light shield on lighting unit

gauma369 · 01/25/2010, 11:51 PM

Does my T-5 lighting fixture need a light shield? I have read that the light shields block harmful UV light from going into tank. I bought my fixture used from a guy who has been using it for awhile with all his corals without the shield. He broke the shield hence he didnt have it. I have been using the fixture with my corals for like 1-2 months now with no problems that i can see. It is a 8 bulb fixture.

justurmom · 01/26/2010, 02:10 AM

shield is good and bad. can help prevent salt deposits from forming on your bulbs and reflector. bad would eb that it decreases par. i have a T% HO setup with no sheild and it's been doing great. i don't think you need to worry

Toly · 01/26/2010, 08:51 AM

I don't think you get any UV from a fluorescent bulb, the shield is there to protect bulbs, reflectors and connectors from the salt spray. You can go without shield but you'll have to wipe off your bulbs and reflectors instead and inspect the metal connectors at the bulb sockets. Your choice.

Chris27 · 01/26/2010, 08:55 AM

The shield is much easier to wipe clean then the bulbs, reflectors and endcaps - a swipe or two a week and you don't have to worry too much about the amt. of light your tank is getting.

IslandCrow · 01/26/2010, 11:03 AM

Quote:

I don't think you get any UV from a fluorescent bulb, the shield is there to protect bulbs, reflectors and connectors from the salt spray. You can go without shield but you'll have to wipe off your bulbs and reflectors instead and inspect the metal connectors at the bulb sockets. Your choice.

100% correct. The bulbs are made of glass and do not allow UV to pass through. I'm a big fan of a shield just for the reason stated above, but you do need to keep it clean if you don't want to lose a significant amount of PAR. Of course, if you start getting salt spray on your reflectors, they can be damaged permanently (and the food ones are not cheap). Another drawback is that, depending on the design, it can restrict airflow across the bulbs. This can cause the bulbs to lose efficiency as they heat up.

01/25/2010, 11:51 PM	#1
gauma369 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: PA Posts: 177	light shield on lighting unit Does my T-5 lighting fixture need a light shield? I have read that the light shields block harmful UV light from going into tank. I bought my fixture used from a guy who has been using it for awhile with all his corals without the shield. He broke the shield hence he didnt have it. I have been using the fixture with my corals for like 1-2 months now with no problems that i can see. It is a 8 bulb fixture.

01/26/2010, 02:10 AM	#2
justurmom Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 105	shield is good and bad. can help prevent salt deposits from forming on your bulbs and reflector. bad would eb that it decreases par. i have a T% HO setup with no sheild and it's been doing great. i don't think you need to worry

01/26/2010, 08:51 AM	#3
Toly Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: NY Posts: 85	I don't think you get any UV from a fluorescent bulb, the shield is there to protect bulbs, reflectors and connectors from the salt spray. You can go without shield but you'll have to wipe off your bulbs and reflectors instead and inspect the metal connectors at the bulb sockets. Your choice.

01/26/2010, 08:55 AM	#4
Chris27 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 4,452	The shield is much easier to wipe clean then the bulbs, reflectors and endcaps - a swipe or two a week and you don't have to worry too much about the amt. of light your tank is getting.