LED Question?

Deepseanano · #1 09-04-2013, 06:41 PM

Hey guys so i recently upgraded my LEDs from these http://www.ebay.ca/itm/EVO-Quad-Clip...6da8ca4&_uhb=1

to a pair of par38's. i Run a 34g 24x24x14 cube. currently i am running my par38's 8 hours a day and they have been doing a great job. Since i have no control over the individual LEDs on the par 38s i have no moonlight functions. cause of this i decided to keep my old lights on the tank as well. These lights i run 24hours a day just onthe 8x Actinic 460nm mounted about 24inchs about the top.
I know most moon lights are LEDs, my question for you guys is. What are your opinions on running those 8 bulbs 24hours a day? What negative side effects may it cause or not?

I have been running this system for about a month now and my corals have finally been striving. i picked up a nice candy-cane colony when i first got the tank and over time it shrank and turned from a nice green to a pale yellow/brown. It wasn't dying but it just lost it vibrant colors. Now a month after this new light set up everything has brightened up. So far i have had no negative repercussions from this minus a small diatom bloom but i have been fight that before the lights and that is only minor.

tang daddy · #2 09-04-2013, 07:03 PM

I would say running the light with just the 420nm spectrum on 24/7 wouldn't have any negative effects. Those led light should last you 5 years, the down side being once they burn out you will only have the whites to use....

Craigdillman · #3 09-04-2013, 07:44 PM

This is just me but I've always been a believer that you should let the tank sleep at night no moon lights just off unless you like the look of the tank with the lights on, After a 12 hour Photoperoid with the par 38s I really don't think the corals are using the moon lights at night and I feel that to simulate their natural environment there should be a period of dark

but that is just my 2 cents, but if you didn't run the moon lights you could take the other fixture down and probably clean up your look

But to answer you question i don't think you'll have any negative effects either way i just don't think its needed

tang daddy · #4 09-04-2013, 07:56 PM

Yah agree with above poster, the moon light thing is somewhat a myth... Especially if you're using 8. If you see the ocean at night it's fairly dark even with full moon. Especially if its deeper like 15-20 meters the moon light doesn't penetrate the depth well. I use to run moon lights and haven't botherd in 4 years.