View Full Version : Black Light
Matt101905
02-15-2009, 11:21 PM
I was just wondering, are black lights bad for fish? Although I absolutely hate dyed fish, I wonder if the dyed zebra danios would look cool under a black light. Note I would never buy any of those danios. I used to know the answer to this question but I forgot for some reason. Thanks!
--Matt
kj5kb
02-15-2009, 11:28 PM
I've wondered the same thing about how Endler's would look under UV. I've debated buying a blacklight bulb for the tank.
FWIW, the glofish danios arent dyed...they actually ARE that color, so why not buy some?:
http://www.glofish.com/
they have a video of them under blacklight...
rocker92
02-15-2009, 11:29 PM
some can be bad for fish because of the UV rays.
those fish arnt dyed tho. they inject some jellyfish genes or something for the colors. the fish do not go through the pain of being injected with a needle!!!
Matt101905
02-15-2009, 11:51 PM
Wow that is crazy. So with those little videos, what type of bulb do the glofish look better under? The black light or the Actinic? I'm so totally thinkin about making my 20 gal. a glofish tank. I painted the back and sides black but I'm going to have white sand. That tank would look trippy under a black light with those glofish swimming around. I could sit around for hours watching that...esp. after I....nevermind.
--Matt
Matt101905
02-15-2009, 11:53 PM
I forgot, I do have two little LED moon lights...bet they would work too!
kj5kb
02-15-2009, 11:59 PM
Wow that is crazy. So with those little videos, what type of bulb do the glofish look better under? The black light or the Actinic? I'm so totally thinkin about making my 20 gal. a glofish tank. I painted the back and sides black but I'm going to have white sand. That tank would look trippy under a black light with those glofish swimming around.
The actinic produces visible light(bluish), the blacklight does not...
Most LEDs emit a very narrow spectrum...if they are visible light they may have very little or no UV output. But there ARE UV LEDs available: http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/ULED-2/ULTRA-VIOLET-LED-395-NM-30-DEGREE/-/1.html
Perhaps I shall have to go spend the $ on BLBs for my Endler tank.
I could sit around for hours watching that...esp. after I....nevermind.
--Matt
way ahead of you...
Matt101905
02-16-2009, 12:05 AM
way ahead of you...
NICE! Yea my little "moon light LEDs" don't put up very much light and I think I got them free. They would look good in a small tank such as a 10gal. On my 55 they were cool because I pointed them on my huge driftwood and that was the only thing you could see in the tank...pretty tight looking.
--Matt
pik01
02-16-2009, 12:34 AM
Perhaps I shall have to go spend the $ on BLBs for my Endler tank.
save your money for a sec, I'm gonna go get the BLB I have and see if it makes those endlers of mine pop.
black light doesn't fluoresce an endlers' colors =/
interesting...I figured it would.
Matt101905
02-16-2009, 8:51 AM
black light doesn't fluoresce an endlers' colors =/
Maybe you need Actnic lighting instead?
Squawkbert
02-16-2009, 9:41 AM
Forget the Endlers thing-
A low wattage black light won't hurt anything. Been to Spencers Gifts lately?
i just had a black light lying around and figured i'd give it a quick try but if endlers' won't light up anyway, oh well
Matt101905
02-16-2009, 3:35 PM
That sucks about the Endlers. Well maybe try the glofish...I will. I just got out my black light and its a 18" 15w tube. The only thing is the BLB doesn't have a reflector or anything so there is not really anything directing the light. I have a regular FLOR. 18" 15w aquarium light but the inside is white but at least its enclosed. Do you think my bulb would look better in the aquarium hood instead of just the thing it came with?
--Matt
Mexican Racoon
02-17-2009, 7:18 AM
I tried a 2 foot black light tube on my 50gal once. It was very disappointing. It showed every little particle in the tank, and it was more than adequately filtered. I did a water change and waited a day and tried again, still, the black light looked bad.
Maybe a lower quality or lower powered black light would look better, but the one I used sure made things ugly. Or maybe I just have dusty water.
Matt101905
02-17-2009, 2:49 PM
I tried a 2 foot black light tube on my 50gal once. It was very disappointing. It showed every little particle in the tank, and it was more than adequately filtered. I did a water change and waited a day and tried again, still, the black light looked bad.
Maybe a lower quality or lower powered black light would look better, but the one I used sure made things ugly. Or maybe I just have dusty water.
I kinda think that blacklights would only work on smaller tanks just because they are not as tall for the light to penetrate. I may be wrong though. I had an idea today at walmart looking at the fish. I wonder if albino cory cats would glow? That would be cool too. Plus I'm going to be using white pool filter sand, do you think that would glow somewhat too? Thanks!
--Matt
Matt101905
02-18-2009, 10:46 PM
Any ideas on the albino cory cats glowing under the blacklights?
247Plants
02-18-2009, 11:46 PM
Not as many things glow under black light as you would think. best bet would be to get a bunch of materials you think you might use and put them under your black light and see which ones glow. I bet it isnt as many as you would think......
thebrandon
02-19-2009, 2:35 AM
Want to know how to make your fish glow? Go to walmart, get some highlighters, then color your fish:) Then the black light would work
37gallong
02-19-2009, 2:43 AM
I tried the black light on my roommates albino cory. Didnt do anything. I asked the lfs if they knoew of any fish that would glow under the lights. out of the 50 or so species none of them glowed. Anyone know of any fish that are responsive to the black light. maybe just a little more iradescent?
thebrandon
02-19-2009, 2:52 AM
glow-fish:) lol
the fish do not go through the pain of being injected with a needle!!!
This is subjective. But generations of glofish don't have to undergo the process anymore as they inherit the glowing gene.
Matt101905
02-19-2009, 3:32 PM
I tried the black light on my roommates albino cory. Didnt do anything. I asked the lfs if they knoew of any fish that would glow under the lights. out of the 50 or so species none of them glowed. Anyone know of any fish that are responsive to the black light. maybe just a little more iradescent?
Dang that sucks about the cory cats. I was hoping that they would at least look a little brighter since they are white and usually white stuff gives off a blueish color. Oh well...