Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have an aqurium light fixture lid,
Underneath the light on the lid it has a piece of glass,
So the light is seperated by glass
Well my question is does this glass prevent any uv rays from reaching the frogs?
and if i used plexi glass would the uv penetrate it?

Glass filters out UV light, as does plexiglass. My information says 98% is filtered out, Ed K "corrected me" and said 100%, but this may depend upon the thickness of the glass. There are some transparent products that are UV permeable, but I don't know what they are. I don't use UV on my frogs, but you do need to dust with a product that has D3 along with the calcium. In that case, it isn't essential. UVA may enhance breeding behavior in some species, but most of mine seem to breed without it.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus

If what I remember from physics is right, UV rays can't pass through glass at all. From what I remember - glass (and plexiglass) is like a prism and the wavelength of UV light is way too small to pass through any glass, no matter what thickness.
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1.1.0 Sunburst Veileds (Oscar and Lizzie)
1.1.0 Azureus darts
2.3.0 Mantids
1.0.0 Albino Pacman (Grumpy)
2.0.0 White's Tree Frogs
0.2.0 Cats (Oreo and Doodle)

Glass is silica and iron as well as other items depending on the use of the glass. Pure silica glass will pass UV (and if I remeber correctly as will clear quartz). If you take window glass or tank glass and use a meter that can pick up UVB then the the meter will read zero (as it will with most nonspeciality use plexi).
There are types of plastics that can pass UV but I can't remember what they are off hand.

Ed

That's interesting. Why is it that someone can fall asleep in front of a closed window and wake up sunburnt?

UVA can pass through most of the commonly glass not UVB which causes sunburns. Also some near UV wavelengths can pass through and cause a burn but these need a very long exposure time to cause a burn. The same amount of time exposed to UVB would result in a severe burn.
However UVB which is needed for vitamin D3 synthesis is not available through glass.

Ed

Hmm, Jared you make a good point. I guess some UV must be able to get through glass.... Like how in the summer, people's arms get burned but just the left one if they have been driving in the sun a lot. I take back what I said, but most glass definately filters some of the UV out.

Maybe I got UV and radiation mixed up.... Alpha rays don't even get through your cloths, beta can get through your clothes but not your window.... i bet that's what I was thinking of... but then I'm way off subject.
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1.1.0 Sunburst Veileds (Oscar and Lizzie)
1.1.0 Azureus darts
2.3.0 Mantids
1.0.0 Albino Pacman (Grumpy)
2.0.0 White's Tree Frogs
0.2.0 Cats (Oreo and Doodle)

I was just wondering because of the sunburn thing. I figured something had to be getting through.