your not it will be useless unless you want spawning. I'm also up at 2am but I find lunar lights unless as by this time everything's sleeping

There are plenty of reef animals that are more active at night. Besides for me I just like the way the tank looks with the moonlighting.

 

[GHOSTLY]

There are plenty of reef animals that are more active at night. Besides for me I just like the way the tank looks with the moonlighting.

Then get moon lights! I'll admit moon lights make the tank beautiful but for me personally I just don't believe in them. Couldn't hurt to add an extra dollar to your electricity bill each month

 

[A;exr54]

But in the time your not it will be useless unless you want spawning. I'm also up at 2am but I find lunar lights unless as by this time everything's sleeping

Well i also have a live streaming camera on my tank at all times. And usually stream to youtube live to see the tank when im not home.
I kind of had my mind set but was looking for reassurance I guess.

 

[Gtinnel]

Then get moon lights! I'll admit moon lights make the tank beautiful but for me personally I just don't believe in them. Couldn't hurt to add an extra dollar to your electricity bill each month

I'm not the OP and I already do have them. I was in the OPs position not long ago trying to decide if they're worth it. For me they are but everyones opinion is different.

I only responded to your post because saying everything is asleep in a reef tank at night is very incorrect.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I'm not the OP and I already do have them. I was in the OPs position not long ago trying to decide if they're worth it. For me they are but everyones opinion is different.

I only responded to your post because saying everything is asleep in a reef tank at night is very incorrect.

Well this info applies to my nano. Maybe not for tangs or ywgs for example

 

[Gtinnel]

Well this info applies to my nano. Maybe not for tangs or ywgs for example

I wasn't specifically talking about fish, although my purple tang does seem to swim all night long. At night there are tons of smaller living things that come out, snails, worms, pods, etc. I assume they're active at night because most of the fish that would eat them are asleep. At one point when my tank was fallow and nothing was eating snail eggs I would have hundreds of tiny cerith snails covering my glass at night. By morning they were hidden again and didn't come out until the following night.

 

[A;exr54]

I wasn't specifically talking about fish, although my purple tang does seem to swim all night long. At night there are tons of smaller living things that come out, snails, worms, pods, etc. I assume they're active at night because most of the fish that would eat them are asleep. At one point when my tank was fallow and nothing was eating snail eggs I would have hundreds of tiny cerith snails covering my glass at night. By morning they were hidden again and didn't come out until the following night.

I am mostly interested in seeing the behavior of my Blue Spotted Jawfish at night.

 

[GHOSTLY]

I wasn't specifically talking about fish, although my purple tang does seem to swim all night long. At night there are tons of smaller living things that come out, snails, worms, pods, etc. I assume they're active at night because most of the fish that would eat them are asleep. At one point when my tank was fallow and nothing was eating snail eggs I would have hundreds of tiny cerith snails covering my glass at night. By morning they were hidden again and didn't come out until the following night.

Wow thats cool! Wish mine did that

 

[Gtinnel]

I greatly underestimated how hard it would be to get a picture that accurately represents the brightness. I took a fairly close up picture of one part of my rockwork because it's how I could get the most realistic representation.
Here is a picture with the lights at 100%, and honestly in person it is brighter than this

Here is with the lights at 50%

Here with the lights at 10%

I tried taking a picture at 1% which is dim enough in person that it's hard to see much of anything but I couldn't get the picture to show up other than black regardless of what I did with my phone camera settings.

After playing with the lights I can definitely say that you can easily get them dim enough if you buy too many leds, there is no way you should need to cover one up.

 

[Gtinnel]

Just to take one whole tank picture (sorry I took it from the couch so it's at an angle) here is the lights at 28%, it isn't quite this blue but that is a fairly good picture that shows the brightness

 

[vtecintegra]

It's funny anytime someone brings up lunar lights, someone will try to make it sound like a dumb idea. Raising your electric bill made me laugh.

I've used the LSM for years. For me it's about replicating the habitat, not night viewing. I'm not trying to get corals to spawn, but I'm still trying to recreate the night lighting on a reef. The LSM isn't perfect, but I was just sitting here as my moon lights went to zero while I saw the moon out the back window drop below the horizon. Tonight the reef will be dark. Full moon nights you can see fairly well if your eyes are adjusted. Now if I could only simulate the tide in the tank and coordinate it with the moon cycle

 

[A;exr54]

Just to take one whole tank picture (sorry I took it from the couch so it's at an angle) here is the lights at 28%, it isn't quite this blue but that is a fairly good picture that shows the brightness

This is perfect thank you.
I placed the order for the 3 light strip and the module.

 

[A;exr54]

I got the lunar module in today with the 3 light strip.
I went in and updated the new moon and moon rise and moon set seasonal settings in apex.
I must say I’m happy with it. Looks really good.

 

[Gatorpa]

I just added an lsm and 3 led string to my tank a few nights ago. I only wanted it for the look at night but supposedly there are some animals that will respond to moon cycles in regards to spawning events.
The cost of electricity is negligible were talking pennies a month. I don't know why it would effect the collection of detritus though.

I was gonna ask that also.

effect of lights on detritus…..?

 

[A;exr54]

I was gonna ask that also.

effect of lights on detritus…..?

I’ve had the lunar lights for some time now. They have been great for me.
My PAR sensor does not even detect the lunar lights. They have had no impact at all when it comes to detritus or any algae.
Corals all seem to be healthy. I have no scientific proof or anything like that but I do think corals are doing better because of the lunar cycles.
And I love the look.

 

[Gatorpa]

I’ve had the lunar lights for some time now. They have been great for me.
My PAR sensor does not even detect the lunar lights. They have had no impact at all when it comes to detritus or any algae.
Corals all seem to be healthy. I have no scientific proof or anything like that but I do think corals are doing better because of the lunar cycles.
And I love the look.

Nice to hear the feedback.

Im considering getting them for my 4 ft 120Gal and was looking for feedback.
Not sure if I want to go 2 or 3..
Thanks for the info

 

[A;exr54]

Nice to hear the feedback.

Im considering getting them for my 4 ft 120Gal and was looking for feedback.
Not sure if I want to go 2 or 3..
Thanks for the info

I have a 5’ 125g. I have 3 and it fits perfectly. I think 2 is sufficient for 4’.

Here is a pic I just took. Apex says they are at 6%.
Looks brighter in the pic then IRL.

 

[Gatorpa]

I have a 5’ 125g. I have 3 and it fits perfectly. I think 2 is sufficient for 4’.

Here is a pic I just took. Apex says they are at 6%.
Looks brighter in the pic then IRL.

Thanks again