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Uv lights?

elgecko

I've got a magic window!
Something I've been thinking about trying for some time now is getting a reptile light that emits UV rays to use on my plants.
All plants growing outside get UV rays from the sun. Regular florescent bulbs on terrariums do not emit any UV rays. I often have wondered if using a UV bulb would make any kind of difference in the growth of the plant.
Has anyone ever tried any of these bulbs, any kind of difference?
I think in Jan. when I replace the bulb in my terrarium I will get one and see what if any differences I can notice.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think I read somewhere that UV rays help combat fungus/mold?
 
UV lights not just help control fungus ect, they kill everything living. UV lights are used to sanitize operation rooms, and kill microbes inside the body (used in very small quantitys). So my guess is that if you run UV lights on your plants, they're gonna die (burn up).
Grown outside, they dont get a lot of UV because ozone filters it in the atmosphere, and even though theres still plenty of it reaching the plants, they're not in the sun for 16 hours you know. Why you think your skin burns on the sun? Thats right, UV overdose.
So do what you want man... maybe Im wrong and your plants will grow well.
By the way UV also causes mutations
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so maybe you'll get canserous plants that grow like 10' tall lol
 
I would tend to agree. UV wavelengths fall outside those maximally used by most plants for photosynthesis, so the benefits of a UV light could be negligable. Moreover, UV light damages molecules (e.g., proteins, DNA, lipids) and metabolic processes needed for life--so many plants actually rev-up their defense mechanisms when exposed to UV.

But who knows, you may find unexpected results and I, for one, will be interested in your report. Good luck.
 
Wow and to think i was gona ask the same question the other day about these bulbs, good to know not to use um but then again ya never know if you can get one thats not as strong in UV and burns cool daylight maybe that wont be as bad??
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I know one thing these reptile bulbs put out far more lumens than the compac's we are using now. The reason for so much UV and UVB is to help reptiles build strong bones and other benifits.
 
You guys need to also take in consideration that the kind of UV reptile bulbs use are UV-A/B wavelengths from UV rays. It is only a certain percentage that it omitts to. I have 2 4ft t9 reptisun 10.0 bulbs in a shoplight fixture, lighting my Russian Tortoise. The strength of the UV-A/B is not strong enough to do what some of you are talking about, and not comparable to the full spectrum UV rays from the sun. So I don't honestly know what would happen if you did this. I wonder if the UV omitted from the bulbs would be strong enough to give you any kind of benefit because they are made for supplementing reptiles. My guess would be your plants would decline a little because they aren't able to absorb the UV wavelengths, and will be missing the lumens and wavelengths they could use if you were using a normal bulb.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Wow and to think i was gona ask the same question the other day about these bulbs, good to know not to use um

I didn't say not to use them, but just suggested that they probably shouldn't be used. That said, I certainly won't use them myself but, instead, will happily wait for others to experiment on their plants!
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Same here >;-D
 
i use a uvb bulb and it works great i never have any mold in a 96% humidity enviroment i think thats good also with minimal ventilation and my plants do awsome but they are pricey around $15-$30 i had one laying around also they stop giving off decent amounts of uvbs after about 6 months
 
  • #10
I was thinking about this the other day when I was in a pet shop and noticed UV bulbs for reptiles.  Although plants may not use UV-A, and UV-B light, there is strong evidence that suggests that they have receptors that detect UV light and it plays a role in regulating development.  Plants that are grown under continuous UV light are very compact, with expanded leaves.  UV light also enhances anthocyanin production, which gives the plants a red color.  

It's a misconception to think that light only plays a role in photosynthesis.  Light also helps regulate plant growth and develop.  I think people tend to focus only on the spectrum of light that enhances photosynthesis, and forget about other wavelengths of light.  

Anyway, it would be an interesting thing to experiment with.
 
  • #11
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]There is strong evidence that suggests that they have receptors that detect UV light and it plays a role in regulating development. It's a misconception to think that light only plays a role in photosynthesis. Light also helps regulate plant growth and develop.

