# Cheap moonlight



## Al-Losaurus

Seems its that time of year wal mart has the indoor led x-mass lights i bought a strip of blue at $9.00. Then hard wired them to my light fixture hot glued the clips to hold the lights and this is how it turned out.

Added a separate switch off same power source




























DAY









NIGHT


















The lights do not need to be hard wired i made the same for my 75 gal and i did not hard wire i put it on a dual timer so they just auto switch. Cant recall if i posted it on this site before but since wal-mart has x-mass stuff out again it looks great for 10 dollars including the clips.


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## Jmbret

this is a great post! Thanks so much for the pictures! I'll be sure to keep me eyes peeled next time I hit Walmart! Thanks again!

- Jb


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## Al-Losaurus

No problem just make sure you get the stubby indoor lights they don't give off any heat. And with the clips it is probably better to use hot glue i used the tape on them with my 75 and a few have come loose over time. Also a good idea to put them on a timer that way it just switches automatically.

I cant remember if i posted that on this site before im pretty sure the tank was empty in those photos it looks a lot better with water lol ill add pics of my 75 with the lights on and then moonlight


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## Al-Losaurus

my phone wouldn't adjust properly but you get the idea.. lol looks better with water i didn't realize those images was when i was setting up that tank



















keeps a nice blue glow to the room when the tv is off at night.


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## Newobsession

Al, nice background in the first tank you showed. Is that a DIY job?


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## djtbster

Do u have pics of the led themselves or maybe even the brand and model thx


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## Al-Losaurus

Newobsession said:


> Al, nice background in the first tank you showed. Is that a DIY job?


Thank you yes it is diy i made that earlier this year it was only secured in my tank by the egg crate you see the tank trim and 2 clamps at the top for over 9 months. i really did not want to silicone it and it worked out it looks way better with algae on it. i recently took it out and put it in storage due to my calvus breeding and needing more space. Btw if you make one i strongly suggest letting it cure for 30 days at least making water changes every other day minimum i put guppies in to test it they survived a week later i decided to add my 12 compressiceps and everyday i lost one or two till they were gone comps are very sensitive to there water condition tho.



djtbster said:


> Do u have pics of the led themselves or maybe even the brand and model thx


 Took a pic of the box for ya i added one of the clips as well they are one or two dollars cant remember again i wouldn't trust the tape for to long on them i have some that lasted a year others fell off hot glue worked perfect i used the 35 strip of lights for my 29gal and i believe the 60 strip for my 75gal


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## Newobsession

Very sweet. I picked up a 55 gal cichlid tank for my 12 yo (he had been begging for cichlids) and would love to do a rock background for it but don't want to silicone it in in case things change and we use it for something else


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## djtbster

Thank you very much now I got something to do after class


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## Al-Losaurus

Newobsession said:


> Very sweet. I picked up a 55 gal cichlid tank for my 12 yo (he had been begging for cichlids) and would love to do a rock background for it but don't want to silicone it in in case things change and we use it for something else


That is why i refused to silicone it glad i did not lol. this image you could see the egg crate holds it from swinging up then at the top in the tank trim i made a small cut out so that the clamp touched glass and in the top of the background i made 2 slots before i added the concrete for the other part of the clamps the rest was held by the tank trim. I never had a problem with it moving even during water changes. it is impossible to see but on the back right side there was a compartment with a mesh vent for the filter and heater.

The clamps and egg crate support once the hood and light was on the clamps could not be seen from the front.









you can kind of see the slot i made for filtering lol at my random cutting didn't turn out how i wanted just what ever my hand would do.









finished still dirty and cloudy from the sand only images i got while i had it up and running


















If you decide to do one once you find the right cutting tool it is fun and inexpensive i want to start another for my 75 gal soon hopefully my hand lets me cut a better design


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## 3020

I loved that moonlight idea so I went out to walmart to check it out. So far its looking great, once it gets dark out ill try and get some pictures up if anyone wants to see.


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## Al-Losaurus

Has anyone tried this how did it work out?

I had a few bulbs burn out after about a year when i went to wal-mart i found to other ways to do this they cost a little bit more but look just as good one way looks better a friend of mine did it on his tank and the blue glow can even be seen in daylight..

