UV lighting for coral fluorescence?

[mcliffy2]

Not getting much response over the equipment forum, so maybe this is the more appropriate place for this post.

So I stumbled on this by accident - long story but I accidentally bought an LED flashlight that has 5 UV LEDs. So out of curiousity I shined it in my tank, and realized that UV light gives you CRAZY fluorescence. Now I know UV light is also used in UV filters to kill pathogens, so I looked around and found the following on UV light:

UVA 315 - 400 nm usually found in black light or tanning equipment
UVB 280 - 315 nm causes sunburn
UVC 200 - 280 nm damaging to exposed cell

If UV lighting could be used without harming corals, the coloration it brings out is crazy.

I also found that UVA light in large quantities damages corals, but that many development pigments to protect from UV lighting (i.e. blues, purples, etc. in acros). (See this link: http://www.peteducation.com/article...&articleid=2693)

So I'm wondering, besides just giving a cool lighting effect, if UVA LEDs, in small quantities might also create better coloration in corals? Has anyone tried it?

I found these 18-60 LED UV lights: http://www.GoldenGadgets.com/produc...u5q3pq11cl0cc10

So my crazy idea is to try to use some of these for spotlighting (or maybe even floodlighting). I am thinking I might try lighting a small area in a frag tank for short periods at first, and work the period up, to see what happens. Is this idea bound to fail? Or something worth trying? Has anyone tried it?

 

[greenbean36191]

The pet education link doesn't work, but if it claims that corals produce colorful pigments to protect from UV, it's wrong. The UV protection is from mycosporine-like amino acids. You can hit corals with all the UV you want and it's not going to change the pigment production of the coral.

 

[billsreef]

You might want to check out http://www.nightsea.com/ .

 

[glassbox-design]

From what I remember from Dana's articles...UV can effect certain pigments, but not in the "sunscreen" effect that was thought to be true years ago.

 

[mcliffy2]

Here is the same article, but posted on liveaquaria:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=274

Can you guys post links to the articles you are talking about?

 

[MCsaxmaster]

Usually lights that produce UV cause autofluorescence like this because they also produce violet and blue wavelengths. It's the violet and blue that is causing the fluorscense most of the time, not the UV. There are a few colorful coral pigments that will absorb into the UVA range a bit, but most don't absorb significantly within the UV, and certainly don't have peak absorbance there.

Peak excitation wavelengths for the vast majority of colorful coral pigments characterized thus far are between cyan and violet. So, while a UV producing LED works, one that has peak production closer to the "correct" wavelengths (blue and violet for most pigments, cyan for some) will be more effective.

 

[dots]

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