关于紫外线可以做什么和不能为我们的水族馆做什么的轶事和半真相，我们与一个设计和建造商业紫外线灭菌器的人取得了联系。迈克尔·巴雷特（Michael Barrett）是热带海洋中心（Tropical Marine Center）技术发展主管，并且对紫外线了解一两件事。
Do you have any qualifications/experience in lighting?
I graduated from university with a Batchelors in Electronics with Computer Science. My final dissertation was based on light therapy – specifically the use of intense light to treat certain skin conditions. From that point, I was bitten by the bug – with my main interest being the biology of light (i.e. how it interacts with organisms). From there I became the Technical Manager of a lighting component company that supplied TMC with the parts for their sterilizers. In that role, I helped them to make the move from magnetic to electronic ballasts which improved efficiency across the range. A couple of years later I joined TMC to spearhead the development of the first economically viable LED light for aquaria,which later became known as AquaRay. Throughout I have continued my education in lighting through experience and discussion with the many businesses and institutions that we supply, as well as a handful of specialist courses and seminars. Now here I am 16 years later as the Head of Technical Development, working to ensure that we are ahead of the curve on quality whilst continuing to supply product that keeps the hobby affordable and accessible.
紫外线澄清器和紫外线灭菌器有什么区别？
This is an important distinction. A clarifier is targeted at controlling and reducing waterborne algae, which keeps the water clean and clear for viewing purposes. It is generally designed to provide a lower average dose rate of UV-c and is usually more for ponds than aquaria. A sterilizer gives higher dose rates and is targeted not only at the algae, but also pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even some parasites. The all-important concept in UV treatment is ‘contact time’. This is simply the time that the water is in contact with the UV-c and so it dictates the dose rate. It can be broken down into three variables:
- Flow rate – we all know that we need a relatively high flow in our aquariums. The faster the water is flowing, the less time it will be in contact with the UV-c, and so the dose rate will be lower.
- 规模的反应堆室——UV-c是吸收相当quickly by water, so the water being treated needs to be held relatively close to the lamp to ensure contact. This means that a larger reactor chamber will have a lower average dose rate.
- Length of lamp arc – the lamp arc is the source of the UV-c light, and the longer that is, the longer the water will be in contact with the UV-c. The contact time can also be affected by the path of water flowing around that lamp.
灯泡形状/ s吗tyle matter?
The arc length will have an effect and the shape may affect the contact time too. This will also have a bearing on the efficiency of the unit. At TMC we use fairly tightly-chambered long lamps which means that the water flows closely across the whole length of the lamp, so you can be certain of the contact time based on flow and lamp length. There are however other designs out there with larger chambers that rely on flow slowing through that chamber, or with single-ended lamps that attempt to swirl the water around the lamp for a longer period. In theory, this improves contact time but it is harder to be sure of.
在紫外线中，瓦数对杀死率越大的力量越多？
是的，它确实。发出的紫外线的功率是杀死率的直接贡献者，以及接触时间。一般来说，越多的功率就越多，我们的功率就越多，但是，我们谈论的是UV-C的功能，这是灯泡发出的250-280nm左右的一部分，这些灯发出有效杀死微生物。这不一定是与灯的整体功率的直接关系。因此，有可能有一个更渴望降低UV-C的耗电灯。我总是建议购买一个值得信赖的品牌以确保效率。
在紫外线中，我们谈论杀伤率。这意味着什么？
Kill rates equate to the lethal dose rate of UV-c for a certain species. This is usually stated in the amount of power applied in a second over a square centimeter area (µWs/cm2).
Everyone installs UVs on reef tanks primarily to kill Ich/Whitespot. Why does flow rate matter, and can any UV really kill Whitespot?
I get asked this question all the time! You can see from the chart that ich has a massively high kill rate compared to other pathogens. As we touched on earlier, reducing the flow rate can increase the dose and so people tend to lean towards this when targeting Ich. This theory is well founded, but the reality is that you’re unlikely to hit the dose rates needed to kill Whitespot. It is further compounded by the fact that the UV sterilizer can only kill organisms that pass through the reaction chamber, so the parasites can still remain on the fish and in other areas of the system. The better way to approach this is to see the UV as a control. It may not kill the Ich passing through, but it will deactivate those organisms meaning that the population is controlled and will wane over time. When paired with good husbandry and maintenance, the appearance of Ich can be eradicated in this way.
If you run a UV sterilizer on a bypass can it still be effective?
紫外线可以在旁路上运行，但危险在于您创建了一个半闭环，最终您不会处理所有水。理想情况下，应将紫外线放置在回报率上 - 这确保流回您的显示器的水尽可能干净，并且整个水量都通过了消毒器。
What are the biggest mistakes people make when selecting an aquarium UV?
Definitely understanding the required flow rates is a problem. Slow flow may make for higher kill rates, but there are two major elements you need to balance that against to hit the right flow rate for your system:
- If running on your return, you want to ensure enough flow for your mechanical and biological filtration among other things.