The first way is the rope lights i bought a pack to test it out but felt i liked the blue from xmas lights better they penetrate water well its just a lighter blue. Rope lights come in 12 foot strips and are $19.99. While i was browsing monsterfishkeepers.com i found a great way to install them in the diy section. go to home depot and get some house weather gutter and 2 end caps cut to the length of your tank secure lights inside add the end caps and place on your tank. It looks great almost like another light fixture. anyway here is the link.. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=301094

The second way is to buy the light strips people install under cars im not sure the exact name but they are in the car section at walmart and go for $29.99 and come in two 12 inch strips they are the ones that the blue shows in day light they look amazing even in day light. i believe they come with a sticky side so can easily be installed to an existing light fixture cause the lights are paper thin. I think once my xmas bulbs burn that is the way i am going to do it next il have to ask my friend what power supply he uses for them when i find out il post it. i also have to return some stuff today so il take a pic for people that might me interested.


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## Jmbret

*I did it*

A very simply quick DIY, I used industrial staples and stapled the strip in a row to a 2x4 in my canopy. In hindsight perhaps staples were not the safest or smartest choice, as they might corrode over time and might have pierced the wires but I was careful. I could have rigged something nicer, but I just don't have the time to mess around with it more right now.

Bulbs are at least 7" inches from the top of the water, on a 24" deep tank and penetrate.

These cost me $8 in change from WalMart.

Great purchase, Thanks!

Ps The ones I bought look exactly like the box posted on the first page of the thread.


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## dl88dl

Al-Losaurus said:


> The second way is to buy the light strips people install under cars.


This sounds good and easy for DIY. If I install the blue ones for moon light and can I install the clear ones to replace the fluorescent light? Will that work?

BTW, very nice DIY background.


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## xr8dride

Yes you can, they carry both warm white and cool white...you can get then in 35, 60, and 100+ pkgs. Picked up the blue ones myself today but doing things a little different...will post pics!

p.s. Not going to do it myself but just had a thought someone might be interested in...why not throw a photo cell on the strip, when ur lights go out the moonlights kick in...should be a pretty simple fix to manually switching them on or the need for another timer.


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## Al-Losaurus

I do not see why the clear white ones would not work i don't think they will be powerful enough to keep your tank lit during the day. Its worth a try for $8 i can tell you i bet either of these 2 types of lights im about to post pics of will keep your tank lit during the day especially the car light.. Edit Btw if you notice in the pic of car lights there are white ones right beside the ones im taking the photo of. Also the string lights come in white they are also pretty powerful and $19.99

Jmbret Risky lol but i bet those lights aren't going anywhere anytime soon i installed them 2 ways one with hot glue and the odd one fell off maybe 2. I also installed them with the 2 sided tape on the clips and have had several fall off over time staples tho will last a long time.

Ok so here are the photos of other lights that can be used for just a few more dollars i tried the light strip and it works well but the blue was not enough for me a friend of mine has the car lights installed and they make the water blue during daylight and im sure would take seconds to install... I tried these other ways cause i found the xmas lights from this year were not as blue as the ones from last year they seem greenish 2 me i only noticed cause i replaced half of a 60 strip. Anyway...


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## xr8dride

I looked at those flex leds at walmart as well....may be a tad trickier to hardwire for most users without experience. They did however light up the floor in walmart from above my head and I'm 5'10". For a moonlight effect I would image they are too strong.

Stick with the led christmas lights, I'm building a 6 foot tube with them now and they will give your tank a nice light.

my building materials...

1x T8 light tube protector (rona) $11
1x 35 light set (blue) walmart $9
1x 8' single wall bracket (rona) $11
2x 1 1/4" rubber tips (rona) $3

so for a total of $34, very cheap!!! 

Pictures coming!


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## xr8dride

Ok here are the pics I've been promising...and for the helpful thread (thank you Al-Losauraus) I'm giving away a set of these lights to whomever wants to build their own DIY moonlights. The lights will be available as of early next week for pick up in scarborough, sorry I'm very busy this weekend.

K, here they are. The last one was thrown in for fun.


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## dl88dl

xr8dride said:


> Ok here are the pics I've been promising...and for the helpful thread (thank you Al-Losauraus) I'm giving away a set of these lights to whomever wants to build their own DIY moonlights. The lights will be available as of early next week for pick up in scarborough, sorry I'm very busy this weekend.
> 
> K, here they are. The last one was thrown in for fun.


If you still have the set of lights to give away then I will take it and try it out.TY


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## Al-Losaurus

xr8dride said:


> Ok here are the pics I've been promising...and for the helpful thread (thank you Al-Losauraus) I'm giving away a set of these lights to whomever wants to build their own DIY moonlights. The lights will be available as of early next week for pick up in scarborough, sorry I'm very busy this weekend.
> 
> K, here they are. The last one was thrown in for fun.


