Lighting Question
- Thread starter kevin34
- Start date
sigmachris
Active Member
From my 14g BioCube, moon lights and anitics are different. The moon lights are just 2 small LED's that are kind of a night light for my 2 year old. I don't think the moon lights have any benefit (photosynthesis, etc) to the organisms other than giving them a daily lunar / solar cycle.
nanahugs
Member
I have one of these on my 20G Hex and my 40G has the white actinics. I prefer the white actinics because it looks like more natural lighting for nightime. It's all a matter of personal taste. My smaller tank has a MH light over it which gives a natural shimmering effect that looks pretty cool to me, but some people hate it. Again, a matter of personal taste, lol.
mandarin w
Member
Moon lights and actinics are different.
Moon lights are almost always, little 1 watt LED lights. They normally give off enough of a blue hue to make out different things in a dark tank. The ideal is to replicate moonlight penatrating the ocean. Some believe this helps with some corals and others spawn. That I can't say Yea or Nea on. But it definately help with seeing lots of the critters that only come out after the lights are off on the tank.
Actinics are secondary lighting to help bring a more natural look to the tank. They are usally shades of blue. They helps bring out the vibrant colors of the fish and corals. As far as really helping the tank grow, they help out some, It is the daytime lighting that accomplishes this for the most part. Most people use them to help replecate a daytime cycle. The time chart is just an example to give you an idea of how they are used.
11:00am -actinics on - early sunrise
12noon - daytime lights on - your normal daylight hours
8:00pm - daytime lights off - end the the day
9:00pm - actinics off - late sunset
9:30pm - moonlight on - moon up in the sky
11:30pm - moonlights off - dead of night, mostly everyone goes to sleep.
As I said before, you don't have to use this exact schedule, it is just to give you an idea of how most use the lights.
Moon lights are almost always, little 1 watt LED lights. They normally give off enough of a blue hue to make out different things in a dark tank. The ideal is to replicate moonlight penatrating the ocean. Some believe this helps with some corals and others spawn. That I can't say Yea or Nea on. But it definately help with seeing lots of the critters that only come out after the lights are off on the tank.
Actinics are secondary lighting to help bring a more natural look to the tank. They are usally shades of blue. They helps bring out the vibrant colors of the fish and corals. As far as really helping the tank grow, they help out some, It is the daytime lighting that accomplishes this for the most part. Most people use them to help replecate a daytime cycle. The time chart is just an example to give you an idea of how they are used.
11:00am -actinics on - early sunrise
12noon - daytime lights on - your normal daylight hours
8:00pm - daytime lights off - end the the day
9:00pm - actinics off - late sunset
9:30pm - moonlight on - moon up in the sky
11:30pm - moonlights off - dead of night, mostly everyone goes to sleep.
As I said before, you don't have to use this exact schedule, it is just to give you an idea of how most use the lights.
kevin34
Active Member
Thanks! That schedule actually helps a lot. So can I get a timer to switch the certain lights on and off at those times? Also when you say daytime lights do you mean something like metal halides? And a good lighting system will have daytime lights, actinics, and moon lights? Is that correct?
mandarin w
Member
The light system you mentioned before, is a good choice.
Daytime as referred to is talking about the "K" lights, Metal, or even the compact fluorescents. You normally see the 10K, 14K, 6500K,20K. Those are the daytime lights. They carry the daytime light spectrum's like the sun.
Actinics are actinics, Those are normally marked, actinic blue, blue 3 like that. Those carry a different light spectrum from the day light bulbs. The actinics compliment the daylight. The moon lights do not have any light spectrum so to speak up. They are basically the same as little blue or white Christmas lights.
Daytime as referred to is talking about the "K" lights, Metal, or even the compact fluorescents. You normally see the 10K, 14K, 6500K,20K. Those are the daytime lights. They carry the daytime light spectrum's like the sun.
