OK, all this Night Light Talk has me wondering?

[superstein61]

I am finishing up a enclosure for my lights for my 72 gallon tank - putting in 2 55W PCs with the AHsupply kit - and I have room behind them to install a single normal flourescent strip or regular incadescent light.

I want to add a moon lite - for nighttime viewing- so for those who have them, where do you find red or blue bulbs?

I know they sell 25W incadescent bulbs in red or blue - is that what you use - or does anyone have a source to get red or blue flourescent bulbs?

I have read about the Actinic bulbs - but am unsure if they are suitable for moonlight viewing. I thought they were brighter than that. Are these the blue bulbs you use?

What about the red ones?

Thanks

[JamisonBWolsh]

I just use the Miracle Sustem Hi-Lite LED

[a_free_bird73]

Blue light or Actinics are not suitable for night viewing if that is what you are after. In fact, unless you have a specific reason, you would not use actinics in freshwater tanks.

You will need to use red light and your best bet is using high brightness LED's. I have seen advertising for red fluorescent tubes but they are not common and I certainly have not seen them in aquarium shops. A red incadescent will be fine though I would personally use an LED because of the heat and power consumption issues.

[Skittyfish]

The laser-lights that youu can get at Wal-Mart in the fish dept. look really neat at night, they come in different colors and aren't really that bright.

[JamisonBWolsh]

Not Lazer Lights!!!! get the HI-lite system. This system uses leds!

Get blue.. really nice at night!

[carpguy]

My moonlight is a 13w kit from AH Supply. They sell both blue and red bulbs for it. I use it without the reflector and partially mask it for a 30g. For a 72g it may be perfect, may be too spottish. I've been meaning to hunt down a blue bulb locally, just for comparison sake. (Does anyone remember "Just Bulbs" from Letterman a few years back? How could I not?)

I think the relative virtues of blue and red bulbs was covered thoroughly in last night's thread. No need to rehash. (note: water is not blue :p , sorry can't help it).

Jamison's LEDs (from Walmart) are another interesting option and are apparently available in different colors. Also may be a little spottish. I have no personal experience with them. PBQ or JBW may be more helpful on this point.

RTR mentioned using red lights and filters in last nights fray, but never specced them.

In the past, I've also thought of using the small-type Christmas lights for a more all over look. Cool and diffuse. Again, never actually tried it.

The only problems I can see with incandescents is heat and spottishness.

[pinballqueen]

Just posting to let you know that I'm going to avoid addressing this topic, other than to say the led's are nice (although a little sparse), and that blue or red would look just fine. It's a personal decision. (I can't comment on either color because my led's are green... the blue hurts my eyes...)

[JamisonBWolsh]

blue hurts your eyes? Do you have the LEDS in the tank? I have mine shining through the glass tank top and into the water. You dont actually see the LED itself..Just the Light it emits..

[superstein61]

OK, thanks everyone - I think I will go with the red 13W flourescent. I tried the Walmart LED lights last night - and personally didn't like them. Maybe in a smaller, shallower tank they work better - but shining them thru the glass top of my 72gallon (which is about 21" from top to substrate), they didn't have much effect. I could spotlight a couple 8" plants - but shining them on my petrified wood rock maze - you hardly noticed them. And I tried blue, green and red. The only other option would be to stick them in the tank - I could get some better efects that way - but I spent a lot of effort hiding all my wires, air tubes, etc in my rock wall - so I wouldn't want to do that and see those unsightly wires in the tank. Plus having the LED itself in the tank just seems way too unnatural. So the flourescent red bulb in my light hood seems the better way to go for my tank at least. thanks for everyone's opinions.

[slipknottin]

The color bulb you get depends on what you want it for.

For just nighttime viewing get a red bulb. Most likely the fish will not notice it and will go about their nighttime behavior.

If you want to simulate the moon, get a blue bulb and only turn it on once a month or so. You can create a little disc that blocks part of the light, and use that to make all the days of the lunar cycle.

[Orbitorly]

I've always wanted to get the Hi-lite system but never got around to it, I thought it was a waist of money.

[JamisonBWolsh]

I never tried it on a 72 gallon tank... Just on my 60 gallon, 20 and 10 gallon tanks. I think my 60 gallon tank is 18 inches deep. These are NOT a waste of MONEY!!!!
I tried having the LEDS in the water, but I hated how it looked. Everytime I look at the tank I saw the bright LED. By placing it on the glass top facing down through the glass into the work creates a NICE effect. It accomplishes what i want.

What this product does:

Creates some light in the tank so you can see your fishes behavior. IN comparison, its like shinning a flashlight in a large dark room. It focuses in certain areas. You can shine it against a wall and in that area, you will see whats happening, while in other parts of the room is left completely dark. Of course, the LEDS is not as bright as a flashlight. So, this does not effect the fishes dark/day cycle. I have 2 in my tank. At night, I can see 2/3 of the tank and I left the 1/3 in darkness. These 2 leds creates a true moonlight experience with LOTS of shadows. A REALLY nice experience for the viewer and THE FISH. You can LED the whole tank with 3 LEDS. Still a Nice outcome. Anyone see the movie "pitch black".. Sort of like that. You can see only things in the lighted area and as you leave the lighted view, the objects get dimmer and dimmer to blackness. NICE EFFECT!


what this product does NOT do:

It does not Illuminate the WHOLE tank like your day light strip does. If you get a Red "strip", every inch of the tank will be EQUALLY lighted. IMO, this does not simulate night at all. Just for your viewing pleasure, plus its red. In comparison its like your day tank, except for red light. can we spell U-G-L-Y?


