warning about halide bulbs

[skinnyjoe1976]

first of all let me state that i know better but i bought a 70 hqi bulb and was listed as a 20k and looked a little white to me so i got another bulb from a buddy and installed it to see what the color was like and it was a true 20k. but here is where the warning comes in. unless the bulb has writing on it saying that it has uv block in it don't install without uv glass on the canopy. my orginal bulb and the new bulb i bought both stated uv block on the bulb and had no problems, but i put this bulb in and forgot to switch back out to the other bulb and i ended up bleaching my corals in under a 12 hour period with this bulb. just a reminder to the fellow reefers out there. i knew better but me getting my beauty rest was more important in my mind than to take the bulb out.

 

[mfp4073]

huh, never even thought of or heard of this. Will have to keep it in mind if I ever get to that situation.

 

[markandkristen]

wow. good luck on recovery. i know thier was a reason i went with single ended bulbs just kidding

 

[seth16]

well, it shows that your beauty rest really works:jester: , i will need to try that sometime, BUT i will remember to take out my bulbs, i dont have any halides, but if i ever do...i will take my bulbs out before slumbering...lol

keep up the looks:bum:

 

[smpolyp]

skinnyjoe how old was the first bulb you use?(the one that was white?) How long did you use it? Was a glass shield present? So many things may have happend.

From what I have heard all HGI bulbs emit UV. Other bulbs that aquarist use are single ended. These do not emit UV due to the envelope of glass around them. If you look at the inside of a single ended bulb it looks like a HQI.

Your corals can recover. Reduce the light hours to how the corals look and affix a glass shield for any HQI bulbs that ae used in the future.

 

[skinnyjoe1976]

this is of the box stating uv block. on the bulb also states uv block. this bulb has been running for 2 weeks.

here are the three bulbs. the first one blew internal and the second is the 10k looking one and the third is the 20k one that k.o.ed the corals.
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when i first was thinking of going to de's i didn't want to use glass since there is uv block on the bulbs now. i didn't want any reflection of refraction due to glass being in between the bulb and water. i know that the corals suffered the fate from the bulb due to the time and the corals that kinda faced down the back of them are bleached and the corals that were lower and to the side did suffer as much. the pink milli is gone the orange and green cap are gone, the yellow milli is gone and a few others.

 

[gwrench]

Hey Joe,
I have had this happen to another guy that used the same type of non-UV blocking coating HQI Bulbs. Within three days he killed almost everything in his nano cube.
To add tothe single ended bulb theory that they do not emit UV, in fact they do but in small enough amounts that the corals do not suffer the immediate bleaching. I'm sure someone out there that has placed standard bulbs way too close to the surface of the water may infact have already learned this lesson. Also to note is that if you have a single ended bulb that has the glass casing cracked or broken where the bulb still lights you also may experience the same type of problems. Good advice to post on Joe! Not too many people may realize this situation.
George

 

[skinnyjoe1976]

Also to note is that if you have a single ended bulb that has the glass casing cracked or broken where the bulb still lights you also may experience the same type of problems.

that was my mishap he's was talking about. it's become clear that if you want to know what not to do just contact me and i've possibly been there and done that :lol: