Night Light?

[JBurgo]

I have just installed a Vectra M1 and it has a controller that I've mounted under the tank. I've noticed that it makes a faint light on the wall behind the tank and mildly illuminates it at night. I don't mind it, looks kinda cool, like a moonlight feature, but it's not blue, it's more white or orange (even though the LED is green).

What I want to know is.. Is it good or bad for the fish? Will it stop them spooking at night (which they don't anyway), but they don't like when the lights go out. Will it make them more comfortable at night. Or will it stop them resting properly? I have on occasion, in the past, seen them swimming in the middle of the night, and I think they're nocturnal hunters in the wild. Can anyone see a problem with it?

[LizStreithorst]

It's good for the fish.

[JBurgo]

OK, great, serendipity I guess.

[Filip]

They should feel more secure and oriented with dimmed nightlight JBurgo.
I'm planning on getting a blue led light strip for this purpose too , and also for viewing pleasure after the lightst go off at night.
Not that you will have any benefit from this info , but a mating pair keeps its spawn safe from predators at night more efficientlly if there is some night light .

[Ryan925]

I always run my blues about 50% at night. It's nice to see them in the evening as well.

[banks2]

I also run lights at night, if they get spooked they can bounce around the tank and hurt themselves...

[Yom]

I run blue lunar/moon led lights on all my tanks, they are a strip of 6 leds and they click on when my other lights click off(Coralife per strip). They cost $6 for the small 6 led strips and plug on EBay.

I feel the lunar "night light" is appreciated by the fish and they feel more comfortable. But it does have other benefits if you breed; it allows the parents to see the eggs and fry and also allows the fry to see the parents so they don't get lost.

[Willie]

I keep one tank lit all night in my fish room. But in the morning, all the discus are always completely asleep.

Willie

[JBurgo]

When I turn the lights off:
First I turn on the bedside lamp, then I turn off the side of the aquarium where they like to sleep, so they can move into the darker part.
Then I turn off the room light.
Then a few mins later I turn off the other half of the aquarium.
Then a few mins later I turn the bedside lamp off.
I leave the blinds open so they get some ambient light from outside.

If I don't do all that they get skittish. Such a routine, I really wish I'd bought programmable lights to have a day cycle.

The light cast by the M1 controller is barely visible, and it's a perfect night light for them, the tank looks so cool at night now. And you were all correct, I think they feel much more comfortable with it. Still have to do the routine though :crazy:

[DanDiscus]

Over the glass of my 75G 48" I have 2 24" lights and 1 48" ligh. The lights start to go on 1 by 1 during a period of 1 hour. Same at night. So there is no sudden change of light (On/Off). When the last light goes off, there is a 12 V Truelumen Strip LED attached to the cannopy that came On. That has a dimmer and produce a very soft light, very soft, but enought so they are not dark at all. They can see each other and swim without crashing themself with the decor.

Be careful, as some moonlights that you find in the market are still too strong.

Just imagine how much light of the moon they could be getting under the water in a river. Then use that level. It has to be very soft level but enought that they are not in darkness.

That is what i do.....

Cheers

[Lido]

Programmable LEDs almost always include a "moonlight" feature. Mine have the blues on at 40% and i'm pretty sure a couple of red lights.. for whatever reason.

anyhow, my fish are much happier with the moonlight than blacked out.

[avraamp]

Hi all,

I wanted to put a moonlight to my aquarium and I finally fixed one today.
Actually it is a led blue strip. Is there any chance of algae growth because of the blue light?
I have read that blue light is the reason that algae may grow.
I do not know if I should change it to a red one.
What is your experience and opinion about?112813

A photo of the tank.
The photo shows it darker than it is.

[Filip]

Hi all,

I wanted to put a moonlight to my aquarium and I finally fixed one today.
Actually it is a led blue strip. Is there any chance of algae growth because of the blue light?
I have read that blue light is the reason that algae may grow.
I do not know if I should change it to a red one.
What is your experience and opinion about?112813

A photo of the tank.
The photo shows it darker than it is.

Makis I'm pretty confident that this light is too low and unsuficient to be utilized for photosynthesis by algae or the plants whatsoever .
Commercial blue LED stripes are very weak in lumens and their colour wavelength is different than the required blue wavelength for sufficient PAR , that is radiation used by algae and plants for photosynthesis .