hlem July 30, 2012 July 30, 2012 Is moonlight needed and beneficial to corals/fish at night time? or is it just for show and a nice option to have?
smallreef July 30, 2012 July 30, 2012 I dont think they are a necessity, though i do think if you could mimic the actual cycles/phases of the moon they would be of benefit.
Coral Hind July 30, 2012 July 30, 2012 I think it is a necessity. It helps to keep the fish from swimming into things and hurting themselves. If you have stinging things like certain corals and anemones then it is even more important. If you want to bred then it is also important to stimulate that breeding response to a lunar cycle.
ToddR July 30, 2012 July 30, 2012 Way too many reefs tanks looked great before these things even came out. They may have a little benefit as dusk and dawn transitions. I don't have them and I don't see any difference. No broken noses on any fish!!!!!
zygote2k July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 waste of money unless it is done right- 1w bulb that moves across sky/ canopy.
surf&turf July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 I kept them on in my first system till they went bad, the corals grew better once they had total darkness. I run them at night for an hour till lights out.
rocko918 July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 I stopped using them 6 years ago because one time i came down and checked on the tank around 3 am while the moon lights were on. The fish were swimming around like it was day light. Fish need to rest as well and with the moon lights on i didnt think they were resting at all. I have not turned them on since. It fun to see what was going on during the night but not worth it imho.
jimlin July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 fish need to sleep, but dont the corals need to sleep as well? I only used moon lights for my freshwater planted tank.
Ryan S July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 the moon is over the ocean every night... especially in shallow reefs... those fish and corals seem to do fine...
icecool2 July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 I use a moonlight over my tank, but unless the room is pitch black you wouldn't even realize they are on. Do I think it is necessary? No.
mogurnda July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 the moon is over the ocean every night... especially in shallow reefs... those fish and corals seem to do fine... On your next night dive, turn off your light and let your eyes adapt for a few minutes. Even on a full moon, it is freakin' dark down there. Most fish are tucked away in cracks and crevices for the night. LED moonlights are way too bright, in my opinion.
Coral Hind July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 Every tank and lighting setup is different. I agree that some commercial moon light sets are too bright. My moon light is a simple 1w white LED which to me is enough light over a seven foot tank without keeping any fish awake. I have seen several tanks where the lighting goes from bright full light straight to dark with no kind of transition. The fish have to find their way to their favorite sleeping spot in the the dark. To me that isn't natural going from noon sun to pitch black.
hlem July 31, 2012 Author July 31, 2012 my tank is in the basement and near the entrance and infront of a window. my lights are on timer so when it goes off, it goes from bright to dark instantly. but my fish seems fine with the little moon light from the windows and entrance. so there is no benefit (growth, health) for corals with moonlight?
icecool2 July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 Certainly some animals use the moon to time things like spawning events, but from a growth perspective I don't think there is a benefit. I have my system setup so I can use the actual phases of the moon, but all of my fish are from different areas of the world so the moon cycle isn't the same for any of them.
hlem July 31, 2012 Author July 31, 2012 good to know.. thanks all who voted. i'm building a LED fixture soon and wanted to know if its worth it to spend time/money on the moonlight. i think i have my answer.
icecool2 July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 If your fixture will be dimmable, you already have the capability to do this. It just depends on how low you can dim your LEDs.
hlem July 31, 2012 Author July 31, 2012 If your fixture will be dimmable, you already have the capability to do this. It just depends on how low you can dim your LEDs. unfortunately, it will not be dimmable. it will however, have 3 lines. blue, white and high noon.
Ryan S July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 (edited) I have one of these led lights that i use for a couple hours of moonlight after the radions shut off. DFS sells them for like $10. you could always add one of those separately if you decide you want to try a lunar light. Edited July 31, 2012 by Ryan S
Ryan S July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 This article is worth reading: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=553 "The time a reef spends under moonlight is believed to be as significant as the time spent in full daylight."
hlem July 31, 2012 Author July 31, 2012 this is interesting.. "Many corals continue to grow under moonlight conditions and some begin the reproductive process." wonder what are sources for this article...
Coral Hind July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 ...the corals grew better once they had total darkness. From what I have read the corals actually lay down calcium during the day while the pH is high inside the tissue. At night the pH drops and newly laid calcium can be dissolved. Keeping the pH elevated slightly with some lighting might be better then going completely dark. Sure it gets dark in the ocean at night but the pH doesn't drop in the ocean like it does in our tanks. Here is one article I found explaining how corals lay down calcium. http://www.coralscience.org/main/articles/biochemistry-2/how-reefs-grow
jaddc July 31, 2012 July 31, 2012 FWIW: I vote has no benefit. That said I use them, but I see them as nightlights as opposed to moonlights. I like to see what goes on in the tank at night. Lights on in the room spook everything, so having the room dark with low moonlights allows me to watch the tank if I want to. Even though some spawning events are synchronized with the moon, there are other factors involved as well (tide, temp, etc.) so the blue LEDS and our tanks won't mimic those conditions (although there are some awesome exceptions -- it seems completely random). And coral lay down their skeletons during the day because they need tons of energy for that so they get it from the photosynthesis (and also the pH is correct for the chemistry).
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