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Dimmable LED fixtueres - Light level at lights off

Aeropars

Member
Joined
9 Jul 2007
Messages
818
Location
Leicester
Hi All,

I've been using my LED fixtures with the TMC Aquaray controller and it allows you to set your effective lights off light value so that you can have them dimmed right down if you wanted to.

Has anyone done this on a planted tank and did it have any adverse effects? I was thinking about sticking them on the very lowest setting to mimic moonlight but wondered if this would have any interference with the plant growth, particularly as my CO2 is not running 24/7. I understand some people have back lights running during the lights out period but these are not directly over the tank.

Lee
 
Hi All,

I've been using my LED fixtures with the TMC Aquaray controller and it allows you to set your effective lights off light value so that you can have them dimmed right down if you wanted to.

Has anyone done this on a planted tank and did it have any adverse effects? I was thinking about sticking them on the very lowest setting to mimic moonlight but wondered if this would have any interference with the plant growth, particularly as my CO2 is not running 24/7. I understand some people have back lights running during the lights out period but these are not directly over the tank.

Lee
If it's very dim, it will have no visible effects. Go forth and explore!
 
You'll be fine.

I had zero algae growth (or plant growth for that matter) with them set at 40% for 8 hours a day. I doubt 1-5% for 14+ hours will have any affect.
 
:) 5% also might be more than enough. Depending on the led output power of course and height of the unit above the tank.. But for me 5% did it very nice, there will be no adverse effects on the plants. Ran it like that for over a year.. Tho i'm not a fan of that blue light night simulation, it's just a bit to blue and unatural.. A white colored light looks much more relaxing and will have much more natural ambiance.. Now i'm using backlight, matter a fact 2, a (warm) white light at the top back and a blue one at the bottom back. Actualy it doesn't realy make much of a difference in the tank if the light is comming direct from above the tank or from the top back. Effect in the tank as environmental light is pretty much the same. Via the backlight there only is a bit more depth. With the fading deep bleu from bellow thsi depth is a bit enhanced.

Here an example how it looks with the backlights on after main lights are out.

DSCF7424.jpg
 
I experienced the fish and shrimp love it very much with dimmed light from above at night.. The are very active close to the surface, but i have a lot of surface vegitation as you can see.. Probably the dimmed light gives them a lot better visual input from above and they see better or things they do not see when light to strong. I do not know ofcourse what it realy is, but they react to it, my best guess it something visual.. At 0.00PM my main top lights switch off from 5% to 0 and then it's only back light, then the activety is deeper down again.

Anyway, good chance you experience totaly different behaivor from fish and shrimp than before. And indeed the best show is you see it all relatively clear. :thumbup:

Tho be carefull if you have open top and potential jumpers, i had o lot of amano's jump during the night.. That's why i switched to backlight only and switch the top lights of at bed time.
 
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