# (More) new special FX viv ideas...(Firefly lights, and fiber optic FX for plants))



## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Ok I was thinking about doing something like this custom made, but actually stumbled on a product or 2 that would work perfectly and already existed...

Ok here is a fiber optic way to go...but probably the more expensive and complicated way to do it. We'll just get it out of the way now...
Firefly-Lightning Bug

This idea may be as simple to do as having a string of green led Christmas lights and a suitable controller that will make individual light flash randomly instead of chasing or all flashing at once. 

This is the product I think I'm actually going to try soon.
First a video (Talks about product about 1 minute in)...





Couple other relevant vids...















Main website...
FIREFLY LIGHTS by FIREFLY MAGIC ® FIREFLIES LIGHTING


I think a cheaper way to get a working product may be to buy the lights from the accessories page and then get your own A/C adapter because the firefly electronics seem build into the actual light sets...
FIREFLY MAGIC® FIREFLY LIGHTING ACCESSORIES

See here is a pic of the basic outdoor model, and other then the solar power supply the others are the same pretty much...



























They are just using a standard low voltage wall wort supply that can be had for like $5.The one thing that concerns me is that little unlabeled "box" in some of the pics where the power supply and light strings all hook together. But that isn't the electronics that controls the lights, those are those modules built into each light strand, so if you can just splice the power supply or even plug it right in to the light strang (which looks like it MIGHT be possible) you can get a working system for almost half the cost of the cheapest complete system they sell. The battery model will work but the A/C model would be easier to put on a timer so thats the way I'd prefer to go.

See for the 7 light ac model there is not connection box...just power supply connected to light module. The lights can be bought for 30ish on the accessories page and a wall wort low voltage supply can be gotten for a couple bucks tons of places....











Fiber optic plant effects. So I've been thinking of ways to make the plants actually compliment the rest of some of my ideas at night (http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...ossible-ways-create-glowing-fx-live-moss.html and http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...semi-precious-stone-use-viv-construction.html and http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/plants/26806-glow-dark-mushrooms-updated.html and http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/general-discussion/56678-bioluminescent-animals-vivarium.html ) So again I'm thinking fiber optics. You might actually be able to embed them in the stems of some live fleshy stemmed plants or at least embed the ends near the leaves to illuminate those areas from within. That may make some of us plant lovers a little squeamish though  So I'm thinking more fake fiber optic plants set up amongst live plants, and/or interspersing fiber optic arrays within bushy plants that will hide them pretty well. NOTE: Fiber optics that are not embedded in fake plants, or otherwise have loose wires just sticking up amongst the plant may need dabs of clear silicone or something else to soften the tips so frogs don't poke themselves and get hurt. Anyways here are a few products that might work with some modification (maybe enclosing the electronics in silicone if those parts must be in tank)...

This looks promising..








Party Supply - Birthday
Party Supply - Birthday

These may be useful waterproofed...
Amazon product search...
Amazon.com: fiber optic light









FORGB Crystal Lamps - Fiber Optic Products, Inc.

http://www.batteryoperatedcandles.net/mm5/graphics/00000001/fiber-optic-spray-225.jpg








Fiber Optic Color Changing Light Up Tabletop Decoration

These little fiber optic centerpiece lamps often don't come with ac adapters but usually have plugin for one if you so they will work with them, which is good for timer use and if they are sealed and buried in vivs so you don't have to replace batteries.


Straight up fake fiber optic plants may be an option for some people, though I'm going to try to avoid going this route...
fiber optic flower - Google Search




























There are a lot of versions of those out there. I think they could be incorporated and made to look fairly natural during the day when surrounded by other live plants... if you don't mind having fake flowers in your viv. Many of the products can probably be hooked to ac adapters if they don't come with them and sealed with silicone so water doesn't get into the vital parts while in viv. I like the ones where the lights are actually in the edges of the flower petals, but you guys can search and find those products through Google if interested. Doubtful I'll go that way so I'll let you dig up supplier links on your own if interested 

Other options for lighting plants are LED spots lights and possibly even lasers (but probably to risky for frogs in most applications).


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## AaronAcker (Aug 15, 2007)

I like where the ideas from this may go. Would be fun to have one tricked out viv for fun


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

BTW the firefly lights should be easy to incorporate while building and easily hid...probably not to hard to add them to already made vivs and hide them well.




