I have some questoins with proper covering. Is the only thing that will let UV through the Op4 acrylic? I currently have a screen top with some pieces of thin acrylic plastic to seal the top and keep humidity in. Does this mean that when the lights are on that the UV cant penetrate the plastic making it the equivlant of no light ?? How do people do this with glass vivs? op4?
yeah baby, the acrylic blocks the uv. this is not the same as no light, but it is no uv. there is a second product called solacryl, and both types are used for tanning beds. many people do not use uv for darts. don't you have something besides darts in your tank? if so, does it need uv? a few plants need it, but most don't. i asked a "panel of experts" at nwff, who included ed smith of the smithsonian amazon exibit and justin yeager the herpetologist about uv and dart frogs. three of the four panelists said that it is beneficial. the fourth said ya don't need it. i'm gung-ho about it because of some stuff i read about tricolors specifically, and i am trying to breed them. anyway, did that cover the question?
What did you read about UV and tricolors?
I belive starphire glass will transmit some UVA and A little UVB (according to the charts I've seen)...however this glass is about as hard to come by as the OP-4 or solacryl acrylic, which passes more of the UV spectrums...so if you're going to go through the trouble, you might just as well get the OP-4.
The benefit to using the starphire glass is that you wouldn't have to brace it to keep it from warping the way you would with acrylic.
I don't think darts "need" UV...so long as they get the proper supplements, but think it is beneficial...I'm gradually working towards having a little UV in all my tanks.