green house material

[fish lad]

hi guys - me again

i am seriously considering a GH project in the near future

but i think i have abit of a problem

all the green houses in the uk are Glass

i know i need to let as much UV through as possible - and filter if its too much

so - how much UV will glass let through - do i have a problem

cheers

[dendronepthya]

If you are serious about constructing a greenhouse, I would first look to purchase a Quantum meter for about $400. It can tell you what kind of light you are actually getting in the proposed location. You can also test your lights and see what your corals are getting currently.

As to your question about material, glass would probably be fine. I've found that in most places, even up north, the sun in the summer is so intense that shading is required. In fact, the only time my corals actually grow and are healthy is in the fall/winter. Losing 50% through the greenhouse walls is NOTHING. I might be losing as much as 75%-80% and in the summer, I still have corals showing signs of overexposure.

[Plankt0s]

I have always thought that glass blocks almost if not all UV light.

[dendronepthya]

Some glass is treated with a UV blocker. It's ok if it blocks all UV light. Zooxanthellae's main absorption peaks are 430nm and 640nm both of which are visible light.

[Plankt0s]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15567668#post15567668 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dendronepthya
Some glass is treated with a UV blocker. It's ok if it blocks all UV light. Zooxanthellae's main absorption peaks are 430nm and 640nm both of which are visible light.



I wasnt concerned with the spectrum that the corals get, rather I was just saying that I thought all glass blocked UV light.