Blue Led Night Lighting

[TarkMalbot]

Has anyone had any experience with LED strip lights for night time use and what are they like?

I am looking at something like this to run on a timer in the evening for a few hours:
 
http/www.allpondsolutions.co.uk/aquarium-1/aquarium-lighting/small-led-fish-tank-lighting/60cm-submersible-led-aquarium-fish-tank-light-colour-changing.html#
 
Thanks,
Mark.

 

[donnylad1980]

Hi Mark,
 
I've got one in my tank. I don't tend to leave it on overnight though as the only time my horrible lot stop fighting is when the lights go out! But I sometimes use it in an evening as my pleco comes out when that's on but usually hides when the day light is on.

 

[Lunar Jetman]

This seems to be a submersible light. Do you want one to go in the water and shine up or one to sit above the tank and shine down?

 

[raptorrex]

I'd just place them in the lid.

 

[techen]

He could hang it in the lid, Wouldn't matter. So long as you have it on a timer for night time you'll be sorted.

 

[TarkMalbot]

I was planning to put it in the lid or on the glass above the sliding hatch on the glass.  Put it on a timer so its on for an hour or so say 10pm to midnight so I can see what happens when I am still awake but the main lights are off.  No point keeping it on during the night when I am not there plus I would like to give them some total darkness during the night.
 
So all in all they are ok or are they cheap and nasty and there are better more suitable products for similar price out there?

 

[Chad]

I use them and enjoy them quite a bit. What I've done is have them come on when the main light goes out and stay on for about an hour or two then go out. My reef tank has a controller which matches the lights to the phases of the moon but absent that a simple couple of hours is nice. I've had them built in, on the hood, on the glass, and even submersible. I've found that it didn't really matter where I put them just wherever it was convenient worked.

 

[TarkMalbot]

I do like the idea of the Aquaray LED system and Controller but its too expensive to justify at the moment as I have just set up my T5's so this LED strip for cheap off e-bay sounds like it will do the trick.
 
Thanks guys.

 

[phantomlink]

Is it bad to keep the blue lighting on?  My new tank has 2 CFL fixtures and at night I put a 13w blue CFL inside so it lets me see into the tank beside the bed and the night fish start coming out.  Most nights it stays on all night and I turn it off in the morning and replace the bulb with a daylight I have

 

[Chad]

I wouldn't keep it on all night because many of them seem to be bright enough to disturb the fish. I say this just from see how much they move and don't sleep at night. I keep the one on my reef tank because many corals spawn based on moon cycles and the fish seem to enjoy it, but just like the moon doesnt' stay overhead all night neither do the lights. A tank needs dark time.

 

[phantomlink]

Thats true, I'll get a cheap timer for it.  I do see my panda corys swim around the middle of the tank alot when there are no lights on whatsoever

 

[Chad]

Cory do that. Especially just after lights out. In the wild I believe they are crepuscular.

 

[TarkMalbot]

I decided to do a bit of DIY and make a little kit myself.  I bought 2 x 48 cm strip with a total of 96 Blue LED's and a 240 - 12V DC power adaptor and I will splice them together and see how I get on.  Total cost was only £9 including postage!
 
http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160517672266
 
http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160548918879

 

[plectastic]

I've had those eBay ones before and hated them. You need to attach them somehow! I bought a Led strip in a tube that looks like a heater last time which was much better and had suckers.

 

[TarkMalbot]

I was a little unsure if the suckers would stick to the underside of the textured laminated wooden lid which is where I would like them ideally so thought I could stick these strips on with some silicone or something.  You wont be able to see them with the lid shut anyway and I will get away with putting 2 strips into one adapter and plug.
 
The reason I want two is because the tank is 150cm long and the lid has a support half way along so its easier to put one either side of that rather than one long one in the middle.
 
I will take some photos as I go.