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Overcast or cloudy skies are not enough
protection from this type of UV light. This light is relatively safe to us because
our atmosphere absorbs these rays. UV-C is found on germicidal
lamps and UV sterilizers where it will destroy any biological life it
comes in contact with. The answer is yes and it is beneficial to
corals providing it is emitted at safe levels. Metal halide and
especially HQI lamps all emit much UV-A and must be filtered out by a
glass or acrylic cover or corals face the possibility of bleaching as
the Zooxanthellae cannot adjust to this light at a very fast pace.
Since corals need sunlight to make food, most live in shallow waters
near the ocean’s surface which exposes them to UV-A and UV-B rays.
Fortunately corals have the ability to make their own sunscreen to
protect them and allow only high and safe ranges of UV which is
beneficial to the Zooxanthellae that reside in the corals which provide
food to them by way of photosynthesis. This is one of the concerns
with our ozone layer slowly being reduced. The ozone filters out
the dangerous UV-C rays which would otherwise kill the corals as they
cannot produce enough sunscreen to protect them from these type UV rays. Unlike metal halide lamps, LEDs in the
400-700nm range that are used in aquarium fixtures do not emit UV
radiation and that is one of the reasons Orphek now incorporates high
range UV-A LEDs in their systems. The beauty of this is that
unlike metal halide/HQI lamps, the UV-A output can be controlled thereby
providing safe and beneficial levels for the corals while still bringing
out the beautiful fluorescence of the corals. Orphek’s UV LEDs are
in the range of 380-400nm which enters the visible range which produce a
small amount of UV yielding a bluish purple light causing the corals to
fluoresce while improving photosynthesis within the corals. When switching to a high PAR/PUR Orphek
pendant, you may notice that your corals may close up their polyps or
shrink back. This is a self protective reaction to the change of
light, both in intensity and spectral quality. Within a few days
you will notice the color of the coral may change depending on its
former lighting source. This change in color actually comes from the
Zooxanthellae which reside in the coral. These algae are adapting to the
change in ultraviolet light by changing how much UV light they can
absorb, and this adaptation is reflected visually as color. Orphek has spent a considerable amount of
time testing our UV LEDs with different species of corals to ensure that
the UV range is safe and beneficial for corals. The UV LEDs Orphek
incorporates into their systems are safe for humans and will cause no
damage to your eye sight. UV in this range has been tested by NASA
and proven to be safe for humans.
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