What effect does UV have on corals?
- Thread starter jerry26
- Start date
reefer gladness
Well-Known Member
If you google 'corals UV exposure' you'll find lots of scholarly articles on the topic. Basically UV radiation is bad and alters the DNA of living organisms. It may be somewhat surprise that UV radiation doesn't penetrate very far below the ocean's surface. I say surprising because of the shorter wavelength and we know that red is the first color filtered due to it's longer wavelength, the orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, etc. It's suspected that the mucous secreted by SPS corals at low tide is to protect from the suns harmful UV radiation.
Anyway, I was a little concerned about this as well when I added some violet UV's to me LED setup but the violet LED's aren't short enough in wavelength to be damaging. Here's one article from AA you might find interesting : Coral skeletons serve as both internal reflectors and UV protection — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
Anyway, I was a little concerned about this as well when I added some violet UV's to me LED setup but the violet LED's aren't short enough in wavelength to be damaging. Here's one article from AA you might find interesting : Coral skeletons serve as both internal reflectors and UV protection — Advanced Aquarist | Aquarist Magazine and Blog
Check this one out...
http://www.aquarium-design.com/reef/uvlighting.html
Said that even at 16" depth uv radiation was still present, though significantly reduced.
http://www.aquarium-design.com/reef/uvlighting.html
Said that even at 16" depth uv radiation was still present, though significantly reduced.
More good stuff. Thanks Jerry!
Since 2000 I have been studying reef aquaria husbandry. I use to attend online seminars by Dr Sanjay out of Penn State University and learned a lot on lighting and how it affects corals and fish in aquariums.
Here is a link to start with if you want to start reading on his writings.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/8/aafeature
Do a search for more info if interested. For me he is the main guru when it comes to lighting over our reef aquariums.
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Since 2000 I have been studying reef aquaria husbandry. I use to attend online seminars by Dr Sanjay out of Penn State University and learned a lot on lighting and how it affects corals and fish in aquariums.
Here is a link to start with if you want to start reading on his writings.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/8/aafeature
Do a search for more info if interested. For me he is the main guru when it comes to lighting over our reef aquariums.
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Forum Runner
Ive been having a hard time finding a straight forward answer as to the way the coral would react. Ive been trying to figure out ways we could tell theres an over exposure by looking at the coral but so far the only answer ive seen is bleaching and thats doesnt help much. I have a VERY hard time acclimating corals to these halides, no matter how much i shade them or screen them they always seem to have a very hard time surviving. I look at my clownfish and notice the top of their body has darkened ever since the halides and that make me question uv exposure. Ive have yet to lose a fish/snail/crab/shrimp except in cases where they were eaten. I looked and looked for alk/ph swings and have yet to notice one of any significance and my parameter are practically always spot on(steady calc/alk drop. Will raise alk around 1 dkh every three days or so), yet corals have a hard time.
reefer gladness
Well-Known Member
I'd say if you're in doubt about the Odyssea bulbs it's time to change them and go with a different brand. Metal halide bulbs produce a lot of UV radiation and it's the coating on the bulb that filters out most of the harmful UV. I'm not really a metal halide guy but I thought that's also one of the reasons metal halide bulbs should be replaced every year or so.
Hey Jerry I doubt highly it's the light bulbs I was exposing my 120 gallon reef to 800 watts of radium metal halides and had nothing but significant growth and color enhancing. Your issues are more likely due to water parameters.
What salt are you using and what is the salinity.
Have you checked your potassium level (k+)
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What salt are you using and what is the salinity.
Have you checked your potassium level (k+)
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IO could be your problem. It lacks certain balanced minerals required by corals. I have seen may people over the years have issues related to that salt. In test results it has come up short many times to be inconsistent in certain properties from batch to batch.
You may want to consider changing up to a salt designed for reefs.
What other salts are available in your area?
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You may want to consider changing up to a salt designed for reefs.
What other salts are available in your area?
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Forum Runner
reefer gladness
Well-Known Member
Not sure how the prices compare locally but you can get the tropic marin reef pro from petsolutions. $70 for 200 gallon but they have free shipping on orders over $49. I've been buying the RS salts from them but getting ready to switch after this bucket is finished.