NiTrAtEs and LiGhT-aTeS
- Thread starter new2u
- Start date
thisistodd
Member
as far as i know 15ppm wont do anything to most corals. my zoos were propogating at a solid 40ppm, but i guess they are more hardy than others
spline9
Member
They are LED lights that people run at night and sometimes 24/7. LEDs have very minimal power requirements so you wont notice your electric bill change any if you ran em 24/7.
Anyhow... they are blue. Usually found within a particular spectrum of blue that apparently simulates natural "moonlight". There are several reasons why people run these lights;
1. So you can view nocturnal hahavior without disturbing the life.
2. Apparently it aids in spawning (fish and coral) as well as health benefits.
3. Reduce shock when "day lights" come on, as mentioned above.
4. It looks cool!
5. I'm sure I'm missing more reasons so this is the "fill_in_the_blank" area for anybody else who wants to add their wisdom.
You can DIY yourself a unit (just do a search for "DIY moonlight") or you can buy them at inflated prices. The "inflated price" flavor often comes in a nice housing and requires less electrical know-how. I'm going to see if I can make myself a battery operated one since I already am using too many sockets.
Anyhow... they are blue. Usually found within a particular spectrum of blue that apparently simulates natural "moonlight". There are several reasons why people run these lights;
1. So you can view nocturnal hahavior without disturbing the life.
2. Apparently it aids in spawning (fish and coral) as well as health benefits.
3. Reduce shock when "day lights" come on, as mentioned above.
4. It looks cool!
5. I'm sure I'm missing more reasons so this is the "fill_in_the_blank" area for anybody else who wants to add their wisdom.
You can DIY yourself a unit (just do a search for "DIY moonlight") or you can buy them at inflated prices. The "inflated price" flavor often comes in a nice housing and requires less electrical know-how. I'm going to see if I can make myself a battery operated one since I already am using too many sockets.
lion_crazz
Active Member
I definitely recommend moonlights! I just got a set to put onto my tank, and they look fantastic!! All the reasons above are very correct. I actually purchased the set from a guy who posted about them on here. If you do look into getting them, do a search on this website for "moonlights" and type in the username of JRic999. There, you will find who I bought my lights off of. I highly recommend purchasing them from him if you do decide you want them. He gave me a wonderful deal, set-up a custom set just for me, and the quality and price is excellent. When my camera is fixed, I am going to post some pics on here as well.
As to the nitrates, it might be okay, but lower is always better. Start off slow, and add some mushrooms. See how they do. Continue to try and bring them down to whatever means possible, and if you cannot get them down, find why they are not coming down. Is your tank too highly stocked? Are you feeding too much? Is your equipment enough to handle what you are trying to keep in your tank? That's the stuff I would look at first. Find what is bringing the nitrates into the tank. I don't see why hardy stuff like mushrooms, leathers, and polyps won't do okay though. With those amounts of nitrates though, they may not grow nearly as fast as they should.
As to the nitrates, it might be okay, but lower is always better. Start off slow, and add some mushrooms. See how they do. Continue to try and bring them down to whatever means possible, and if you cannot get them down, find why they are not coming down. Is your tank too highly stocked? Are you feeding too much? Is your equipment enough to handle what you are trying to keep in your tank? That's the stuff I would look at first. Find what is bringing the nitrates into the tank. I don't see why hardy stuff like mushrooms, leathers, and polyps won't do okay though. With those amounts of nitrates though, they may not grow nearly as fast as they should.
B
big911dog
Guest
i just read a thread last night on DIY moonlights. take a strand of the blue christmas rope lights and run them on the inside of ur canopy twice. cheap (about $10), small energy usage, and supposed to look just as good as the expensive ones.
new2u
Member
oh and the nitrates were from my filthy filter, i used to let food and stuff get sucked up and I had soooo much disgustingness down there they were at 20 now there at 15 after 3 water changes so basicly its just a matter of time I think, also I'm going to add a fuge soon and that will probably help right?
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tizzo
Guest
Originally posted by New2u
Ive got moonlights already so that shouldnt be a problem and I should run the halides for 10 hours a day?
I tried 10 hours and I had algae like crazy!! I now do from 10:30am to 7:30pm. What's that like...9 hours??
Yeah!! 9 hours here!!