# Can I use Moon Light LEDs without harming the plants?



## Chakaga (Mar 31, 2012)

The only information I can find aabout the moonlight LEDs is for saltwater tanks. Are they safe to use on a freshwater planted tank? And if so how long can I have them on?


----------



## Assassynation (Dec 23, 2011)

I'm curious too, I have blue, red, and green led moonlights over my tank at night.


----------



## samamorgan (Dec 31, 2011)

Keep them on all you want, as long as they're low intensity. Having high intensity blue LEDs can keep the photosynthesis cycle going and have detrimental effects. Your fish dont appreciate bright lights at night either.


----------



## Chakaga (Mar 31, 2012)

Are there low intensity blue ones?


----------



## samamorgan (Dec 31, 2011)

Low intensity is the level of light theyre putting out, not a model of a light or emmiter. If what you've got on your tank were intended as moonlights, don't give it a second thought.


----------



## Chakaga (Mar 31, 2012)

Well, I'm about to but a light assembly that has four bulb slots and a built in array of "Moon Light LEDs". Just wanted to make sure it was safe to use them at night lol.


----------



## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

According to Wikipedia Moonlight is
0.01 lux Quarter moon 
0.27 lux Full moon on a clear night 
1 lux Full moon overhead at tropical latitudes
1 lux is equal to 1 lumen per square meter

I did a search and could not find any info on the lumen output of any led moonlight fixture. Without knowing if these types of light are bright enough too keep fish awake and enough to keep plants photosynthesizing I would not leave them on all night. Even if they are not, I still would not leave them on for that possibility and that this night light would likely affect you too..


----------



## samamorgan (Dec 31, 2011)

Steve001 said:


> According to Wikipedia Moonlight is
> 0.01 lux Quarter moon
> 0.27 lux Full moon on a clear night
> 1 lux Full moon overhead at tropical latitudes
> ...


Don't overthink it. Most children across america sleep with a night light on. Every moonlight i've seen puts off no more radiant light than a night light. I even had a girlfriend once that couldn't sleep without the light on. Glad i dumped that one, drove me nuts.


----------



## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

samamorgan said:


> Don't overthink it. Most children across america sleep with a night light on. Every moonlight i've seen puts off no more radiant light than a night light. I even had a girlfriend once that couldn't sleep without the light on. Glad i dumped that one, drove me nuts.


Wasn't trying to over think it. My impression of this moonlight thing from vids and photos I've seen has more to do with pushing aesthetics over actually creating a simulated moonlight. I could be wrong and moonlights actually do create the right levels of natural moonlight. Plus people should to know there could be consequences to using additional light after the photo period.

I'm just the opposite of your girlfriend. Any ambient light, be it artificial or moonlight, bothers me when sleeping.


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Most use moonlighting for the purposes of aesthetics. 

I can't remember the last time anybody running something considered "moonlight" had any sort of plant/algae/livestock problem.

I use DIYd LEDs with solar panels to get the job done. Bought a bunch of cheap outdoor solar path lights, cut the LED, battery housing and cell out. Solar cell gets placed beneath the light fixture so the battery charges during the photoperiod. Once lights go out, the LED kicks on and runs until the battery is out of juice (usually 2-4 hours).


----------



## Doc7 (Apr 7, 2011)

somewhatshocked said:


> I use DIYd LEDs with solar panels to get the job done. Bought a bunch of cheap outdoor solar path lights, cut the LED, battery housing and cell out. Solar cell gets placed beneath the light fixture so the battery charges during the photoperiod. Once lights go out, the LED kicks on and runs until the battery is out of juice (usually 2-4 hours).




Bad-ass!!


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

HAHA - nah, I believe you mean cheap a$$. 

$15 on eBay for something like 10 lights for 10 tanks.



Doc7 said:


> Bad-ass!!


----------



## Kyrol (Feb 24, 2012)

As a note to all this if you keep fish in the tank I noticed some fin rot and just over all stress with all my moonlights on at night. Having a dark tank for at least a few hours made for much happier fish.


