Will a black light affect the reef tank?

[lectrik]

Black lights are the ones they have in clubs or bars that make the clothes glow, if i put one near my tank will it do anything bad to it?

 

[maroonclownfan]

Probably not, they are probably neither beneficial nor harmful. But maybe someone else has first hand knowledge. It might even make your corals look psychedelic???
MCF

 

[nacl-h2o]

Black lights put out alot of UV light, mostly UV, sugnificantly more than the small amount an 03(actinic) puts out. It could affect your bio-fiter. The bacteria would probably just repopulate somewhere else. But it could cause NH3 or NO2 problems while the filter adjust. And depending on the tank size(depth),affected area and light intensity it has the possible potential to suppress the bio-filter. I wouldn't recommend using it.

 

[lectrik]

so it would kill the lr?

 

[jonthefb]

not the lr itself, but would kill the bacteria that inhabits the lr and ls that are used in the denitrification process
good luck
jon

 

[maroonclownfan]

I think what NaCl-H20 is saying, and now that I think about it, it makes sense, is that it would work like a weak UV sterilizer. Except it would be affecting the good bacteria in your filter. Which could cause some die off, raise the nitrates in your tank.
I guess I thought you meant in the same room, not directly over the tank. That I probably would not do since if your like me, I try to use every sq. in. to my benefit over the tank.
HTH.....MCF

 

[nacl-h2o]

It could kill off the bacteria on exposed suffaces of LR, LS, Glass, etc.. but would not kill off everything on and in the LR or LS. Without knowing more about the intensity at a given depth needed to kill bacteria I would not use one. UV does kill bacteria if the intensity is high enough, that's one of the primary reasons for the use of UV sanitizers. How close to your tank are you talking about putting it?

 

[lectrik]

I was not thinking about putting it directly over my tank but maybe on an adjacent wall a few feet away and use it at night when all the tank lights are off just for visual effects for shot periods of time.

 

[nacl-h2o]

If your just talking about a 30w or 40w florescent bulb several feet away I doubt it could cause any problems. When you said near your tank I though you mean above or beside it.

 

[blondenaso1]

I have used a black light to look at myt tank at night a couple times. The corals look awsome under it, but I have also heard that it can ditach the retinas of the fish and make them blind. Anyone else heard anything like this?

 

[overanalyzer]

IN one book I read - Saltwater Aquriums from Beginner to Breeders the author mentions the use of one to check out the fish @ night. They sell small wattage handheld ones that would work for that purpose .... I am planning on getting a blue or red flashlight filter for hte purpose and not using a black light....

 

[jonthefb]

go to any army surplus store and get the standard issue flashlight assinged to all recruits it looks like an upside down l an dcomes with a red lens. put this on and check out your tank!
good luck
jon

 

[jumpfrog]

Tried the black light thing and looked at it late one night. Found my serpent star smoking a joint so I got rid of it

 

[nacl-h2o]

You should use a red light or lense to veiw fish or other inhabitance at night, because most of them can't see red, but all of them can see blue so it wouln't be a good choice.

 

[dsa_mom]

I'm not clear, Jumpfrog, did you get rid of the light or the serpent star?

 

[nacl-h2o]

I think he threw the light out and joined the starfish. That's why he's allways a little wet behind the ears.