Where can I get a uv light light bulb that you would put ina fixture and shine into a sump. All I can find are the ones that that you hook inline with a pump or filter. I just want one I can attach to my sump and shine into the water.
UV lighting questions
- Thread starter jack frost
- Start date
jack frost;3415456; said:
... Why? If you want UVC for germicidal properties, it has to be enclosed for safety reasons. UVC is dangerous for your eyes and skin. It'd also break down the plastic your sump is made out of.
yes what do you want it for because different types of uv lights have different purposes.
if you just want a light thats blue you buy a black light or actinic fixture. i wouldnt recommend blacklight for fish areas though, it may make some fish blind with constant use(may be a myth but i read one post where a person claimed one blinded there goldfish).
if you just want a light thats blue you buy a black light or actinic fixture. i wouldnt recommend blacklight for fish areas though, it may make some fish blind with constant use(may be a myth but i read one post where a person claimed one blinded there goldfish).
Goldfish always seem blindsostoudt;3415459; said:
If you were hoping for an open UV bulb with the spectrum to kill bacteria algae and parasites they wont offer it like that. For the above mentioned reasons mostly because it actually will make you blind
There are 3 spectrums of UV light… A, B & C…
UVA is what plants use for photosynthesis… just about any fluorescent bulb will offer this…
UVB is what animals (including humans) use to gain vitamin B3 (and other benefits) from which is (are) essential for health.
UVC is “radiation” and is very dangerous. This is the kind our “UV Sterilizers/Clarifiers” use to kill parasites, etc.
If you wish to make a refugium and want the “UV light” to keep your plants healthy, I suggest you talk to people about plant bulbs, not “UV bulbs”…I don’t have much personal experience with plants so I won’t pollute you with my speculation on that topic.
UVA is what plants use for photosynthesis… just about any fluorescent bulb will offer this…
UVB is what animals (including humans) use to gain vitamin B3 (and other benefits) from which is (are) essential for health.
UVC is “radiation” and is very dangerous. This is the kind our “UV Sterilizers/Clarifiers” use to kill parasites, etc.
If you wish to make a refugium and want the “UV light” to keep your plants healthy, I suggest you talk to people about plant bulbs, not “UV bulbs”…I don’t have much personal experience with plants so I won’t pollute you with my speculation on that topic.
interestingly i spoke to my optometrist today and he said he believes black lights will not damage the eyes as theres not really a precedent in humans. however uva (which blacklights produce) can cause certain types of cataracts and may have a link macular degeneration(research studies conflicts on this part).
perhaps human exposure to black lights isnt long enough or the lighting isnt intense enough to do damage.
so really the jury is still out in my opinion.
perhaps human exposure to black lights isnt long enough or the lighting isnt intense enough to do damage.
so really the jury is still out in my opinion.
also wondering the reason for wanting it to shine over the complete sump, not 100% sure but i'd be worried about damage to your beneficial bacteria growth if it didn't kill all of it, uvc has lots of bad side effects to everything exposed to it, normally why they are completely enclosed, if you are wanting it for serilization but don't want it plumbed into your main tank line, why not just get one and hook a powerhead to it in your sump
I just wanted a bulb to kill alge with I thought I had seen that someone had a bulb in fixture shining into their sump. I guess I'm stuck going with the flow through kind
jack frost;3418632; said:
Chances are what you saw was a refugium... or possible an algae scrubber...
A refugium is simply a planted sump, and the plants consume waste...
An algae scrubber is the same thing but uses algae to consume waste...
I've seen what you are describing in pharmaceuticals\bio reactors particularly in the purification stage of algae derived agents. The system you are trying to mimic will not scale well. Just get a turbo twist as the set-up and maintenance is much easier and cheaper.