AaronAcker said:


> I like where the ideas from this may go. Would be fun to have one tricked out viv for fun


Thanks... Ya I want my viv to look natural during the day...maybe kinda surreal, but still basically natural. At night though just having a big dark box or something lit with a little blue or red light sux...I want awesomeness 

Oh but the red, white, and also blue LED moon lights, especially the single bulb modular systems may come in real handy for casting some plants or areas in other colored light to compliment the glowing stuff. A viv lit with blue leds but has glowing moss, shrooms and fiber optic displays and fire fly lights I think would look pretty trippy (in a good way)  You could even use red lights, and red glow paints, and maybe certain fluorescing minerals to make your viv look like a lava field/flow at night (flowing water could be lighted from above or underneath red, for running "lava" streams or lava falls)


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## Enlightened Rogue (Mar 21, 2006)

Dave, you must be an absolute blast to hang out with!!!!

John


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

AaronAcker said:


> I like where the ideas from this may go. Would be fun to have one tricked out viv for fun


Tricked out Viv. I love it! Dave, are gonna put hydrolics in there too so you can "bounce" your Viv to the beat?
Doug


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Enlightened Rogue said:


> Dave, you must be an absolute blast to hang out with!!!!
> 
> John


 ...I have my moments


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Pumilo said:


> Tricked out Viv. I love it! Dave, are gonna put hydrolics in there too so you can "bounce" your Viv to the beat?
> Doug


I don't know about hydrolics, but I have been thinking about ways to add more sense of motion to a viv. Water and fog is a good way to go there, but I'm trying to come up with some other ideas also. I like the idea of using video... Backgrounds that have partially exposed flat monitors or tvs, or even pico projectors with loops of clouds, storms, northern lights, starfields, jungle scenes. I think some things like that could be done in such a way that the integration was almost seamless. Like you could have video playing or projected of a waterfall and/or jungle scene, maybe on a partially white background if projected and then sculpt/plant the land and background to seemingly blend with the video image. You could even have a real waterfall made in white material with the projected waterfall playing over it, so you got motion and splash in the real pond below. ...stuff like that 

Maybe a reconfigurable viv...one that changes on the fly, if you could work out a system that didn't endanger the frogs. I'm thinking a modular system of panels maybe, not sure how to do the mechanics to be frog safe though. I do have a few ideas for modular vivs though that would allow you to build a self contained false bottom with land area and even pond/stream, background, have that all planted and basically drop it into an empty tank and have a full done viv in about 5 minutes. Just the time it takes to drop in the modular sections. 

Unfortunately money is needed for such experimentation...which I don't have much of right now. Thats one reason I've decided to release some of these ideas I've been holding back. Don't know when I'll actually get to try them but maybe others can...at least I can refer back to these posts and say..."Hey I thought of that!" ...and maybe when I finally can try some of these they'll be easier because others have paved the way to some extent.

As for what else I may have planned I'll drop a pretty blatant hint since I've already said enough to set someone down that path of thinking, and dang it I want credit for the idea if not to actually be the one to implement it first. So here it is.... 3D


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## Bananaslug (Feb 18, 2010)

I am pleased to know that there is someone in my area that is just as crazy as me lol... You're awesome.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Bananaslug said:


> I am pleased to know that there is someone in my area that is just as crazy as me lol... You're awesome.


....Hey the tests and doctors all said I'm sane. I think it is the rest of you that are all crazy


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

dave: where do you get your LSD? it must be pretty good stuff 

james


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

Would the frogs possibly try to eat the "fireflies"? One time I shined a laser pointer into my leuc tank (cruel, I know) and they went CRAZY and were all trying to eat it at once. It was pretty funny but also mean so I won't be doing that again.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

james67 said:


> dave: where do you get your LSD? it must be pretty good stuff
> 
> james


Better living through chemistry!!!
Eh no, unfortunately no LSD or anything for me. Not even any prescriptions. Just over the counter allergy meds and Tylenol...I've been entirely to drug free the last year...last several really, overall  I even baby sat/drove some friends that were on LSD recently. Not even a big drinker really...Lucky them.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Mitch said:


> Would the frogs possibly try to eat the "fireflies"? One time I shined a laser pointer into my leuc tank (cruel, I know) and they went CRAZY and were all trying to eat it at once. It was pretty funny but also mean so I won't be doing that again.


