Mounting Moontube Moonlights

One of the advantages of our Moontube Moonlights is the ease and flexibility of mounting them. To achieve a decent light spread, other moonlights must be mounted directly over the center of the tank. The problem is that this prime overhead space is often times used for the tanks main lighting system forcing the user to make do. Our moonlights mount in a unique way that allows the user to place them anywhere and swivel the light to create an even and continuous lighting scheme. The mounting clips attach to virtually any surface using the industrial strength foam tape supplied with the clips. Optionally, screws can be used to fasten the brackets more securely. If using the tape to mount the Moontubes, make sure the surface is clean and dry before applying the adhesive.

Here are some factors to consider when mounting your Moontube Moonlights.

• Height above the water: The higher above the water you place the moonlights, the wider the light distribution will be and the lower the intensity. Due to the wide viewing angle (120 degrees) of our LEDs, our lights can be mounted as little as an inch or two above the water line. If you have the space in your canopy, you can experiment with placing it higher. When close to the water, more shadows are created, while higher up you will get more uniformity. You can mount Moontubes directly on the aquarium top if necessary.
• Spacing between multiple Moontubes: Our moonlights are modular in design allowing multiple lights to be "daisy-chained." The wire length between the lights is 3 feet. We recommend spacing the lights between 2 and three feet apart.
• Placement in the canopy: Different effects are created depending on where you place the moonlights in terms of the front, center, or back of the canopy. The center of the tank is a good place for the moonlights but you may not always have the option of mounting them there due to your other equipment. If not the center, we recommend placing the lights in the front as opposed to the back of the canopy. We have found you get less shadows this way. For large setups moonlights can be mounted in the front and back for a stunning effect.
• Distance from HID light bulbs: There should be some space between the moonlights and high intensity lights to prevent the moonlights from melting. Our moontubes are built tough, but they are made of plastic and can deteriorate at high temps. The Moontubes should be at least 6" from a 250 watt halide bulb, and farther for higher wattage bulbs. You can mount the moonlights on the inside or outside of halide reflectors as long as the position does not receive too much heat.
• Submersible?: While our Moontubes are epoxy sealed to prevent moisture from fouling the electronics, we do not recommend operating the tubes underwater. Splashing the Moontubes or dunking them will cause no harm though.