Uv security light?

[dunl]

Are these safe to us as a light to help make corals glow? I found a small one specifically for checking for counterfeit bills. 115 volts 60 hz .20 amps

Thanks

[monocus]

i don't think i would use it.uv at a certain wavelenth will destroy cells(360 i think)

[dunl]

Thanks. Can anyone, including yourself, confirm this for sure?

[Lampshade]

UV sterilizers some people use in their tanks do this on a constant basis.

[Bloodasp]

To use it as a sterilizer yes, to light the tank, no. They will harm your tank more than you think, for one there's a reason why they tell you not to stare directly at a UV light and/or blacklight (which is what those security lights are), the effect would be the same with fishes.

[dunl]

Originally Posted by Bloodasp

To use it as a sterilizer yes, to light the tank, no. They will harm your tank more than you think, for one there's a reason why they tell you not to stare directly at a UV light and/or blacklight (which is what those security lights are), the effect would be the same with fishes.

Okay, that makes sense, but don't MH light put out at least some UV light? It's about an 8" long bulb, very small....I figured it might be a nice moonlight. Especially when I have seen some freshwater people do this.

[Bloodasp]

Almost all lights I know do, even florescent lights, but the ones on those types of lights are much more concentrated and the outer glass of metal halides filter most of the UV light out. And I think I read somewhere that for florescent bulbs the phosphors absorb most of the uv light emanating from it.
I have read a lot of experiences here in canreef and other sites where the outer glass of the metal halide cracked or shattered and pretty much cooked(killed) there a lot of their livestock.

[dunl]

Ok, thanks.

[cwatkins]

Originally Posted by dunl

Okay, that makes sense, but don't MH light put out at least some UV light? It's about an 8" long bulb, very small....I figured it might be a nice moonlight. Especially when I have seen some freshwater people do this.

Single ended MH bulbs have UV shielded glass in the bulb, and double ended MH bulbs don't but require the installation of UV shielded glass below the bulb to prevent UV from making it to the tank.

[globaldesigns]

As the others have indicated, don't use it.

UV Sterilizers purpose is to use concentrated UV to kill pathygens (ICH, water born algae, etc). Using it as a light might have detrmintal affects on your overall tank, like maybe killing/bleaching your coral that is getting direct exposure to it.