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Why Bother With Ultra Violet Lights For Ponds?
Ponds have gotten along for millennia without the assistance of ultra violet lights, so why should the modern pond keeper bother with them? Well, ponds dont have to put up with the crap they have to now as opposed to millennia ago. In nature, ponds were either temporary (appeared only for a few weeks in the rainy season and then dried up) or were connected to moving bodies of water like underground or aboveground springs, rivers, streams and creeks. Also, there werent as many chemicals floating around as there are today. Ultra violet lights for ponds have become a modern necessity to help keep ponds healthy in these modern times.
What Do They Do?
Although aquariums need artificial lighting to mimic daylight for the fish, you dont need any artificial lights for fish ponds. But ultra violet light is used to sterilize and filter the pond water. This technology is also used in industries, by doctors to get sterile water and by campers and armed forces for sterilizing drinking water. Ultra violet lights for ponds burns out algae.
Algae are the bane of any pond or aquarium. It is an invasive menace somewhat like The Blob for water environments. The shade of green might look pretty, but it will suck up all the nutrients and oxygen in the water, making any other plant, fish or critter quite dead. Algae also have a tendency to stink after a while, while even healthy fish in good pond water have no detectable odor at all.
What Doesnt It Do?
Ultra violet lights for ponds will not completely sterilize a whole pond full of water. Nothing can live in completely sterile water. There always has to be some beneficial bacteria bopping about. Some beneficial bacteria may be killed, but not enough to harm you pond. But all of the algae will be killed.
Ultra violet lights for ponds are also not an adequate substitute for a filter. It specializes in killing algae, not filtering all the harmful bacteria out. Yes, it can make the pond water look clear, but clear water still might be unhealthy for your plants or fish.
Picking Properly
Ultra violet lights for ponds work best when the right sized light is used for the pond. Although it might be tempting to get the smallest and cheapest of the ultra violet lights for ponds available, it wont do an adequate job. Since manufacturers dont make the same strength or types of UV lights, check with the box to see how many gallons the UV light can safely handle. |