UV LED safe?
- Thread starter TekCat
- Start date
I have 6 - 5mm UV LEDs on my 15H right now. They are rated at only 11mW with 395-400nm spectrum. You can see a faint purple glow on the rocks, but otherwise it does not appear that my corals (LPS & softies) react very much to the light. It may not be enough light, I have no idea. No picture, camera does not pick up anything.
However, I do have 8 blue LEDs that should be about the same intensity, wavelength is 460-470, and the corals react MUCH better to these. I sanded the bulbs down a bit with some high-grit sandpaper as they are only 15 degree focus angle, so the dispersion is only 4 inches, with a brighter spot in the middle. Here is a link to a picture.
This article is a good read: http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/s_tyree_060202.html
Good luck with the project!
Marty
However, I do have 8 blue LEDs that should be about the same intensity, wavelength is 460-470, and the corals react MUCH better to these. I sanded the bulbs down a bit with some high-grit sandpaper as they are only 15 degree focus angle, so the dispersion is only 4 inches, with a brighter spot in the middle. Here is a link to a picture.
This article is a good read: http://www.reefs.org/library/talklog/s_tyree_060202.html
Good luck with the project!
Marty
I think you may be better off with just the blues and perhaps a few dim whites, but if you already have the UV then by all means include them. You just won't see much (if any) added "response" from the corals with the UVs, IMO.
You may want to put the colors on different switches so you could turn off the UV or blue and see what effect each has. I did this with my current set, which is nice because I never use the green or UVs, just the blues.
You may want to put the colors on different switches so you could turn off the UV or blue and see what effect each has. I did this with my current set, which is nice because I never use the green or UVs, just the blues.
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