----------



## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

somewhatshocked said:


> Most use moonlighting for the purposes of aesthetics.
> 
> I can't remember the last time anybody running something considered "moonlight" had any sort of plant/algae/livestock problem.
> 
> I use DIYd LEDs with solar panels to get the job done. Bought a bunch of cheap outdoor solar path lights, cut the LED, battery housing and cell out. Solar cell gets placed beneath the light fixture so the battery charges during the photoperiod. Once lights go out, the LED kicks on and runs until the battery is out of juice (usually 2-4 hours).


Actually those appear to be good choices for 3 reasons. The lumen output matches to my eye that of moonlight at full Moon and close to full Moon. The second there fading over time. A gentle way to transition to total darkness for the fauna. Third they are the apparent color of moonlight.



> I can't remember the last time anybody running something considered "moonlight" had any sort of plant/algae/livestock problem.


Without any science or anecdotal information I'm aware of it's impossible to determine what affect these moonlights might have. 
I like the idea of moonlight over a tank, but I tend towards simulating an environment as close to natural as is possible for an aquarium. So, if I were to use moonlight it would mimic the color, full Moon brightness and brightness according to moon phasing if possible.


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

I honestly went this route because it was cheap. Then I discovered those three things: looks like real moonlight, they automatically turn off and back on (just have to change the battery about once per year), nice transition for tank inhabitants.

I'd go insane if I had moonlights on near me as I was trying to sleep, I think. Even these.

These - especially on a tank deeper than 10-12 inches - are just faint moon-ish light that doesn't look too unnatural.



Steve001 said:


> Actually those appear to be good choices for 3 reasons. The lumen output matches to my eye that of moonlight at nearly full Moon and close to full Moon. The second there fading over time. A gentle way to transition to total darkness for the fauna. Third they are the apparent color of moonlight.
> 
> 
> Without any science or anecdotal information I'm aware of it's impossible to determine what affect these moonlights might have.
> I like the idea of moonlight over a tank, but I tend towards simulating an environment as close to natural as is possible for an aquarium. So, if I were to use moonlight it would mimic the color, full Moon brightness and brightness according to moon phasing if possible.


----------



## robotsongs (Apr 16, 2012)

somewhatshocked said:


> I use DIYd LEDs with solar panels to get the job done. Bought a bunch of cheap outdoor solar path lights, cut the LED, battery housing and cell out. Solar cell gets placed beneath the light fixture so the battery charges during the photoperiod. Once lights go out, the LED kicks on and runs until the battery is out of juice (usually 2-4 hours).


Oh my god, this is freaking _genius!_ 

Thank you so much-- I've been searching for months now on how to put together a small, single emitter night light that wasn't completely powerful and not in that god awful blue. I just took apart one of the LED walkway lights that's been sitting in my shop for a while, waiting to get fixed, and this thing is PERFECT!!!! Now all I have to do is make a mount and housing and I'll be set. 

What a great idea you had, dude! Thanks!


----------



## Obakemono (Dec 23, 2011)

robotsongs said:


> Oh my god, this is freaking _genius!_
> 
> Thank you so much-- I've been searching for months now on how to put together a small, single emitter night light that wasn't completely powerful and not in that god awful blue. I just took apart one of the LED walkway lights that's been sitting in my shop for a while, waiting to get fixed, and this thing is PERFECT!!!! Now all I have to do is make a mount and housing and I'll be set.
> 
> What a great idea you had, dude! Thanks!


I might do the same thing. Target has those cheap lights for under 2.00 I just might get 2 for my 56.


----------



## shrimpNewbie (May 6, 2011)

Anyone try using a 2000k-3000k light for a moonlight? Instead of the blue that manufactures sell as moonlighting, just run it extremely low and you're good. My tank gets ambient lighting in the 1500-3000k range from house lights powered by wind and sun. The lights pretty much stay on but there is a very low amount going in the tank. Fish are happy and no algae besides GSA. Using a 3 watt led without a lens at like 20% raised a bit off the top would be perfect. I don't like blue on a fresh water.


