Beware cracked/broken glass on MH lamps

[derek_s]

Maybe this is really obvious to some, but honestly I didnt know how dangerous this was until I witnessed it first hand. A mogul 400w lamp broke the outer glass, but still burned perfectly. A day later resulted in some sunburned (or shall I say dead) corals.

Not my tank, but I learned something I didnt know. The glass shields out high amounts of dangerous UV. Be sure to inspect your lamps periodically and do not use cracked or broken ones...duh.

 

[elfloyd]

Was this a SE bulb?

 

[acroholic]

SE bulbs have the UV glass in the bulb themselves. That is why DE bulbs always need a UV glass shield in the fixture, as they are basically SE bulbs without the shroud.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Yes, it will kill fish too. Its a serious issue. Even cracks can allow dangerous amounts of UV through.

 

[sailfish]

+1 Had this happen to me twice then I bought the glass shied to put on my mogul reflectors. I wasted 2 bulbs in a month.

Joe