Your welcome and good idea for housing. Im not sure if you noticed the lights this year have more a green tinge to them then blue i had replaced 30 of 60 lights one side was blue the other seemed green. I was playing around with them trying to get them matching and all it took was taking one of the bigger end lights from a old set i had and replacing it with a new bigger one and it turned the 29 other greener lights to the same blue. odd how one bulb changed the color of all the others. Im glad both sides of my tank finally match after a few days of tinkering with them here and there.


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## xr8dride

dl88dl sure, as I said...early next week as i'm quite busy this weekend. I would imagine if you are in whitby though, it may be cheaper to buy a set at $9 instead of driving into Scarborough...no?


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## xr8dride

I didn't have that issue, they are all blue, bright blue too. What surprised my was when hardwiring them it was a simple connection. No resistors, no polarity, etc....I tried it both ways and they work. I opened up the housing on the original plug thinking they had a resistor hidden in there, no.


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## Cowboy

Great Job!!!


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## xr8dride

guess nobody else wants cheap moonlights...still available


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## Cowboy

Im going to wally world today to see what i can find for the new 55 gallon


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## xr8dride

the last wally world i was in had their fish dept taken down, no tanks, fish, etc....just filters and replacement media


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## Newobsession

xr8dride said:


> the last wally world i was in had their fish dept taken down, no tanks, fish, etc....just filters and replacement media


I've seen several that have gone that route. I think it was decided it was easier to keep a few aisle of aquarium supplies than to deal with teh labour and training (or lack there of) of maintaining/selling livestock.


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## xr8dride

yes true, they mainly carried juvies and they looked to be in bad shape most of the time.


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## Grafix Ink.

Grafix Ink. said:


> thats what i did... ive ordered many leds form ebay and these strips are best bang for buck
> 
> i ordered a few strips and plan to do this to my tank... i ordered these:
> http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...53396&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2645wt_1137
> 
> ill post my pics once they arrive.
> 
> i like your idea from this thread - but way cheaper alternatives... way cheaper.


this is what i did ..... much cheaper... much... and just as reliable.


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## JAM

*Very affordable LED*

96 White LEDs (2 strips - 48 LEDS each strip) for $5.89 *Free Shipping*

I bought it @ eBay and use it in my aquarium

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...093406&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2129wt_905

There are also Blue and Red LEDs - very low power consumption just 12 Volts


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## Al-Losaurus

JAM said:


> 96 White LEDs (2 strips - 48 LEDS each strip) for $5.89 *Free Shipping*
> 
> I bought it @ eBay and use it in my aquarium
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...093406&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2129wt_905
> 
> There are also Blue and Red LEDs - very low power consumption just 12 Volts


Nice find i think i am going 2 order these seems i have money on paypal with no use for it and my lights have been set up over a year on my 75 gal and i keep having bulbs burn out so instead of buying a bulb tester i am going to give these a try. Thank you

i also just recently bought a 10 gal marineland kit for a grow out tank that had built in moonlight only reason i bought it was cause it came with a heater and the moonlight leds already built in would have cost me 30 for the heater and 10 for lights. it came to 90 with tax but saves me time and money lol well would have been around the same if i bought a basic 10 gal starter kit with no heater still yet to fill it but the lights are pretty strong when its empty.


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## Al-Losaurus

JAM said:


> 96 White LEDs (2 strips - 48 LEDS each strip) for $5.89 *Free Shipping*
> 
> I bought it @ eBay and use it in my aquarium
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...093406&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2129wt_905
> 
> There are also Blue and Red LEDs - very low power consumption just 12 Volts


i ordered some last night just curious what did you use to power them and what size tank do you have do they penetrate the water well? i just ordered the one 2 pack to test out with my 4 foot 75 gal


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## JAM

*12V ac-dc*

Hi Al-Losaurus,

I dug through my electronics junk in the basement and found a typical 12v ac-dc converter from an electronic toy...soldered it and yeah...it worked.


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## ozi

I just ordered this already wired and ready-to-go 24 blue LED strip off eBday for $8 CAD. shipping was free.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230526034745&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
just need to glue/attach it to your light fixture.


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## Greg_o

Thanks all who contributed in this thread - I made one using the cheap walmart lights, that fit snuggly into the holes on a rubbermaid shelve or support arm, inside a plastic fluorescent light tube.

