Moonlighting? Does Colour Matter?

[Mattatat]

I am considering adding moonlighting to my tank to get a better view of my golden nugget pleco but I have a few questions...
Does the colour matter to the fish? Will changing colour confuse them? I am not just talking about blue or white, but about this: http/www.amazon.co.uk/Changing-Controlled-Lighting-Aquarium-Waterproof/dp/B005VAWKAM/ref=pd_sim_lp_1

Also would it stunt plant growth, because I heard they need 12 hours lights on 12 hours lights off, and that the lights off time is just as important?

Do you keep moonlights on all night or just when viewing the tank?

Finally, 15 LEDs be enough for a 29 gal (110 litres) / 80cm long tank ?

Thanks for any advice

 

[mattlee]

my fish freaked out when i had blue moonlights on the tank. they just couldnt get use to it so i removed the lights...

 

[JDs4me]

What you after there, a moonlight period or a disco??

If its any help, I have a blue 48-LED strip siliconed to my hood in a circular shape; it doesn't spook my particular fish at all, and does seem to get the catfish moving a little before lights out...and IMO looks good!

I have tried to set the lights for a sunset-moonrise period, then off with the tubes so its just blue for an hour or so...thats when my raphaels sometimes start to rouse...

The tubes are on a timer for a 12-hour daytime period which seems to keeping my frogbit happy!

 

[CezzaXV]

I have a blue moonlight and it doesn't seem at affect my fish.

What effect it has on plants I can't say, but since you shouldn't have them on all night (it's important to the fish to have a completely dark period to maintain their day/night cycle) I can't see it's going to cause an issue. I only have mine on when I want go view my fish at night but have already had my daylights on for several hours during the day.

 

[Dazzler666]

I have red, white & blue spotlights for evening lighting & my fish don't seem at all bothered by it .... In fact my barbs sleep when there on!!!! Lol.

 

[Mattatat]

If it doesn't effect the fish too much, can I just turn the moonlights on while I am in the room, or does the routine need to be regular?

 

[Dazzler666]

I have a regular (ish!) routine ...., put main light on around midday, off at 8pm and put night lights on then switch them off when go bed (or before if I'm being a bad boy & staying up past my bedtime!!! Lol).
Fish need a routine otherwise it can mess with there body clocks believe it or not!!
Hope this helps.

 

[Tonyb111111]

I got some to ease the change from lights on to lights off in the evening. They are timed to come on half an hour before the main light goes off at 9:30 and stay on til 11:30. Don't need them in the morning as natural light in the room sorts the transition out. It's only my preference, and I prefer something subtle that just reaches the substrate and allows me see nighttime activity that I don't normally see with the main light on

 

[FishBlast]

What you after there, a moonlight period or a disco??

If its any help, I have a blue 48-LED strip siliconed to my hood in a circular shape; it doesn't spook my particular fish at all, and does seem to get the catfish moving a little before lights out...and IMO looks good!

I have tried to set the lights for a sunset-moonrise period, then off with the tubes so its just blue for an hour or so...thats when my raphaels sometimes start to rouse...

The tubes are on a timer for a 12-hour daytime period which seems to keeping my frogbit happy!

Wow! That's some epic lighting there!
And for a while I considered getting frogbit... but now that I have water sprite taking over the surface, I'll just leave that portion to it. X))

 

[JDs4me]

Tonyb111111 - done for much the same reasons here; the raphael cats in my tank wouldn't be seen at all but for the 'moonlight' period, where they are out as the catfish pellets drop, but not with any other tank/room lights on. Thats an ace-looking tank there BTW!

hey Fishblast, the photo has come out a little colour-saturated as the light is a little more subdued - the frogbit has settled in and is now sprouting new leaf!

I have a regular(ish) routine with the tube lights on now for about 10 hours, then a transition with the blue LED's and the tubes on but with the tubes partially covered from below, then just blue for a couple of hours till bed, so that I can watch the change in behaviour and the emergence of my raphaels!

 

[Lufbramatt]

I have a blue moonlight but only use it if I'm still up after the main lights have gone off at 10.30pm, seems a waste of electric otherwise so its on a manual switch. My tanganyikan cichlids do get a bit spooked, and you can see that they're more alert and dart between gaps in the rocks rather than swim around in the open, but it's cool to see another aspect of their behaviour. I think it's because in the wild the big predators come out at twilight so the smaller fish become mega alert. I think the more intelligent the fish the more they are affected by the moonlight The syno cats come out to play though.

I make sure all the lights go off when I go to bed though as otherwise the fish would never settle down for the night in their shells or caves.

 

[FishBlast]

Tonyb111111 - done for much the same reasons here; the raphael cats in my tank wouldn't be seen at all but for the 'moonlight' period, where they are out as the catfish pellets drop, but not with any other tank/room lights on. Thats an ace-looking tank there BTW!

hey Fishblast, the photo has come out a little colour-saturated as the light is a little more subdued - the frogbit has settled in and is now sprouting new leaf!

I have a regular(ish) routine with the tube lights on now for about 10 hours, then a transition with the blue LED's and the tubes on but with the tubes partially covered from below, then just blue for a couple of hours till bed, so that I can watch the change in behaviour and the emergence of my raphaels!

Cool, I love watching sprouts grow, but whenever I get any sprouts on the plants that are on the sand, I wake up next morning and know Lorenzo the apple snail was there, because the new sprout that barely made a new leaf is gone. -.- At least the top ones have new and healthy branches.

 

[KISSfn]

I use blue moonlights after the main lights go off from 8-10:30pm.