Chris
Fri, 18th Oct 2002, 07:03 PM
So we can keep an archive of it... just posting this to the new forum. :grin:
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Greetings all,
I mentioned this at the meeting, and thought I would follow up with
more information for anyone willing to give it a shot. Here's everything
you'll need to natually simulate the lighting of the moon:
1.) The first item you'll need is your own computer. The actual program will run in the background of your system so you'll have to leave it on 24/7. If you have a noisy computer like me with lots of fans and don't want to leave it on, you should be able to find a really cheap and old system for a good price in the paper or on eBay. ;)
2.) The next thing you'll need is the X10 FireCracker Home Control Kit. I'm sure we've all seen a pop-up or two from X10's advertising; They can actually make some decent products that could be put to use with our aquariums. The main unit will connect to the serial port on your computer via radio frequencies to wirelessly transmit signals.
The FireCracker kit can be obtained at:
http://www.x10.com/firecracker/fc_offer_br1ab.htm
The price is $49.99 and if you're ordering from X10.com there are a few promotional gift certificates floating around and even the site is currently offering $10 off this unit. I know Lowes and Home Depot also sell some products from X10, but i'm not sure if it will be any cheaper. I ordered mine and it came to a total of $30.98 shipped. Next to your computer, this is the most expensive part.
3.) Third, a fellow reefer created a program written in JAVA to do all the hard work. Taking into consideration the lattitude and longitude of several different coral reefs, the program simulates the intensity of the moon by using one of the X10 modules to brighten or dim your light. Screen shots and images of what it will look like can be seen here:
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/elm3.gif
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/elm4.gif
The price of the program is $15 and more information can be found on the author's site here:
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/lightmaster1.html
Not only can you use it for your moonlighting, it can control up to 6 different lights and 6 different pumps. Rather than buying timers which will run independantly from each other, you can connect them all to your computer so everything will come on when wanted.
4.) Now for the least expensive parts. The light bulb and socket can be bought from any local hardware store for just a few bucks. Even Walmart or Super K-Mart should have these parts.
That's all it takes! Here's a pic of everything you'll be using:
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/pics/moonparts.jpg
It'll cost you a few bucks, but the effect could be immensely valuable to the health of your tank. Not only can your corals feel the effect of the moon, but the light intensity will be there as well. Many reefers have mentioned improved growth rates and regular spawning from both fish and corals.
My total cost came out to:
$30.98 - X-10 Firecracker Kit
$15.00 - Registration for the JAVA program
$3.40 - Light bulb socket (the cheaper ones were under $2)
$2.27 - 25W blue light bulb
$1.98 - 8 foot long lamp cord
$0.60 - Tax
Total price = $54.23
Enjoy :grin:
----------------------------------------
Greetings all,
I mentioned this at the meeting, and thought I would follow up with
more information for anyone willing to give it a shot. Here's everything
you'll need to natually simulate the lighting of the moon:
1.) The first item you'll need is your own computer. The actual program will run in the background of your system so you'll have to leave it on 24/7. If you have a noisy computer like me with lots of fans and don't want to leave it on, you should be able to find a really cheap and old system for a good price in the paper or on eBay. ;)
2.) The next thing you'll need is the X10 FireCracker Home Control Kit. I'm sure we've all seen a pop-up or two from X10's advertising; They can actually make some decent products that could be put to use with our aquariums. The main unit will connect to the serial port on your computer via radio frequencies to wirelessly transmit signals.
The FireCracker kit can be obtained at:
http://www.x10.com/firecracker/fc_offer_br1ab.htm
The price is $49.99 and if you're ordering from X10.com there are a few promotional gift certificates floating around and even the site is currently offering $10 off this unit. I know Lowes and Home Depot also sell some products from X10, but i'm not sure if it will be any cheaper. I ordered mine and it came to a total of $30.98 shipped. Next to your computer, this is the most expensive part.
3.) Third, a fellow reefer created a program written in JAVA to do all the hard work. Taking into consideration the lattitude and longitude of several different coral reefs, the program simulates the intensity of the moon by using one of the X10 modules to brighten or dim your light. Screen shots and images of what it will look like can be seen here:
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/elm3.gif
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/elm4.gif
The price of the program is $15 and more information can be found on the author's site here:
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/lightmaster1.html
Not only can you use it for your moonlighting, it can control up to 6 different lights and 6 different pumps. Rather than buying timers which will run independantly from each other, you can connect them all to your computer so everything will come on when wanted.
4.) Now for the least expensive parts. The light bulb and socket can be bought from any local hardware store for just a few bucks. Even Walmart or Super K-Mart should have these parts.
That's all it takes! Here's a pic of everything you'll be using:
http://www.mv.com/users/besposito/pics/moonparts.jpg
It'll cost you a few bucks, but the effect could be immensely valuable to the health of your tank. Not only can your corals feel the effect of the moon, but the light intensity will be there as well. Many reefers have mentioned improved growth rates and regular spawning from both fish and corals.
My total cost came out to:
$30.98 - X-10 Firecracker Kit
$15.00 - Registration for the JAVA program
$3.40 - Light bulb socket (the cheaper ones were under $2)
$2.27 - 25W blue light bulb
$1.98 - 8 foot long lamp cord
$0.60 - Tax
Total price = $54.23
Enjoy :grin: