# Planted Aquarium lighting schedule/ Moonlight



## arakhavan (Nov 15, 2010)

Hello,

My current lighting schedule is ON: 10AM-2PM; OFF: 2PM-4PM; ON: 4PM to 10PM. However I stay up quite late, and get sad when my lights go out. I havent found any great information on moonlighting in planted aquariums. What is recommended as a higher end moonlighting option, what color ect.. that will not bother the fish, and allow me to enjoy my tank late into the night. 

Thanks!

Armand. 


50G, 36"Tank
2 x 36" T5HO LifeGlo 
2 x 36" T5HO PowerGlo
10lb CO2 @ 1bps
Fluval 305 Filter
Glossostigmata
Annubias
dwarf hair grass
12x Neon Tetras
5 x Odessa Barbs
2 x Dwarf Chain Loach
2 x Peru Pleco...
6 x Amano Shrimp


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Moonlighting doesn't affect anything. But if you're up late, why not just skip the 4 hours in the morning and light it up 3 PM to 1 AM?

I use a combination of blue and white moonlights to view my discus at night. If you want to use moonlights for viewing, using white moonlights would make it easier to see your fish properly. I've seen these used in person and they work quite well. Hamilton White LED Lighting Strip (20 Inch)


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## arakhavan (Nov 15, 2010)

Thanks 2w. I couldnt do that because then I am sad when i wake up and cannot see all the fish at work! Which lights do you use? Do you leave Them on all night or turn them off at a certain point as well? It would be great to see peoples photos of night lighting to see what people have done.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I light my tank for an hour in the morning just for feeding and viewing and then I'm at work until 3:30 when the lights come on again and then lights out at 10 PM and moonlights on for 90 minutes. I am using the moonlight modules from Digital Aquatics (I have the controller) and 2x 3/4w blue Ecoplus ones (you can get them from J&L). This way, they are not so blue.

If you want to view in the morning too, get the moonlights to come on then also.


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I light my tank for an hour in the morning just for feeding and viewing and then I'm at work until 3:30 when the lights come on again and then lights out at 10 PM and moonlights on for 90 minutes. I am using the moonlight modules from Digital Aquatics (I have the controller) and 2x 3/4w blue Ecoplus ones (you can get them from J&L). This way, they are not so blue.
> 
> If you want to view in the morning too, get the moonlights to come on then also.


I run my lights pretty much the same as 2wheelsx2. I use 1 blue moon light made by coralife I think. It doesnt give good night viewing on my tank. I installed it purely for the fish. I did see a double moonlight at King Eds on the weekend. It might work a little better. I agree that the white led might work better for you


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

I run 2 of the 4 strips on my 75g 24/7. The colour is fully adjustable from blue to deep red.

DIODER 4-piece light strip set - IKEA


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## jbyoung00008 (May 16, 2011)

gklaw said:


> I run 2 of the 4 strips on my 75g 24/7. The colour is fully adjustable from blue to deep red.
> 
> DIODER 4-piece light strip set - IKEA


Thanks for the info. I never thought IKEA would have something usefull for a fish tank. That lighting looks perfect for my soon to be up and running african tank.


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## arakhavan (Nov 15, 2010)

That is cool. Must all three strips must be the same color? or you can have one blue and two white?


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## MrMan (Feb 23, 2012)

Those strips from Ikea look pretty sweet, how bright are they? May have to pick up a set myself


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## gklaw (May 31, 2010)

arakhavan said:


> That is cool. Must all three strips must be the same color? or you can have one blue and two white?


That would be too good to be true  Single control for colour but you can use 1 to 4 strips linked our separate by hardware provided.


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## arash53 (Aug 13, 2011)

My moon light is blue LED strip ,and its 24hours ON.


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## waynestractor (Nov 9, 2011)

Check out my post in the DIY section, I recently did this and it works great for night viewing...pretty cool to see how active my shrimp are when the sun goes down!
http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/diy-area-18/led-strip-lights-27138/


arakhavan said:


> Hello,
> 
> My current lighting schedule is ON: 10AM-2PM; OFF: 2PM-4PM; ON: 4PM to 10PM. However I stay up quite late, and get sad when my lights go out. I havent found any great information on moonlighting in planted aquariums. What is recommended as a higher end moonlighting option, what color ect.. that will not bother the fish, and allow me to enjoy my tank late into the night.
> 
> ...


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## arakhavan (Nov 15, 2010)

I ended up doing something very similar to this, i only used one "cool white" strip though. and im considering adding one blue strip. I had them put it together for me at  LED Lights And Parts  in north vancouver. It cost me 9$/foot for the led strip, and about $10 for the dimmer and $20 for the power supply and a couple of bucks for the plastic casing, I probably could have done it cheaper piecing it and putting it together myself. but im pretty content with how it turned out.

Here are some photos


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

That's a great find, arakhavan! Maybe they'll want to be a sponsor and do custom orders for us at BCA.


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