Actinics are actinics, Those are normally marked, actinic blue, blue 3 like that. Those carry a different light spectrum from the day light bulbs. The actinics compliment the daylight. The moon lights do not have any light spectrum so to speak up. They are basically the same as little blue or white Christmas lights.
mandarin w
Member
Yes, the heat from metal halides is very hot. But as I said, if you leave enough open space between the lights and the tank, and fan can easily blow the heat away from the tank.
mandarin w
Member
Ok, I took some quick pics to show you what I am talking about. This is how I decided to deal with potienal heat issues. Now some people have builb canopies, and keep thier light in there. With that type of setup up it is a little trickier to keep the heat down. Now I said trickier, not impossible or really even hard. The important thing to remember is to make sure you can get plenty of air flow around the lights. Those who use their light in canopies usally use several computer fans built into the canopy to push plenty of cool air though. This works quite well also.
As you see I have plenty of open space around my lights, this help out alot. As far as heat issues, during the summer my tank will only heat up to about 78-79 degrees. I have to put my heater up to 81.
As you see I have plenty of open space around my lights, this help out alot. As far as heat issues, during the summer my tank will only heat up to about 78-79 degrees. I have to put my heater up to 81.
mandarin w
Member
The white plastic stuff is eggcrate. You never should cover your tank with glass covers. That inhibits gas exchange. and lets the tank heat up. Egg crate is the best thing to keep over your tank if you have fish that may jump.
My light are just metal halides, no actinics, I dicided not to use them on this set up. I don't use moon light on this set up either. This is mainly a reef tank, so I mostly have corals in this 180. I think I only have 4 fish in there. and at night most corals close up. so not much to watch. The metals I use are a 14K which gives me a touch of the blue from actinics So I have the look without the cost. I migh change things down the road, but for now I think the light that I am getting from just the metals the way they are, are giving me what I want.
This first picture is taken when I had 10K bulbs on the tank. Notice how white everything is. The 10K bulb is a whiter look.
The next is taken with 14K bulbs. 14K offer a littler bluer look. The blue increases as the K value goes up. So a 20K bulb will look even bluer yet.
Personnally I would like to use a 12K or 13K bulb. But I haven't able to find those in 250watt double ended.
My light are just metal halides, no actinics, I dicided not to use them on this set up. I don't use moon light on this set up either. This is mainly a reef tank, so I mostly have corals in this 180. I think I only have 4 fish in there. and at night most corals close up. so not much to watch. The metals I use are a 14K which gives me a touch of the blue from actinics So I have the look without the cost. I migh change things down the road, but for now I think the light that I am getting from just the metals the way they are, are giving me what I want.
This first picture is taken when I had 10K bulbs on the tank. Notice how white everything is. The 10K bulb is a whiter look.
The next is taken with 14K bulbs. 14K offer a littler bluer look. The blue increases as the K value goes up. So a 20K bulb will look even bluer yet.
Personnally I would like to use a 12K or 13K bulb. But I haven't able to find those in 250watt double ended.
mandarin w
Member
No glass over the tank. none, nada, zippo, It is not a good thing in saltwater.
The white plastic is all that is needed to protect fish from jumping out of the tank. If you want a canopy over your tank, that will work fine. A great many people used them. I would have gone that route also, but living in an apartment doesn't allow me to do any building. Just no place to do it. If you choose to use a canopy over the top of your tank, make sure that the back is open and you use computer fans on the sides to circulate air though the canopy. Also try to make your canopy at least 8 inches high, this will give you the hieght to have your light off the top of the tank and let air flow under the lights to pull the heat out. And a last note: If you want to use a canopy, most light units, I am talking about the plug and go fixtures. the ones all done, are not recommended for use in a canopy. For canopy use figure on doing a retro fit. That is all the lighting componets just by them selfs. You put them in the top of the canopy and you are good to go. I know that it sound hard and scary but they aren't hard to do at all.
The white plastic is all that is needed to protect fish from jumping out of the tank. If you want a canopy over your tank, that will work fine. A great many people used them. I would have gone that route also, but living in an apartment doesn't allow me to do any building. Just no place to do it. If you choose to use a canopy over the top of your tank, make sure that the back is open and you use computer fans on the sides to circulate air though the canopy. Also try to make your canopy at least 8 inches high, this will give you the hieght to have your light off the top of the tank and let air flow under the lights to pull the heat out. And a last note: If you want to use a canopy, most light units, I am talking about the plug and go fixtures. the ones all done, are not recommended for use in a canopy. For canopy use figure on doing a retro fit. That is all the lighting componets just by them selfs. You put them in the top of the canopy and you are good to go. I know that it sound hard and scary but they aren't hard to do at all.