What's with the blue bulb ?

[cprdnick]

Hey guys, what is the blue bulb for on my lighting system? I know it intensifies the light to the organisms, but why does my ballast give me the option to turn on of the two lights off seperately? Is this supposed to be my moonlight option? because that doesn't really look like moon light to me. Also, if I leave my "moonlight" going all night, how's it going to effect my algae growth?

 

[thomas712]

I take it you have two lighting systems? One is what?
And the other is truly moonlighting?
Please elaborate.
You may have two switches to simulate dawn to dusk, turn on the blue for a while in the morning then kick in the bright whites, then off with the bright whites, then off with the blue's later.
Thomas

 

[dzones]

I personally turn my blue lights on about an hour before my MH's. It kinda seems to simulate a sunrise and set a little better than just slamming on all those watts at once. I also leave them on about an hour later as well. That is why you have the double switch on those.
The moonlight is generally achieved through very low wattage led lights. some people even add red ones for night viewing. To my knowledge they do not encourage the algae growth at all since they are so low watt.

 

[cprdnick]

OK, so I don't have moonlight? i have a dawn and dusk switch. Is it possible to add the moonlight L.E.D's that you were talking about without changing hoods?
To be more specific, and u'll have to forgive me because I don't understand lighting specs yet, I'm just reading it.
I have:
Via Aqua compact PL lighting systems
PL Tube: LV-680 36wx2 120V/60Hz
The bulbs say:
7100K White
and
12000K Blue
And the ballast says the same thing as the hood.
WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
By the way I would say that my hood is about 18 to 20 inches long.

 

[bdhough]

The blue and white light are spectrums of light coming out of the bulb. If you ever do corals they like the blue spectrum of light. While the white bulb provides everything else. If you go to a 10k bulb your tank will be brighter and still have some blue. If you go with a 20k bulb the tank will be quite blue. Its a matter of personal preference what you like.
Simulate like Thomas said though. The best thing you can do is put your lights on timers. This will get your fish and other tank inhabitants day and night and they will thusly go to bed at night and wake up in the morning. They have rythms just like us.

 

[cprdnick]

When you say timers, are you talking about putting one timer on the whole ballast? Or is there a way to put a timer between the ballast and the hood?

 

[bdhough]

Is there one plug and two switches? If so then just turn them on at the same time. For 8-10 hours a day....

 

[aarone]

i have the same system you have i beleive, except mine is from custom sealife. It has the 10,00k day bulb and the actinic bulb as well as the white led moonlighting on 24 hours a day. Awesome little fixture if you ask me!
aaron