I actually had the same thing happen with a darklands pumilio. I don't know if it would be an issue since the frogs are generally dormant at night, but it might. Probably best to keep an eye out for that behavior, especially initially. Having them on a timer would limit the frog's opportunity, so if they don't learn it isn't food that might become necessary so the frogs don't sit there all night every night striking at the leds.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Dendro Dave said:


> ....Hey the tests and doctors all said I'm sane. I think it is the rest of you that are all crazy


That's all well and good, but who certified your doctors as sane?
Doug


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## james67 (Jun 28, 2008)

i found the perfect video for the flatscreen tv BG. 






james


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## Hopkins (Jun 3, 2007)

I want thunder and lightening when my misting system turns on. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Hopkins said:


> I want thunder and lightening when my misting system turns on.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Me too....a few people have done systems like that. I have one planned but of course I'll be adding my own touches...some plasma luminglas for lightning, along with a strobe.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

james67 said:


> i found the perfect video for the flatscreen tv BG.
> 
> 
> james


LoL...The frogs and I both would definitely need drugs to endure that for more then a minute or two I think


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## Regalia (Feb 12, 2010)

Dendro Dave said:


> Me too....a few people have done systems like that. I have one planned but of course I'll be adding my own touches...some plasma luminglas for lightning, along with a strobe.


Dave honestly... I keep reading these threads of yours but haven't really posted in any of them. It's gotten to the point where I can't just keep reading and being like "oh that's cool" when you keep whipping out all these crazy ideas lol. Its totally awesome, never would have thought of that "plasma luminglas" for lightning in a viv even though I see those things at walmart for 15 bucks. 

If I was completely loaded I'd sponsor you to build this thing.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Regalia said:


> Dave honestly... I keep reading these threads of yours but haven't really posted in any of them. It's gotten to the point where I can't just keep reading and being like "oh that's cool" when you keep whipping out all these crazy ideas lol. Its totally awesome, never would have thought of that "plasma luminglas" for lightning in a viv even though I see those things at walmart for 15 bucks.
> 
> If I was completely loaded I'd sponsor you to build this thing.


Well you're just in time, because between the main topics of this thread and the extra stuff I've touched on or hinted at I'm about out of major ideas for the time being ...so it might be awhile before I come up with anything else that is good 

The plan with the luminglass is to do a background that is cut at the back and/or sides in an irregular shape that exposes some of the glass at the top, maybe like mountain peaks with "sky" showing through then silicone the luminglass to the outside glass in those areas. Most of the luminglass won't show through, just portions near the top...a skyline of sorts where we'll see the lightning effect. I'm wondering if I can't use window tinting to cover those areas by day so they look black or are reflective, but because the plamsa luminglass is pressed right up against the glass at night when in operation it will shine through the tinting and be visible.


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

Hopkins said:


> I want thunder and lightening when my misting system turns on.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


watch this:


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Ya seen that vid before...its pretty cool. I'd like to do dimming on my tanks some day, when I can afford fixtures that will do it. It would be nice to have the majority of FX I've been talking about on dimmers also so there is a nice soft transition between everything....more money ;(


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

The dimming is cool, but I was linking it more for the thunderstorm that happens in the vivarium. Ive seen 2 or 3 vivariums on the internet with good storm automation, but that was the only one that I could find at the time.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Okapi said:


> The dimming is cool, but I was linking it more for the thunderstorm that happens in the vivarium. Ive seen 2 or 3 vivariums on the internet with good storm automation, but that was the only one that I could find at the time.


ya that part is cool...I think I'm going to try a small ac powered strobe though, but that basic effect with Plasma luminglass flashing in parts of the background or on sides is what I'm thinking. Be pretty cool IMO  I figure the luming glass on a seconds timer, or hooked to a sound activated system with a storm loop running would work. Also some strobes I think are sound activated, or could at least be put on a timer too and set to come on for just a few seconds which coupled with the adjust-ability of most strobes should give you just 1-3 flashes then off for a minute, then back on..flash, flash, off for 30 seconds...like that for about 15 minutes or so with the sound on a loop and a misting or rain bar going on and off and fog rolling in. I wanna try to create hanging clouds also. 

I have a theory that tight woven mesh suspended from the top to act as a porous "catch" for fog being pumped in may allow it to look like a cloud hanging there. A fan or 2 mid tank circulating air may decrease air pressure above or push air pressure up to kinda hold the cloud there and whip away and disapate any tendrils of fog coming through the mesh so it doesn't just dribble to the tank floor. I would do it in a frame work around the lights so the mesh doesn't block the lighting. Here is a basic blueprint...










