Need Moonlighting Recommendation

[littlejonute]

Hey All,

 

I had a quick question. I just set up a beautiful Fluval 10g on my office desk and it's starting the cycling process. The stock lights are fine for what I'm doing (either a FOWLR or Mantis Specific). However, I am a real fan of the moonlighting but this hood doesn't have a spot built in for it.

 

Can anybody recommend an aftermarket moonlight LED that I can attach inside the hood as a separate piece?

 

Thanks,

 

Gil

[jaredcoe]

Maybe give the moonlight kits at www.rapidled.com a look. They are easy to mount and dont require a lot of room. I'm not familar with the Fluval hood so you need to check it out before you buy. The customer service at rapidled is great so maybe send them an email and they can tell you with more confidence. I'm betting someone has asked this question before.

[jedimasterben]

Use as little as possible, and use white instead of blue. Run it dimmed as low as is possible, less than 350ma.

 

With a single LED, you can just use a very small heatsink as long as it won't be 100% enclosed.

[littlejonute]

Thanks all. I'll let you know what I end up with.

 

Gil

[littlejonute]

Maybe give the moonlight kits at www.rapidled.com a look. They are easy to mount and dont require a lot of room. I'm not familar with the Fluval hood so you need to check it out before you buy. The customer service at rapidled is great so maybe send them an email and they can tell you with more confidence. I'm betting someone has asked this question before.

 

 

I'd like to ask a few follow up questions before making the call.

 

Why white and not blue or purple? I am not looking for LED for my primary lighting just the after hours "moonlight" effect. Aren't those usually a darker color?

 

I emailed the guys from rapidled and they sent the following reply:

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for your interest in our products!

 

I would suggest using a 2 LED moonlight kit mounted on 2 single LED heat sinks:

http://www.rapidled.com/2-led-moonlight-kit/

http://www.rapidled.com/single-led-aluminum-heatsink/

 

As far as installation goes, I personally haven't worked on a Fluval Edge, but there is probably some good information out there on how to do it. The heat sinks are pretty small, and you shouldn't have a problem fitting them in the hood.

 

The LEDs won't generate that much heat, so that won't be an issue, and the moonlights are pretty dim, so I think your mantis will be okay! Of course, you can try one LED first, and then go with two if you'd like.

 

 

Last, before making the final call would it help anybody to post some pics of the hood and lighting setup? Sorry to ask so many questions but I've never done any light retrofitting before and I don't want to make an expensive fatal mistake.

 

Thanks

 

Gil

[jedimasterben]

I'd like to ask a few follow up questions before making the call.

 

Why white and not blue or purple? I am not looking for LED for my primary lighting just the after hours "moonlight" effect. Aren't those usually a darker color?

 

I emailed the guys from rapidled and they sent the following reply:

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for your interest in our products!

 

I would suggest using a 2 LED moonlight kit mounted on 2 single LED heat sinks:

http://www.rapidled.com/2-led-moonlight-kit/

http://www.rapidled.com/single-led-aluminum-heatsink/

 

As far as installation goes, I personally haven't worked on a Fluval Edge, but there is probably some good information out there on how to do it. The heat sinks are pretty small, and you shouldn't have a problem fitting them in the hood.

 

The LEDs won't generate that much heat, so that won't be an issue, and the moonlights are pretty dim, so I think your mantis will be okay! Of course, you can try one LED first, and then go with two if you'd like.

 

 

Last, before making the final call would it help anybody to post some pics of the hood and lighting setup? Sorry to ask so many questions but I've never done any light retrofitting before and I don't want to make an expensive fatal mistake.

 

Thanks

 

Gil

Only use white because it is more natural. Fish and inverts 'see' light differently than we do. We see red as being the brightest light, then green, then blue last, so blue lights don't look as bright as a red light of the same wattage. Fish and inverts are the opposite, blue is the brightest they see, so what seems dim to us is much brighter for them.

 

 

And on such a tiny tank, only use a single LED - my tank is eight times the size of yours and two LEDs at 100ma or so is enough.