- Some bacteria reproduce scarily quickly, doubling their numbers every 15-20 minutes! This means that ideally, you want to put your entire volume of water through your UV at least 3-4 times an hour to stay on top of that.
This means that our usual recommendation is to stick to turning over theentire system volume a minimum每小时3-4次。如果您确实需要以这种流程为单位更高的杀伤率，那么您应该提高力量。在普通系统上，您可以安全地知道，根据我们的建议量和流速，您的紫外线仍将努力控制那些其他更复杂的病原体，例如ICH。
The other common mistake is the expectation that the water will be completely sterile and that UV is the cure to all problems (algae/parasites/bacterial blooms etc). This is just not the case. UV forms part of a well-maintained system by staying on top of potential infestations or bacterial blooms. It only treats what passes through the reaction chamber, but by doing so it helps to maintain a healthy environment for both the fish/reef keeper and the livestock alike.
石英袖和玻璃袖有什么区别/好处？
石英玻璃通常用于将灯与水和灯本身分开的袖子中的紫外菌和澄清剂。这是因为它具有较高的UV-C透射率，这意味着更多的UV-C将进入水中以完成工作。那里有其他专业玻璃材料，价格便宜得多，但是不能保证透射率的质量。如果购买玻璃灯或袖子，我将与制造商联系。在TMC，我们使用石英袖。我们的灯实际上是玻璃。但是，我们已经仔细选择了过去的玻璃持续透射率超过90％，因此，您的性能良好，而石英价的价格只有一小部分。
Is it okay to touch the bulb when installing it?
When using high-pressure UV-c lamps (these ones tend to look like the metal halide bulbs of old), you most definitely should not touch the bulb. Dirt and grease from fingers can create hot spots when in operation and cause the lamp to explode. With the low-pressure lamps that we generally use in the hobby, it is less of an issue; however any contaminants will still potentially reduce the lamp life and transmittance, so it is good practice to wear some gloves when handling the glass parts.
If I dose liquid beneficial bacteria, will UV kill it?
In short, yes; however only if it passes through the UV. The beneficial bacteria that you want in your aquarium generally colonize areas that will never see your UV sterilizer – places like sand beds, rock work, and filtration media. My advice would be to turn your UV off for an hour or so after dosing to allow the bacteria to settle and start to colonize said areas. Don’t forget to turn it back on though!!
What’s new in UV? Are there any improvements to fluorescent bulb units?
多年来，紫外线技术已经相同 - 在2000年代初期，转向电子镇流器（运行灯的齿轮），这使事情变得更加有效。但是，直到最近，事情一直保持不变。在过去的四年中，TMC推出了其泰坦式消毒器系列which adds the use of a photocatalytic lining to the reaction chamber. This lining interacts with the UV-c light to produce a perfectly safe and contained oxidizing effect in the water. This increases the effectiveness of the UV by a significant amount (around 30%) and has the further benefit of attacking and removing pollutants such as phenols, improving water clarity. Over the last year I have also been spending a lot of time in our dedicated research lab working on some improved lamp technology, so watch this space!!
We’ve been talking about it for a long time but LED UV sterilizers still allude to us. Do you think we will ever see LED UV sterilizers in the short/long term?
I’d like to think so and it is certainly something I have my eye on. There are LED sterilizers out there, but they are not yet suitable for the hobby’s needs; being either low power for almost non-existent flow rates or hugely expensive with a short lifespan. There is a ton of research happening in this area though, so unless that hits a brick wall, I would hope to see a more workable solution within the next 5 years. There are lots of design considerations (think power vs contact time), but we do like a challenge! Apart from the obvious benefit of a massive leap in energy efficiency, there should be the potential to apply sterilization to our aquariums in a completely new way.
We talk about Violet and Ultra Violet diodes in reef aquarium lighting. Is it true UV and if so can it damage our eyes?
紫外线的波长为100至400nm。它分为三个分类：UV-C（100-280nm），UV-B（280-315nm）和UV-A（315-400nm）。波长可以等同于能量 - 波长越短，能量越高，因此（从广义上讲）它可能造成的损害越多。礁石照明中使用的紫罗兰色和紫外线的LED在390nm左右不低于低于390nm，但通常在400-420nm范围内。这对人的皮肤是安全的，只要没有直接观看，它们就可以眼睛，因为LED是非常强烈的光源。正常使用时，光线太分散而造成任何损坏，但应注意的是，即使蓝色LED也会直接观察到眼睛。人眼对蓝色和紫罗兰色的光线不太敏感，根本看不到紫外线，因此，使用这些波长，可以看着一个非常强大的能源，而无需眨眼或移开视线。因此，强烈的蓝色和紫罗兰色的LED来源与其他颜色并不混合，应始终具有警告标签，以建议直接观看。
