moon lighting

[1152 Flying Fish]

thanx, black light goin off,

 

[Great Lakes]

The LED lights are the only way to go for me.
I have plain white ones and the effect is fantastic.
The produce a vary focused light. One of them even shimmers on my seabed at night. Yet, they leave shadowy crevasses and pools of darkness. Very cool looking.

GL

As an aside. I read somewhere about a guy that had place hundreds of LEDs in his hood and was experimenting with them as a sole source of lighting. Think of the possibilities!! He could simulate sunrise to sunset from one side of the tank to the other, simulate passing clouds, moonlight intensity..etc.

Interesting.

GL

 

[Navarre]

Yes i have read this too! LEDs give out a very specfic spectrum but at the moment lack the power. However, the new BMW and similar car manufacturers red LEDs for brak lights are extremly powerful and approaching anoutput that might park our interest. Considering the tiny amount of power they require for the output they give means its definately a viable option in the future. I actually think the technology is there alreay to produce LEDs that can come close to our standard forms of lights used for corals etc. However even if the technoilogy is there, the time and investment from large companies certainly isnt. The marine trade and fish trade simply is not a large enough market for the investment to be made. Until some other form of hobby requires extremly powerful LEDs then we may have to wait just a little while longer. Could be the next big breakthrough in our hobby of course though.

 

[Opcn]

Don't kid yourself nav, our hobby has very little to do with the development of LED's; The flashlight and headlight industries are really much more of an incentive for engineers.

 

[Navarre]

That is what i was trying to imply. BMW have very powerful lights and i feel the breakthrough will come from here first. The money just isnt there to invest in our hobby and make such lights. Once the car manufacturers have developed this form of light then it will become cheaper to transfer the technology over to our hobby IMO

 

[Opcn]

I'm sorry, that made me sound like a bit of an 4$$.

Iv been like that all weak, on friday one of my friends left school early to get another friend and go to a funeral, then I forgot about it and when friend two came into class I pseudoscol;ded her for being late. Then last nigh friend one told me her parents were getting a divorce and I stupidly asked which one wanted to break up.

Not to hijack, sorry just venting my stupidity

 

[Great Lakes]

Not to hijack, sorry just venting my stupidity

GOOD GRIEF!!!
Don't vent it around me, I have enough of my own..

GL

 

[1152 Flying Fish]

heres what it looked like a couple of days ago,

 

[Aquascaper]

I have found that blue Cold Cathode tubes
(http/www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=4694052842&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=51686)
are fantastic for creating a moonlight effect that the fish love (it's been the only way i've managed to see my banjo catfish).

They are meant for PC case illumination and run off 12v but are best run at about 6v - 8v and come in various sizes up to 12". The tubes are sealed plastic units and are therefore splash-proof and ideal for positioning under the hood and because they are tubes rather than LED's you don't get the spotlight effect.

I have used these in all my tanks since I started fishkeeping and never had a problem. My pair on my 40g have lasted well over 12 months and at about £4 a pair they are a steal

You can also get UV ones which I am currently running on my sump to test the sterilisation effects.

HTH

 

[bob`_your_dog]

With the new addition of my brain in my tank, I'm gonna keep the black light but only use it once in a while when people come round or what ever, just to show off the brain glowing in the dark. And i bought a cold cathod tube aswell, looks very simular to black with no ill side affects, just to be safe.

 

[1152 Flying Fish]

I was looking at the bulb and it is a colored incandecent. the glass part of the bulb is painted. gee wizz