If i were you, try it from walmart and if you dont like it, just return it. They have a great return policy

[JamisonBWolsh]

I have 4 Blue lights that stays on 24 hours a day (they use VERY little energy).
2 in my 60 gallon
1 in my 20 gallon
1 in my 10 gallon

I also have a Green led (came with it..never used it)
and also a red LED- I personally dont care for RED light in an aquarium. I dont not use this one. I tried it out a few days..but the color isnt nice at all..

[superstein61]

Jamison, well you summarized what these LEDS can do pretty well. Like I said, I tried them on my 72 gallon and didn't think the effect was good for the depth. If I shined them on something high in the tank, they showed up better - but down low, very hard to tell.

Like you, I wouldn't like them in the tank - that would be unnatural. So that is why I will, like you say, take advantage of Walmarts nice return policy and just take them back - as they aren't creating any nice effect that I would like right now shining thru my glass top.

As far as shadows created - well I tried positioning the lights several places and didn't get much shadow effect - again not sure if the depth of the tank is affecting this or not.

Yes, a red strip light will light the whole tank - as far as it being equally lighted, no I disagree - a low watt red light properly positioned, should provide some shadow effect.

As far as what simulates night viewing - well to each his own. Some would argue that LEDs shining in different places don't simulate night viewing. Its a matter of personal preference. However, to say red light is U-G-L-Y is just plain W-R-O-N-G !!!! Some people obviously enjoy red light more than other colors. Just because you don't doesn't make it ugly. It may not be attractive to you, but it works for a whole lot of people (reef keepers use red light a lot for night viewing in their SW tanks).

And as far as red light simply being for your own viewing pleasure - well YES - If I am night-lighting the tank to observe my fishes behavior, well its because I want to view and enjoy them.

I am glad the LEDs work well for you. I went into this open minded and tried the LEDS - but they don't work well for me. So I will get something else that does. But please don't knock that something else just because its not what you like or use. If everyone liked the same things, it would be a pretty boring planet.

BTW - have you ever tried a red flourescent strip on your tank?
;)

[JamisonBWolsh]

Maybe you got a kit that had a problem? IM sure one in a million can have a defect. My tank is 18 inches, so yours is only 3 inches deeper. You said it doesnt shine to the bottom of the tank very well? Thats laughable. Mine reaches the bottom EASILY, and I can assume you could go as deep at 3-4 feet and still light the bottom. When i say create shadows I mean you have to have objects to CREATE the shadows. A fish swimming by, a plant waving in the water, rocks, whatever. You can direct the led to shine at any point in your tank.

The light strip sounds great. BUT it has more Intensity than the LED system. The light strip can interfere with the night/day cycle of fish because of this. Also, its not as positionable as the LEDS. I can shine the light any where I desire with ease. The strip light can only shine down at ONE angle.

And yes, Its my opinion about red light being ugly. Not only does it reflect bad on objects, It Bleeds all the colors out of the tank (plants and fish) whenever you turn it on. DEF. NOT A GOOD THING. The blue color, does not do this, so colors can be seen easily.



REMEMBER!!!

I have mine on 24 hours a day. DURING daylight hours, it is NOT NOTICABLE!!! You have to have a dark room to notice it (at night). With a light on in the room, it not as strong.

SALT WATER:
Yes. People use Red light to view night fishes. However, they also use BLUE light. Red light is only for your benefit. True REEF KEEPER Hobbyist actually use BLUE light! Why? Because it simulates moonlight and many sea creatures use this to breed. So..you can view your fish AND it also benefits your tank. This is used mainly for corals, sea amonenes (misspelled) and various other tank life.
Blue light has no addtional benefits than Red light in FRESHWATER, but in saltwater, Blue light is PROVEN to benefit your tank.



IMO, The Hi-Lite System is a MUST buy for all FW hobbyists! Just watching the night behavior of your fish is worth it alone..

[pinballqueen]

You sound like a sales rep for Miracle Beam... Maybe you should get a job with them or something....

[superstein61]

Jamison, LOL the only thing laughable is your constant ads for MiracleBeam and unwillingness to accept that there are other good solutions as well.

Does the MiracleBeam system have its merits - yes, I said so above.

Will it work for some people and will they like it - yes, obviously it does.

Is it for everyone and will it work well in all situations - No, it won't.

Are there other solutions that some people will find better - yes, indeed.

Jamison - sorry its nice to have strong convictions, but you need to learn that different solutions work for different people.

As far as Reef Keepers - ahhhh, you need to do a bit more research because you are wrong. Reef keepers do not use Blue light because it simultates moonlight. No, reef keepers use Actinic Bulbs because they simulate the natural light that penetrates to reef depth. Other light wavelengths don't penetrate the same depth in the ocean (hmmm, sound familiar - light not penetrating deep enough ;) )- thus some of the living corals they keep need the actnic light wavelength they are used to to survive or do well.

You were right about one thing though - the red light many reef keepers use for night viewing is indeed for their own viewing benefit and enjoyment. After all, isn't that why we keep, maintain and care for these tnaks - for our own enjoyment and benefit.

[JamisonBWolsh]

Originally posted by pinballqueen
You sound like a sales rep for Miracle Beam... Maybe you should get a job with them or something....

YES! I should work for them. Their Factory is only 2 miles of where I live. However, Im upset with them because i had to order some of their products from big als (walmart sold out of the blue LEDS) . I called them and they REFUSED to sell me anything from their factory! Can you imagine? I know many factories that DO sell their products outright to their customers. They didnt even respond to my question if they sold any of their products locally so I can purchase it at the store. Their only response...ORDER from Petwarehouse.com. So, I do like their LEDS, but i do not like the customer service they have...

[slipknottin]

Reefkeepers use red bulbs too... to see into your tank at night without the critters knowing.

Both red and blue bulbs have their purposes.