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Hi All,

This may be a very obvious question but it has me stumped so here go's:

I've been reading in a few books about moonlight tubes for lighting, some books refer to them as night tubes. Obviously they allow you to better view your nocturnal fish and I would like to explore this option.

The only thing I can think of is that some critters in nature are unable to distinguish between a black light (like in niteclubs) and normal night time due to the light waves emmited are simular and human eyes absorb a different section of the spectrum thus we can see fairly well.

Am I on the right track here does anyone know??

I've asked the LFS but they look at me funny :%)

As I understand they are a lower light kind of. More like that of the moon and stars, not like that of black lights...They do allow you to see your nocturnal fish, while allowing your diurnal fish the rest that they so much need. I've seen them, and really like the idea, but the price of them is out of my range right now, though I did see some on ebay for a good price...it's all really up to you...heidi

PS there was a post about them somewhere back, but don't remember how long ago it was hml

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

cool ive been looking through some of the other posts and i have found some more info

Thanks, Heidi

-Hollywood

No problem let me know how it works and looks, I might consider doing it to my 125 next year if and when money allows...hml





_____________________________________________
So it was no surprise the day she learned
That her Texas man would not return

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Red also works as a nightlight as nocturnal animals don't pick up on it, and they still think it's dark.

Red you say, I now know blue works rarther then purple "Black Light" hmmmm red sounds interesting ill have to try both me thinks see which looks better

-Hollywood

Hi,
Back in the "dark ages" while in HS, I did a presentation
for my Earth Science class on Florescence in Rocks and
Minerals using black lights. At the time they were all
the rage and we were using them as our after hours lighting
in our "cribs." Eventually the national health folks put
out warning after warning about the damage they would (not
could) cause to our eyes. The same problem occurs with
our fish. (At one time fish were dyed for that purpose)

If you watch todays CSI, TV programs, every time they use a
black light, they don protective glasses. I would not use
black light on a tank.

As far as using red light is concerned, red light is used
in the miliary (navy) all the time. Once night falls, every
ship shifts to red light to preserve a persons night vision.
At sea a simple lit cigarette can be seen for 10 miles,
just imagine what an unshielded flashlight would do.

My concern with red light is for any plants in the tank.
Plants use parts of the red and blue spectrum for growth.
Like everything else, they have to have "down time," a
period of darkness in which to rest for the next photo
period. You could wind up with plant problems. That
being said, I see no reason not to have the tank lights on
for say, 10 hours, and then shift to moonlight, or maybe
red light, for another four (till you go to bed for
instance) and then turning everything out.

Frank


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