[WHOSYOURDADDY]

As with most DIY projects, the goal and primary reason for making moon lights yourself is cost. Some of the moon lights that are sold in the marine trade have one or two bulbs, and sell for $50.00 or more. The ones I will be talking about will cost under $20.00 and has a minimum of 5 separate lights.

Using one or two bulbs as a moon light for your entire tank tends to produce uneven lighting. It can be too bright under the light and too dim away from the bulb. Real moon light is a very even glow through the reef, which you should try to reproduce as closely as possible. This DIY method uses several, very small lights so that they can be spread out evenly over the length of an aquarium.

There has been debate over the type of bulbs to use (Incandescent vs. LED). In this DIY project I suggest LED bulbs for the following reasons; 1. They are low intensity and produce virtually no heat, 2. They can easily be placed in various locations around the tank for even coverage, 3. They can be dimmed to produce a lunar effect.

The parts for this project can be purchased online as a package through www.thelebos.com . This is where I purchased my parts, or through your local electronics supply store. The project is very simple and can be completed within an hour. Please note that some soldering is required. With The Lebos package the soldering iron and solder is included with instruction on how to solder along with full step by step instructions on how to assemble and mount your lights.

Again it’s in my opinion it comes down to user preference. If you’re the DIY type of person this project is right up your alley. If your, not there are commercial lights available to meet your needs.

Part 1 - Moon Lighting - Introduction
Part 2 - Moon Lighting - What is a Moon Light
Part 3 - Moon Lighting - The Color of Moon Light
Part 4 - Moon Lighting - The Benefits of Building them Yourself