Is there a reason NOT to use a black light?

[tzabor10]

I am always amazed by using a black light at night. The corals absolutely glow. Could a single 48” black light bulb be used for observing corals while I am at home? I imagine putting it on a single switch, using a few times a week for about an hour.
Currently using 4 Reefbrite Actinic blue XHO and 4 Kessil A360 Tuna blues.
Thanks

 

[bubbgee]

I use it to check coral health like if there's SPS with dying tissue or checking if a coral is still alive. UV LED bars are available (Orphek OR4 UV exists), so I guess it's possible for your setup.

 

[CBonito]

I am always amazed by using a black light at night. The corals absolutely glow. Could a single 48” black light bulb be used for observing corals while I am at home? I imagine putting it on a single switch, using a few times a week for about an hour.
Currently using 4 Reefbrite Actinic blue XHO and 4 Kessil A360 Tuna blues.
Thanks

I dont see where it would be a problem.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

Back in the early nineties I ran a blacklight (mounted under the canopy) every single night after lights out as I was a mall rat that visited Spencer’s on occasion. No harm, no foul. That said it was a standard fluorescent lamp and not some super mega turbo charged led like they have now.

 

[tzabor10]

Back in the early nineties I ran a blacklight (mounted under the canopy) every single night after lights out as I was a mall rat that visited Spencer’s on occasion. No harm, no foul. That said it was a standard fluorescent lamp and not some super mega turbo charged led like they have now.

I was considering a normal black light. Either t5 or LED. Just for appearance

 

[Troylee]

People do it all the time with reefi uno and meridians that have that option.. just looks like a scorpion farm

 

[CBonito]

I use it to check coral health like if there's SPS with dying tissue or checking if a coral is still alive. UV LED bars are available (Orphek OR4 UV exists), so I guess it's possible for your setup.

The only question I have in my mind is how much UV do you want to bomb corals with.
That I can't answer. I have those LEDs in my light, but I typically don't use them.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

I was considering a normal black light. Either t5 or LED. Just for appearance

You might be disappointed in the results, things didn’t glow as much as one would imagine. I know now (I have very limited vision) that those led flashlights really make things pop! Enough that I can see them anyway. A traditional fluorescent lamp didn’t have quite that effect going off of my decrepit memory.

 

[SaltyBear]

If your running the kessil's on a spectral or wifi controller, you could set them for a certain time to only operate with the blue and uv

 

[tzabor10]

If your running the kessil's on a spectral or wifi controller, you could set them for a certain time to only operate with the blue and uv

Great point. However, I set them up through Apex years ago and am always frustrated with the controls. I will try again.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

If your running the kessil's on a spectral or wifi controller, you could set them for a certain time to only operate with the blue and uv

Not knocking on Kessil, I’m a fan myself, but they absolutely do not have the blacklight pop I think the op is going for. I also assumed the newer “x” versions had uv but they do not, sadly. I think they originally marketed them as such but swiftly changed the verbiage to “vi” and “violet”.

 

[bubbgee]

The only question I have in my mind is how much UV do you want to bomb corals with.
That I can't answer. I have those LEDs in my light, but I typically don't use them.

I dont know either. Orphek users (anecdotally) says it promotes SPS growth but any light would.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The wavelengths produced in black lights vary, but this common ones with a peak at 365 nm are much shorter wavelength than the “uv” present in most aquarium lights.

 

[tzabor10]

I have PLENTY of SPS growing.

The wavelengths produced in black lights vary, but this common ones with a peak at 365 nm are much shorter wavelength than the “uv” present in most aquarium lights.

excellent response. I will certainly look for 365 nm ones.
Thank you RHF!