To Use A UV Filter Glass Or Not To Use A UV Filter Glass – Now That Is The Question
October 2, 2007 · Print This Article
A UV filter glass is normally used on a metal halide lighting unit. The reason for this is that it prevents any harmful rays from ‘hurting’ the corals.
However do you really need to use one?
Well for me this depends upon the bulb you are using. A lot of metal halide bulbs nowadays come with a UV protection shield built into them, however there are also some which do not.
So before deciding whether to remove the UV filter glass which is built into the metal halide unit ensure that you check your bulb.
There are a lot of theories in the aquarium world at present in relation to UV and any potential damage that it may cause to corals. There are some aquarists who are not using any UV protection at all and are reporting that they are getting phenomenal colours from their hard corals, however what damage is being caused to the corals which we are not aware of – we will probably never know.
I personally do not use a UV filter glass – I have removed it. This is not to test if I get better colouration or not but purely for the reason that I have UV protection built into the bulb I use. I use BLV bulbs in my aquarium.
I could install a bulb without UV protection into my halide unit but am I causing any damage. I may get better colouration, possibly better growth but am I causing pain in any way, am I damaging the corals in any way – as I do not know then for me I refuse to do it.
Personally I will always continue to use UV protection of some form or other. I am sure that some aquarists are getting better colouration from the corals as they are being exposed to rays which in an aquarium they normally do not receive. Whether they receive these rays in the wild is still open for discussion.
I suppose that there are corals in the wild which are very close to the water surface, in some areas there are even corals which are exposed to the open air when the water recedes. In these case then yes these corals must be exposed to ultraviolet rays of some form or other, but…
Are all the corals in your aquarium from the water surface in the wild?
I bet they are not. If, and this is just an if, you only have corals which are from these areas then potentially you could test not using UV protection on your metal halide lighting.
If all of your corals are not from these locations then I would recommend that you use a UV filter glass of some form or other.
Related Posts - The Basic Kit For A Marine Aquarium Part Two - Reef Part one dealt with a fish only aquarium and much of what is said in that text also applies to a reef system. The text...
- I Did It On Purpose This sounds a bit like a confession and in a way it is. I’ve done something that shouldn’t be done and did it knowingly. Fair...
- Watch The Heat From That Metal Halide Metal halide lighting is very popular with reef keepers, particularly those who keep hard (SPS) corals. This is because it is a very powerful light...
- Don’t Waste Money On A Marine Aquarium Oh - that really could sound wrong. Waste money on a marine aquarium! Never a waste, it’s a hobby that is absorbing, exciting and educational....
- Will LED Lighting Ever Replace Metal Halide? Whatever type of marine system is kept lighting is important. With a fish only aquarium the fish need a day cycle and of course need...
Related Websites - Home Water Purification Can Improve Quality Of Remote Supply For many families, their water supply may not be as clean and safe as they would like, usually due to the water being drawn from...
- Review: LivPURE Filtered Water Bottle A representative for the Fit & Fresh company sent me a LivPURE filtered water bottle a couple days ago to review. Their LivPURE bottle is a reusable...
- Frugal Living Leads to Weight Loss Since getting on board with our new frugal lifestyle I've notice that my wallet is getting a little thicker, and my gut is getting a...
- Save Time, Money and Space in Over 80 Ways If you're looking for handy gadgets, tools and various items that can save you time, money or space (or all three!) this list of more...
- Your Aquarium And Algae by Mick Turret Anybody that has had an aquarium understands that algae cannot be avoided and it is simply a thing that fish owners, whether...
I’ve had some coral for about 2 years and always used a light with some type of UV protection. I feel that my hard corals still have amazing colors even with protection.
Personally I reckon its better to maintain protection from UV.
Science has indicated that zooxanthellae benefit mainly if blue light followed by ‘white’ is provided.
VHO fluorescent tubes and metal halide emit UV and it is possible for tissue damage to occur if the corals are not protected from it.
I’m tryying to get more information on ich. I’ve been having a problem with it for a few weeks, and have since added a UV light. This morning I am seeing small white things, something that might look like lice, it is everywhere, in the water and attaching itself to walls and live rock. The fish are pecking at it. Is this related to an ich outbreak, or something else, some other parasite?
‘Ich’ is a parasite problem where the parasites, which are small and are not seen to crawl about, attach to the fish. Without action the fish are liable to die because of the parasite population increase within the aquarium.
The small creatures you are seeing could be tiny shrimp or the like which can multiply in an aquarium. They do not normally pose a threat to fish, but the fish will eat them given the opportunity.
Having said that, it is difficult to identify the little creatures as there are many possibilities.
As far as parasitical fish diseases are concerned, have a look in the Articles on this website which may be of assistance.