I figure the mesh should be allowed to sag in a bow shape to catch the fog for best results. Air movement below the mesh should whip away excess to some degree but the fog coming out of the mesh pores should obscure the mesh mostly...especially at night and flashes of lightening should illuminate the clouds. ....IN THEORY


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Found a cheap version of the firefly lights that work great. Check out the results if you haven't already...
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/me...ly-lights-installed-hex-video.html#post540470


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## xm41907 (Nov 26, 2007)

Dendro Dave said:


> ya that part is cool...I think I'm going to try a small ac powered strobe though, but that basic effect with Plasma luminglass flashing in parts of the background or on sides is what I'm thinking. Be pretty cool IMO  I figure the luming glass on a seconds timer, or hooked to a sound activated system with a storm loop running would work. Also some strobes I think are sound activated, or could at least be put on a timer too and set to come on for just a few seconds which coupled with the adjust-ability of most strobes should give you just 1-3 flashes then off for a minute, then back on..flash, flash, off for 30 seconds...like that for about 15 minutes or so with the sound on a loop and a misting or rain bar going on and off and fog rolling in. I wanna try to create hanging clouds also.
> 
> I have a theory that tight woven mesh suspended from the top to act as a porous "catch" for fog being pumped in may allow it to look like a cloud hanging there. A fan or 2 mid tank circulating air may decrease air pressure above or push air pressure up to kinda hold the cloud there and whip away and disapate any tendrils of fog coming through the mesh so it doesn't just dribble to the tank floor. I would do it in a frame work around the lights so the mesh doesn't block the lighting. Here is a basic blueprint...
> 
> ...


 Hey Dave, I know this one is really old, but did you test out the mesh idea with a fogger?


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

No i havent yet sadly. I was unemployed for just over a year, and then busy with a new job working nights mostly so no viv building for quite some time. In fact my current vivs all need make overs they kinda got neglected and went wild. I'm making good money now though and will probably start working on some of these ideas in new vivs this year...at some point  Thinking i may invest in a 100gal + tank and just do it up crazy with all/most of my fx ideas.


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## randommind (Sep 14, 2010)

Dendro Dave said:


> No i havent yet sadly. I was unemployed for just over a year, and then busy with a new job working nights mostly so no viv building for quite some time. In fact my current vivs all need make overs they kinda got neglected and went wild. I'm making good money now though and will probably start working on some of these ideas in new vivs this year...at some point  Thinking i may invest in a 100gal + tank and just do it up crazy with all/most of my fx ideas.


I'll be looking forward to it!


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## xm41907 (Nov 26, 2007)

I'm looking forward to your new stuff as well. I'm wanting to integrate some LED fireflies into my new setup. I've been looking at the Instructables Jar Fireflies and thinking of trying my hand at that. I looked for the Lights In Flight set, but it's not longer available.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

xm41907 said:


> I'm looking forward to your new stuff as well. I'm wanting to integrate some LED fireflies into my new setup. I've been looking at the Instructables Jar Fireflies and thinking of trying my hand at that. I looked for the Lights In Flight set, but it's not longer available.


Looked around a little, this looks to be the same...
Clothing, Toys, Electronics, Jewelry, Jaclyn Smith - Kmart.com

Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

Found them on lowes....can't get it off my zip code though  ...So need to find some way to put yours in. WTF can't just buy them direct from site? 

Shop Gemmy Lights in Flights Patio String Lights at Lowes.com

Here is some on ebay too...looks the same.
Patio String Firefly Lights in Flight Mimics the effect of firelies! 10ct | eBay

And if you must have the effect, can't find the cheap version anywhere and don't mind paying out the butt...here is the firefly magic version...probably want the 110 powered one and not the solar or 12v transformer
Firefly Lights by Firefly Magic® Fireflies Light


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## xm41907 (Nov 26, 2007)

Cool thanks! I guess I didn't search well enough. I may still give the DIY versions a try as I think I can get smaller/brighter LEDs. I'm not sure if my meager electronic skills are good enough though.


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Don't feel bad, they were a lil hard to find  diy is an option, seems like the hardest part would be just setting them up to flash in firefly like pattern, which these already do and for 15 bucks hard to beat  Finding a strand of christmas lights with adjustable flash patterns in green or replacing bulbs to make them green may be another option.


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