Reef Central Online Community - View Single Post - Use of Lasers in Controlling Pest Algae and Corals

CalmSeasQuest · 12/02/2011, 10:13 AM

I've been doing some research on the use of Laser light in eradicating and/or controlling certain pests frequent in marine aquaria. These include,

Aiptasia / Mojano
Blue/Green Algae including Valonia and Bryopsis
Xenia
GSP
Virtually any other unwanted pests such as vermetid snails, predatory crabs...

In theory, it should be a simply process to eliminate any unwanted life from an aquarium, and easily prune others (think of it as a lawn edger for an area of Xenia or GSP.) I'm also curious about the possibility of using Laser to "cauterize" part of a coral subject to RTN. It might also work well for laser-fragging soft corals such as Z&Ps as it could be done while the coral was still in the water.

The most common laser pointers (< 5mW) do not generate anywhere near enough energy to be effective. Higher power lasers are now available that can emit enough energy to instantly "boil" the targeted pest, while avoiding damage to adjecent corals. The primary challenges with this approach,

Cost - Higher power lasers are expensive.
Safety - Eye protection is an absolute nesessity as intant blindness is possible should the beam (or potentially a reflection) strike your eye.
Legality - There are FDA imposed restrictions on the sale of Class IV lasers (>50mW) that make them difficult (read expensive) to acquire.
Risk to livestock - Caution will have to be maintained to prevent fish from being struck by the laser. At very high power settings, even viewing the point being lased "might" result in damage to their eyesight (still investigating this concern.)

I've ordered the components to build a 1800mW / 445nm laser to test the above theories and develop effective practices. Here's what the components look like (you can't purchase pre-built due to FDA regs)...

The next challenge is safety (mine as well as that of the livestock.) At this power output, blinding could be instantaneous if shined in ones eye (including a reflection of the beam.) Even looking at the beam endpoint unprotected is dangerous. Safety goggles provide user/viewer protection. I'm still working on a shield to prevent injury to livestock.

This idea was suggested by Lotus-Darkrose, a user in the Laser Pointer forums - albeit a bit difficult to deploy

12/02/2011, 10:13 AM	#1
CalmSeasQuest Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Brighton, MI Posts: 1,230	Use of Lasers in Controlling Pest Algae and Corals I've been doing some research on the use of Laser light in eradicating and/or controlling certain pests frequent in marine aquaria. These include, Aiptasia / Mojano Blue/Green Algae including Valonia and Bryopsis Xenia GSP Virtually any other unwanted pests such as vermetid snails, predatory crabs... In theory, it should be a simply process to eliminate any unwanted life from an aquarium, and easily prune others (think of it as a lawn edger for an area of Xenia or GSP.) I'm also curious about the possibility of using Laser to "cauterize" part of a coral subject to RTN. It might also work well for laser-fragging soft corals such as Z&Ps as it could be done while the coral was still in the water. The most common laser pointers (< 5mW) do not generate anywhere near enough energy to be effective. Higher power lasers are now available that can emit enough energy to instantly "boil" the targeted pest, while avoiding damage to adjecent corals. The primary challenges with this approach, Cost - Higher power lasers are expensive. Safety - Eye protection is an absolute nesessity as intant blindness is possible should the beam (or potentially a reflection) strike your eye. Legality - There are FDA imposed restrictions on the sale of Class IV lasers (>50mW) that make them difficult (read expensive) to acquire. Risk to livestock - Caution will have to be maintained to prevent fish from being struck by the laser. At very high power settings, even viewing the point being lased "might" result in damage to their eyesight (still investigating this concern.) I've ordered the components to build a 1800mW / 445nm laser to test the above theories and develop effective practices. Here's what the components look like (you can't purchase pre-built due to FDA regs)... The next challenge is safety (mine as well as that of the livestock.) At this power output, blinding could be instantaneous if shined in ones eye (including a reflection of the beam.) Even looking at the beam endpoint unprotected is dangerous. Safety goggles provide user/viewer protection. I'm still working on a shield to prevent injury to livestock. This idea was suggested by Lotus-Darkrose, a user in the Laser Pointer forums - albeit a bit difficult to deploy __________________ -Tom The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw Current Tank Info: 96X30" 270Gal, Kessil 360WEs, BK250 Double Cone, 400 gal ASW station with continuous water change