# [Wet Thumb Forum]-Considering the Custom Sealife PC with Moonlights



## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Has anyone seen moonlights actually working? I would like to try some to show off my green-eyed rasboras after the regular lights are off. They look best with more diffused lighting and I wondered if moonlights would be the answer.

Unfortunately, Custom Sealife went out of business just as I saw their 30" PC fixture with moonlights (only in a box). I plan to replace my 24" Hamilton fixture with the 30" CS because it fits my 30" tank better. 

The CS comes with risers and fits nicely over the tank so I wouldn't need the glass top that serves as the stand for the Hamilton. 

Thanks,
Carlos

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I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Has anyone seen moonlights actually working? I would like to try some to show off my green-eyed rasboras after the regular lights are off. They look best with more diffused lighting and I wondered if moonlights would be the answer.

Unfortunately, Custom Sealife went out of business just as I saw their 30" PC fixture with moonlights (only in a box). I plan to replace my 24" Hamilton fixture with the 30" CS because it fits my 30" tank better. 

The CS comes with risers and fits nicely over the tank so I wouldn't need the glass top that serves as the stand for the Hamilton. 

Thanks,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

What kind of "moonlight" are you contemplating? There are several varieties, and none but the one I built myself really looks like moonlight. There is a blue fluoresent, which looks like a blue fluorescent, not to be confused with moonlight. There are several 420 nm LED systems. These are good for marine reefs, where one is trying to show a marine environment in water deeper than about 30 feet. The light at that depth is a deep blue, around 420 nm.

Real moonlight is white light. It's got exactly the same spectrum as sunlight- duh, it is reflected sunlight. The new white LED lamps that are available look exactly like moonlight. I built a light bar in my aquarium with nine white LEDs, and it looks just like moonlight. If you are interested, I did post the article here: http://aquabotanicwetthumb.infopop.cc/groupee/forums?a=tpc&s=4006090712&f=8006023812&m=8546004544

You can substitute 420 nm blue LEDs for the white, and get that cool marine look, if that's what you want.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Thanks GS for all that info. You really did a great job writing all those articles. I ordered the CS fixture even though it isn't a good as the one you built. It fits the tank better than the one I'm using.

Regards,
Carlos

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I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## imported_Creature (Feb 6, 2003)

I'm not a DIY kind of guy, so when I saw MoonLite at Drs Foster&Smith, I got two of them for my 90 gallon tank and have been completely satisfied. These are white in color, not blue, and the ripples at the surface cast shadows on the aquarium plants. Really cool effect. The fishes don't panic anymore when the lights go off and it gives you another 12 hours to stare at your tank! I will be getting another 3 for my recently reincarnated 125 gallon tank.

Here's the link:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=10675&R=974&N=2004+113030+2035&in_merch=1


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Thanks Creature for your comments. I ordered the light from Foster and Smith this morning but they didn't know the colour of the moonlights. I'm glad they are what GS described. The 30" fixture only has 2 lights, which seems too few after reading what GS wrote. 

Green-eyed rasboras show best in dim light , IMO and I look forward to showing them off. Probably, I'll be the only one to actually benefit by the new lights, lol. 

Regards,
Carlos

==============================
I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## gsmollin (Feb 3, 2003)

Gak! They're expensive. I've got 9 moonlight LEDs in my hood for about the price of one moonlight kit from F&S. Of course, DIY always include some "free" stuff that's laying around, like birch plywood, Teflon sleeving, and erector-set brackets, but the electronics is all new.

Well, even if you did pay too much by not doing a DIY, you will be impressed by how realistic the white LED moonlight looks. In side-by-side comparison of real and simulated moonlight, I can't see the difference.


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

LOL, GS, I'm a BIY (buy it yourself) guy. The light fixture also has 2 65-watt PC bulbs. I wanted to get a 30" fixture to replace my 24". The moonlights were an added bonus. 

Big Al's just put them on special lower than F&S. Unfortunately, they don't have the 30" fixture, darn.

Regards,
Carlos

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I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

Just an FYI to you all, but CustomSeaLife is apparently out of business. I only found this out today when I was looking for some added info on their UV sterilizers (that Big Al's is selling for $59).


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

Unfortunately, they did go out of business. But Big Al's will still extend the warranty by 1 year. They will fix or replace any of the Custom Sealife products purchased from them. That makes it pretty safe to go with CS.

I've heard the CS ultra violets have some problems but have no first-hand experience with them. Maybe you should post a question about them before any purchase.

Regards,
Carlos

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I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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## TexasState (Mar 2, 2004)

In my Foster and Smith's catalog, the moonlight looks blue. Is the moonlight on your CSL unit blue or hazy white?

http://www.TxState.edu/~xp42012/trading.htm


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## Tenor1 (Mar 3, 2003)

The lights seem more blue than white and make a nice effect. It looks very natural to me but you can't really see the fish the way I hoped. It seems perfect with only 2 lights in this 30" hood. This is a 24-hour lighting system and I'm using the new Corallife integrated timer. The moonlights come on when the other go off and vice versa.

Regards,
Carlos

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I try to keep the tank plain and simple but it never stays that way!


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