The pick gives you an idea of how the lights work with the metal bracket - each led is simply pressure fitted into the holes in the bracket. I added a couple L brackets to each end to help this stay put on the tank.


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## Al-Losaurus

JAM said:


> Hi Al-Losaurus,
> 
> I dug through my electronics junk in the basement and found a typical 12v ac-dc converter from an electronic toy...soldered it and yeah...it worked.


Great find man worked amazing and i actually think the greenish tinge makes it look a little more realistic. I will be ordering more of these for my other tanks especially at 5 buck it is well worth it. Thanks again

Btw another thing i liked no glue was needed i just squeezed it between the light frame and the plastic hood for it. one $5 purchase worked out great for my 75 gal


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## Explorer guy

I'm planning to do one of these for my 120... And I won't be siliconing it to the tank either.... My plan firstly is to make it as tight a fit as possible, then make a small L shaped lip at the bottom to keep it weighed down with rock and substrate so it won't flip up from the bottom. A couple of simple c clamps should work to keep it secured at the top. I'll post when I actually conquer the project and maybe put together a step by step.


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## Al-Losaurus

Was unsure what you were talking about at first had to go back to page one to see lol. 

Mine held up for like 6+ months without a problem then i took it down and trashed it (was not the type of design i wanted). a bit of advice make sure you cure it and do water changes for over a month especially if you have cichlids they seem more sensitive. (freshwater fish survived cichlids not so lucky) and i cured mine for 40 days. 

If you can get your hands on Sikatop seal 107 then you would not have to worry so much about curing it it is save for pottable water so safe for the fish. I did find some in canada but it was in different packaging so i emailed the company but they could not give me a guarantee that it had same properties as the the american version so i did not use it.

if you decide to go with hydro stop quickcreet from HD then over a month daily water changes to be safe.

Good luck and post some pics may inspire me to do another one.


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## Explorer guy

Excellent advice, however since my tank is a 5 footer by 28 inches high I'm thinking I may build this in sections, that way I can soak it. My main concern is toxicity in materials of course.... That's my biggest hindrance and I find your advice very useful. I was going to contact mapei (cement and grout manufacturer) since i carry their product offerings at work and see what they claim as non toxic. If I'm going to take on a project like this for a tank as large as my 120 I want it right the first time, otherwise a whole lot of time, effort and more money is just out the window and down the trash chute!


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## Al-Losaurus

hey i had a few links still book marked from last year.. Check this one out he is doing a larger tank also in small sections not the same as you would if you do not want to silicone but this guys bg look so damn sweet. he also uses the sikatop107 i was speaking about. the pics should still load but it is 5-6 years old 


ugh looking at that makes me want to do another one lol


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## Explorer guy

Al-Losaurus said:


> hey i had a few links still book marked from last year.. Check this one out he is doing a larger tank also in small sections not the same as you would if you do not want to silicone but this guys bg look so damn sweet. he also uses the sikatop107 i was speaking about. the pics should still load but it is 5-6 years old
> 
> ugh looking at that makes me want to do another one lol


You didn't leave me a link! Just finished my DIY led moonlight setup.... Took photos will post later.... Turned out AWESOME!


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## Al-Losaurus

lol sorry i thought i did i must be losing my mind.

http://ice1forum.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=DIY&num=1115002332&action=display&start=0


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## Al-Losaurus

lol My next project..










As my wife says keep pipe dreaming


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## Explorer guy

Al-Losaurus said:


> lol sorry i thought i did i must be losing my mind.
> 
> http://ice1forum.suddenlaunch3.com/index.cgi?board=DIY&num=1115002332&action=display&start=0


Great link... Gets me inspired. I was wandering around lowes today looking at the styrofoam lol. I think I mayuse the pink... It's more dense and I think will be a hell of a lot less messy then polystyrene and will give me a little more detail. What does anyone else think that has done this or has researched the $hyt out of it?


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## Al-Losaurus

definitely use the pink stuff it is not as easy to cut but it is way cleaner... pick around 5-6 different tools to cut it and keep switching till you find what works best for you. i used an extremely sharp kitchen knife then i used a dremel to get the final shapes i wanted. If you use a dremel i suggest using a face mask it does not smell the greatest and you really do not want to breath those particles.. if you can find a hot wire i am sure that would work very well too..


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## Al-Losaurus

If you have the patience there are 36 pages of info and different peoples methods when you come across this guys pics they will definitely give you ideas. Some of his stuff looks amazingly real. Again tho it is a very old thread and some pics do not load.
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/16605-making-fake-rocks.html
here is an example


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