Tetra SafeStart says to turn off UV lights for 48 hrs. I have 2 fluorescent light over my aquarium. Do fluorescent lights emit UV rays?Thanks.
I think the other people have answered your questions quite well, but I wanted to add a bit in case you are concerned for your fish. Yes, those lights do emit UV. NO, it is not bad for your fish. (at least not in the relatively short term fish lights are kept on) It IS bad for people who are sensitive to it short and long term. Why do the instructions tell you to turn off the lights? Most likely because the Safe Start has a chemical that needs to be absorbed by the fish's bodies to keep them healthy in the new water, but that chemical either reacts badly to UV rays or breaks down and doesn't work at all. So the instructions tell you to turn the lights off for 2 days to give the fish enough time to absorb the chemicals and vitamins you just put in the water. Hope this helps.
Sadly, they do. This is why most people with the condition called Lupus seem to be overcome with weariness when shopping in large stores with those rectangular boxes filled with fluorescent lights. People with that condition are extra sensitive to UV rays.
This Site Might Help You. RE: Do fluorescent lights emit UV rays? Tetra SafeStart says to turn off UV lights for 48 hrs. I have 2 fluorescent light over my aquarium. Do fluorescent lights emit UV rays? Thanks.
Small amounts, yes. Fluorescent lights work by running an electric charge through a glass tube, the excited electrons emit energy as UV light. The tube is filled with particular gases and the inner surface of the tube is coated in various phosphors and other chemicals. As the UV light hits these gases and phosphors, the light is converted into longer wavelength (lower energy) light which we see as visible light. You will sometimes see fluorescent lights with no powder coating, these are used for UV sterilisers both for medical and aquarium/pond purposes.
