View Full Version : Blacklight?
125gJoe
08-03-2003, 2:51 PM
Is one "blacklight" safe to have on a 55 gallon reef set-up. Or, could it actually harm the tank?
ChilDawg
08-03-2003, 4:02 PM
Fish and corals don't phosphoresce all that much...I'd imagine that a blacklight wouldn't really enhance the experience, and might even give the fish some sort of sunburn if it isn't made for aquaria! I'm getting this from AFM a few months back. I wouldn't use blacklight unless it were specially made for aquaria and supplemental to other light (and only used on occasion while the other lights are fully used on normal cycles).
serjuanca888
08-03-2003, 5:30 PM
blacklights emit harmful rays. They would harm any animals in your tank. They also emit radiation and a lot of exposure could cause radiation burns.
mogurnda
08-04-2003, 9:08 AM
Actually, many corals fluoresce (e.g, see my post (http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14268) of green star polyps). Corals don't like UV light, though, so a blacklight isn't a great idea. The best compromise is a good actinic bulb. I have the actinics on about 14 hours, with the daylight on for 12.
Hebdizzle
08-04-2003, 9:10 AM
you can get a piece of glass the absorbs or reflects (im not sure which) UV radiation. I think they're commonly used in metal halide lighting.
Aaron
slipknottin
08-04-2003, 7:14 PM
Ive seen many people use blacklights to get corals to flouresce. The lights dont emit anywhere near as much UV as MH does, or for that matter, how much UV corals see in the wild.
125gJoe
08-05-2003, 4:31 AM
Originally posted by slipknottin
Ive seen many people use blacklights to get corals to flouresce. The lights dont emit anywhere near as much UV as MH does, or for that matter, how much UV corals see in the wild. OK - what is it??
I get a 'no way' and 'yea ok' ...
Please, more info.. Thanks...
slipknottin
08-05-2003, 9:30 AM
According to Eric Borneman (the coral expert on RC) the UV blacklights emit is not enough to be concerned with.
mogurnda
08-05-2003, 9:36 AM
OK, I've learned something. But does the blacklight give them any photosynthetically usable light? If you are devoting a spot in your canopy to a blacklight, do the corals get anything for it?
slipknottin
08-05-2003, 11:54 AM
UV light has been shown to get corals to 'color up' but since the levels of UV light are pretty low from most blacklights (20 watt bulbs or so) its pretty doubtful it would do much.
An actinic bulb would get the corals to fluoresce and would provide useful spectrum.