----------



## robotsongs (Apr 16, 2012)

shrimpNewbie said:


> Anyone try using a 2000k-3000k light for a moonlight? Instead of the blue that manufactures sell as moonlighting, just run it extremely low and you're good. My tank gets ambient lighting in the 1500-3000k range from house lights powered by wind and sun. The lights pretty much stay on but there is a very low amount going in the tank. Fish are happy and no algae besides GSA. Using a 3 watt led without a lens at like 20% raised a bit off the top would be perfect. I don't like blue on a fresh water.


Yeah, before I found this way of doing it (walkway lights), I was looking to rig up a WW XPG. When dimmed it looks waaaay more like moonlight than that crap blue they're selling. I just don't understand the blue.


----------



## kezg (Jul 26, 2011)

More expensive setup, but the grow beam led light im using is fantastic for moon light, u can set the max and min output, so 100% during the day the then dim down to 1% for the night cycle. I have it slowly turn on or off over an hour so it's like sunrise and sunset, and also use t5 lights that switch on once the led is at 100% and turn off just as the led is about to start the dim down. Really cool and although led lights can be expensive I think it's worth it.

Day









Night








All 3 grow beams are on for the photo, normally only use the Center 1 at 1% is enough.


----------



## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

kezg said:


> More expensive setup, but the grow beam led light im using is fantastic for moon light, u can set the max and min output, so 100% during the day the then dim down to 1% for the night cycle. I have it slowly turn on or off over an hour so it's like sunrise and sunset, and also use t5 lights that switch on once the led is at 100% and turn off just as the led is about to start the dim down. Really cool and although led lights can be expensive I think it's worth it.
> 
> Day
> 
> ...


I like the implementation. You state the lights put out a minimum of 1% of the maximum light. But you don't state in lumens what the maximum light is. Are you sure this isn't too much light ? Because 1 lux is equal to 1 lumen per square meter that's the maximum amount of light the full Moon outputs in the tropics (see post 7). If you can see your fish swimming around then it's probably too much light.


----------



## kezg (Jul 26, 2011)

Now we're getting too tech for me, wouldn't have a clue about lumens etc.. 
Sorry I just wanted to put it out their what I found worked well for me.
if I use 1 single growbeam at 1% output above my 6 foot tank is perfect, any more is too bright.
Maybe I can try and video it tonight, but I doubt it will really capture how it really looks.

Personally i like it and is exactly what I want from a moonlight, dark - with shimmering light just enough to see the fish and plants at night - but if this is still too bright for your liking then I guess this is not for you.
(I don't rly get why u want a moonlight if its so dark u can't even see inside anyway? For breeding or replicate nature I'm guessing?)

I guess you could look up the specs etc and try to work out the stuff you want to know yourself if I needs to replicate the moon exactly.

Enjoy!


----------



## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

kezg said:


> Now we're getting too tech for me, wouldn't have a clue about lumens etc..
> Sorry I just wanted to put it out their what I found worked well for me.
> if I use 1 single growbeam at 1% output above my 6 foot tank is perfect, any more is too bright.
> Maybe I can try and video it tonight, but I doubt it will really capture how it really looks.
> ...


The point of creating a tank with growing plants is too bring a bit of the natural world inside in other words to emulate nature. And with the technology at hand that goal can be accomplished easily.

I'm not against using a moonlighting effect just it's cavalier usage. My concern is this. From reading most of the posts here specifically on the use of moonlighting tanks little to no regard is expressed as to whether there may be detrimental side affects to fish and plants. This is certainly true when blue light or other colors are used. Translate this moonlighting practice to some other pet like a dog or cat etc. Nobody would shine a light on their pet during the night every night and all night just because they want to watch their pet for their own enjoyment. They would not because people on some level realize that animals need complete darkness to remain healthy. Likely too fish and plants. So why do we seem to have less regard for fish and plants ?
Research shows that artificial lighting at night does have an affect on many forms of life including humans. With this in would you like to sleep in a room that had a low level of light ? Probably not.


----------

