UV shield with MH lighting?

seacapt · #1 03/30/2007, 07:29 AM

I currently have a 58G RR Oceanic tank with 2 250 watt 10,000 K MH + 2 65watt PC actinic bulbs. I purchased the entire setup I have from Bioreef - they assembled the cabinet, canopy, wired the lights, ballasts etc. I just set this tank up again 2 mos ago (had to dismantle it for a while) and read in Eric Borneman's book (Aquarium Corals...) that the use of a UV shield is necessary, and he recommended UG-4 Plexiglass which suppposedly blocks UV radiation but does not block beneficial light. However, Bioreef did not put one in my canopy. Do I need to put one in there?

Thanks,
Seacapt

Fish'InMN · #2 03/30/2007, 10:20 AM

UV Shields are only needed for Double-Ended metal halides. Otherwise, no need for them.

ReeferAl · #3 03/30/2007, 10:48 AM

I'd add one caveat to what Fish'InMN said. If the MH bulbs are fairly close to the water it can be usefull to have a shield to protect the bulbs from splashes that could cause them to shatter.
Allen

ambrose · #4 04/29/2007, 09:23 AM

I agree with Fish

pjf · #5 04/29/2007, 11:20 AM

Plexiglas can be melted by the heat from a MH bulb. While tempered glass is not the best UVA shield, it can block UVB and UVC and withstand higher temperatures.

Single-ended mogul-based bulbs usually have outer glass envelops that block UVB and UVC. Double-ended bulbs usually have quartz-based glass envelops that do not block UVB and UVC. What type of MH bulbs do you have?