Night Time Moonlighting

I've been looking for a pale moonlight for my planted tank. Right now I have a Current Orbit that has 2 moonlight LEDs, but they are rather dim. I can tell there's light in there, but I can't see anything but faint ripples of shimmering light.

So I'm on the hunt for LED moonlights, and I see all kinds of LEDs for moonlights. I don't want the pure blue ones used for saltwater, that looks a bit odd for a planted tank to me. I think I'd prefer a white or a blue/white mix.

Anyways, I had and AHA! moment. Why aren't smaller or nano moonlights solar powered? I'm thinking 4-8 LEDS. We have garden lights that are solar, and are photo-sensitive, a plus for our fish tanks. Furthermore, if we install the solar cell in the light fixture, it's going to charge during the day by florescence of the light. I've found clip on lights for nano tanks that plug into AC.

I think I could be onto something.

That is a neat idea. Le your normal bulbs charge the solar cell and use it at night. Only downside I can see to this is unless you have the material on hand it will likely cost more to make the setup then you would have on electricity. Overall would be a really neat thing to try out, let us know how it goes.

yeah I think for starters I'm going to take apart a garden led light I bought for $1 at the dollar store. I bought it originally to see how long it will last, that was 3 months ago.

what about xmas lighting, getting blue and white, then making some custom light fixture with plastic... I did use a moon light with one of my planted tanks before it was nice. but i used it for that dawn, not to bright to where i wake up with light blasting in my face and helped the fish not have a blast of wakey wakey eggs and bakey lighting out of no where...

i thought about that too. Just maybe too much LED for a moonlight effect. Hmm.. if those Xmas lights were in the right color spectrum, they'd make for a good DIY LED light fixture for daytime lighting, just get the plug in adapter, not solar.

i have some led from hobby king, they can be very bright at night. i bought a adapter at walmart and have toned it down alot. its the best aty night.

cool, i'll check it out. I've seen a dimmer on ebay for LEDs.

Good news! I was taking the $1 garden light apart, and realized that without the stem it basically was a solar LED puck light in its main casing. My Current Orbit PC light as a plastic splash guard on it, and all I did was set the puck onto the plastic cover so it just sits loosely in the fixture. The solar cell is facing the light coming off the reflector, and the LED points straight down into the tank, shining through the plastic splash guard. It's been lying around dead for a while but a few minutes with the lights on and voila! it's back to life again!

I'll have to check late tonight to see how it looks in total darkness, Right now it's still light out, a lamp is on, tv is on, and it's not fully charged so I can't see it in full force, and in comparison to the moonlights already built into the light fixture. I think I'm going to find another el cheapo garden light; I can only fit about 2. Each "puck" is about 2" in diameter.

I'll try to remember photos tonight!

update: so I set it all up but went out and didn't some home till about 2:30. The moonlights in my light fixture had already turned off for the night, and the LED puck was pretty much used up for the night as well. It was probably running from 10pm. I guess I'll have to check it out tomorrow night :(

lol sounds like alot of work for led moon light just shop around alittle more and u will find what ur lookin for!! I found a light strip of just 3 led lights that are white that light up my 135 gal tank with no problem for 25 dollars at a lps..

LOL I know right? I am looking on Ebay. I just had one of those solar garden lights on hand, thought to tinkering with it.