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Moon light sonata

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hdtran

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I've seen rope lights suggested (available at Lowe's or Home Depot).

I use a hang-on-refugium (CPR Aquafuge, to be precise) with a fixture on top. My tank back wall is painted, and I put some black paper between the refugium (all right, algae scrubber, ok?) and tank. When the main tank lights go out, the refugium fixture stays on, and creates a nifty moonlight effect in the main tank.

Kill 2 birds, 1 stone.
 
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jandree22

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I just put a 6' length of blue rope lighting across the surface of my 75gal tonight... looks bangin! Even better is it only cost me $6 :eek:

Those LED ebay ones will probably create a more flourescent blue glow, BUT, you will probably need more than one for anything larger than a 55gal or so... I don't see how 2 LED's could light up much more than that.
 
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jandree22

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Lowes.... it's only 6' but it's plenty intense for my 75. FYI, I never found the rope lighting on their website, but check out any store and search around the lighting dept. and you'll find them.

WHATEVER you do, DON'T buy the purple. By looking at the purple covering, you think it'd emit that black lighting effect and look really sweet over coraline and corals, but, it emits a really reddish color and looks really bad! I returned them and got the blue tonight....it gives out a nice cool and calm glow :)
 
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Anonymous

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i bought the 35 dollar model form marine depot. i can't see where a rope of lights could come close to the effect it puts out.
it is very bright for such an itty bitty light and even puts off a glitterline type of effect.
it is white, not blue.

6 bucks is a bargain though.
 
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jandree22

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i agree with pod... if you're need the flourescence effect of your corals, get the LED's. They cost more but are also way high on the coolness factor.

But, I also agree with DLART, $6 is pocket change in this hobby :lol:
 
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Ben1

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I got the PFO moonlight from MD and use it on a 150. It lights up the tank very well. It was much brighter then i expected. It was expensive though and no telling if there is any benifit.
 
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npaden

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Rope lights RULE! ;)

They really do. If you are trying to mimic moonlight you can't get much closer. They are dimmable and designed for outdoor use and they are super cheap. Maybe I should buy a bunch of rope lights and mark them up 3 times and market to the aquarium hobby as special moonlighting so people will think they are worth buying?

Heh, Nathan
 
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Anonymous

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Rope lights it is...going too Lowes monday...great idea guys...thanx....
 
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Anonymous

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npaden":3ilypl3w said:
Rope lights RULE! ;)

They really do. If you are trying to mimic moonlight you can't get much closer. They are dimmable and designed for outdoor use and they are super cheap. Maybe I should buy a bunch of rope lights and mark them up 3 times and market to the aquarium hobby as special moonlighting so people will think they are worth buying?

Heh, Nathan
Click to expand...

not to be confrontational, but what do you base that on?
i am envisioning this blue glow in your tank and wonder how it could possibly look realistic.
even a blue moon isn't all that blue :wink:
 
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Anonymous

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You can also use a small NO actinic bulb, tape or paint one side of it and aim it at the top of your canopy.

I prefer the LED's because they spot light, the shimmer, and they look way more like the full moon on a reef - which, Pod, I have seen!
 
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npaden

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Podman, how many setups have you seen running the ropelights? I've seen all 3 alternatives I am aware of (incandescent, LEDs and ropelights) and in my opinion the rope lights look most like moonlight.

Ropelights are actually point source lights as well (a ton of tiny little 1/2 watt bulbs or something like that) and if you have the right number of ropelights on your tank (2' of ropelights per 1' of tank seems to be what most people like) you will get a slight shimmer to the water. I'm basing that on my nighttime snorkeling last time I was in Fiji. Watch out for the little stinging things that are attracted to your flashlight! Heh.

The big weakness to the LEDs IMO is that they are not dimable except with some super fancy stuff that costs a bunch and even then it is spotty from the threads I've read. They for sure don't work with the X10 lamp modules. The moon is only full for 1 night per month. If you are mimicing a full moon over your reef with an LED setup every night then I wouldn't call that very realistic. The ropelights don't dim by themselves but they are very easy to dim and work on the x10 lighting modules so they work with both the elightmaster software and the aquacontroller software. (Sometimes the moon is out during the day instead of at night and those software programs account for that as well)

FWIW, Nathan
 
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npaden

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The actual lights in the rope lights are all white. The color is the rope they lights are encased in. There are several colors available including clear. The blue looks the best IMO. It is noticeably blue in the canopy but in the water not so much IMO.

FWIW, Nathan
 
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npaden

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I guess I'm such a proponent of the rope lights now because I blew them off as cheap crap for over a year before finally going out and buying some! I now think they are the best alternative for moonlighting at any price when used in conjuction with a lighting software program that dims and adjusts the moonrise and set.

FWIW, Nathan
 
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Anonymous

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Nathan, I have heard bad things about spawing events in tanks that mimic moon phases. What's gone on in your tank?
Other than that, you are right, ropes with a dimmer program would be the way to go. Oh, and a LED moonlight on a switch for glitter line viewing!
 
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