The sun emits UV rays, and all fish kept in ponds have great deep/bright coloring. Would putting a UV bulb over the aquarium promote similar results?
UV light and fish
- Thread starter ITHURTZ
- Start date
Im not sure but you can try using the reptiles UVB bulb. I have an mvb which also produces UVs but its not over water so im not sure.
I think you'd be wasting your money.
Think about the natural habitat of most of these fish: rivers and lakes where there are lots of suspended solids. UV from the sun would penetrate very little into the water and for the fish to have developed UV reactive pigmentation it would require the fish to always be hanging at the surface which is a great place to get picked off by predators.
While your tank has cleaner water than a pond, UV still transmits poorly through it.
Think about the natural habitat of most of these fish: rivers and lakes where there are lots of suspended solids. UV from the sun would penetrate very little into the water and for the fish to have developed UV reactive pigmentation it would require the fish to always be hanging at the surface which is a great place to get picked off by predators.
While your tank has cleaner water than a pond, UV still transmits poorly through it.
UV bulbs are commonly used for asian arowanas to literally 'tan' them and produce more intense colors, especially the red varieties. so yes, it has been done before.
What about UVC? Would that do anything?
http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/ecart/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=G15T8
Looks kinda dangerous from reading about it
http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/ecart/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=G15T8
Looks kinda dangerous from reading about it
so tell me then, how is that that coral reefs manage to grow several feet under water? and when kept in aquariums, usually require several hundred watts of metal halide lighting to simulate natural sunlight and grow properly...AceofSpades;4493701;4493701 said:
jcardona1;4494632; said:so tell me then, how is that that coral reefs manage to grow several feet under water? and when kept in aquariums, usually require several hundred watts of metal halide lighting to simulate natural sunlight and grow properly...
Different wavelengths travel different differences. Like I said uvb to be exact only goes a few inches but blue and purple which are higher on the spectrum will travel hundreds of feet down.
The metal halides do put off alot of uv but they put a filter on the glass to filter it out to protect the coral and people from being poisoned from it.
jcardona1;4494632; said:so tell me then, how is that that coral reefs manage to grow several feet under water? and when kept in aquariums, usually require several hundred watts of metal halide lighting to simulate natural sunlight and grow properly...
Ocean water is clearer than the turbid rivers many fish come from which enhances light transmittance. Visible wavelengths will penetrate much deeper into water than UV as well.
Plus corals use different wavelengths than UV to grow as well.
Wait, did someone just ask how come the sun is a stronger light source than some aquarium bulbs held inches of the surface of the water?
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