Though I haven't read the primary literature, I would tend to agree as most organisms try to avail themselves to all potential resources. My main concern would be providing the wrong amount or balance of UV wavelengths, as the regulatory effects of a substance can differ widely based on its quality and/or quantity. Given that UV is more toxic to life than visible light, providing too much of the former would be far worse than giving too much of the latter.

But as I said, I have no practical experience providing artificial UV to plants and my arguement rests on the assumption that the bulbs would provide more UV than the plants naturally receive (which is questionable).

So, I think we're all eagerly awaiting the results of Elgecko's experiment!
 
  • #12
Doing some reading it appears that UV-A light seems to be more beneficial to plants then UV-B. UV-B in to high a quantity can cause growth problems.
I was trying to find out what percent of UV light hits the earth typically, but can not seem to find what I'm looking for.
The reptile bulb I'm thinking of possible trying is a 7% UV-A and a 3% UV-B bulb.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/Product....00.aspx
 
  • #13
Since I'm cheap I went with another bulb which cost half as much.
Zoo Meds Flora Sun bulb.
Looking at the graph of the output it has a small amount of UVA & B.
http://www.zoomed.com/html/lites.php

When it comes time to replace the other bulb in June, I'm debating on which to try. The Ultra Sun has more UVA then the Tropic Sun bulb, or maybe I'll just but another Flora Sun bulb.
 
  • #14
I use a combination of the tropic sun bulbs and cool white to grow Cephalotus. My friend works at a pet store, so I get to try out different types of lights.  I get a vivid red color using the combination of bulbs that is similar to plants growing under the Australian sun:


ceph3.jpg
 
  • #15
At high intensities, UV light is harmful, but we're exposed to UV light all day when outside. Even with the cover of clouds or foliage, a significant amount of UV light still reaches our skin (ever get a sunburn on an overcast day?) CPs grow outdoors quite well, so obviously they can withstand some degree of exposure. Also, I don't think that companies would sell UV bulbs for small, exotic animals if they emitted enough radiation to cause problems. Hospitals, labs, stores and other facilities use UV fixtures to purify air and water; certainly, you could give one of those bulbs a try with few worries. It's not as though you're rigging up a UV laser or turning your grow area into a tanning bed; I suspect that even a small amount of UV light will yeild noticable effects on your plants over time. This is an interesting idea and I hope you keep us updated.
Best luck,
~Joe
 
  • #16
Like what you guys said, they do use ultra violet lights to kill off bacteria in fish tanks, but those are just really massive amounts of light.
 
  • #17
and they are enclosed in a case so no uv ever reaches anything that doesn't pass through the filter.
 
  • #18
they do use ultra violet lights to kill off bacteria in fish tanks, but those are just really massive amounts of light.


Yes they do, but the lamps most certainley do not produce massive amounts of light.
The highest wattage UV lamp Ive used for sterilization was only 40 watts. Exposure and thus destruction has more to do with duration
and the distance of the particle from the lamp.
Most UV sterilizers for fish move a small amount of water over the lamp housing relativley slowly.
I find it pretty unlikely one could do damage to a healthy plant with a little reptile bulb.
 
  • #19
Nice ceph, Brian.....can't argue with emperical results.  What is your lighting setup?

For myself, adding a UV bulb would necessitate the removal of a fluorescent bulb.  Since my lighting setup is not ultra-high output (I have 80W cool white fluorescent light over 2' x 2' area or 160W over 2' x 4' area, most plants 3-5" under lights), my main concern would be replacing 1/4 of spectrum used for photosynthesis (i.e., 1 cool white bulb) with a UV spectrum that is used largely for non-photosynthetic processes.  Thus, while my plants would (perhaps) become better colored over time, they would be slowly starving due to inadequate photosynthesis....at least that's my fear.

I don't think this would be an issue for those growing their plants under very high output lighting, but it may be for the rest of us.

This is why I look forward to Elgecko's experiment.  Any thoughts?
 
  • #20
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Nice ceph, Brian.....can't argue with emperical results.  What is your lighting setup?

I just use 4-40 watt fluorescent tubes.  A combination of wide spectrum and cool white works well.  I don't think you need special tube just for UV.  

I'm always surprised when I see pure green cephalotus, because mine always turn dark, even if they are grown from a distance from the lights.
 
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