Thread: Lighting Issues
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Old 09-07-2011, 10:47 PM
Robby1 Robby1 is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: May 2011
Posts: 18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bill O'Meally View Post
Do others here use under-water low-voltage halogen lights in their
ponds? A few years after their installation, I found myself constantly
replacing bulbs which did not look burned out. I finally realized that
the prongs on the bulb and the sockets in the fixtures were getting
corroded. I have since re-located the lights so that they are (mostly)
out of the water, which made some difference. I have found that a bit
of emory cloth to clean the corrosion off the prongs is a simpler (and
cheaper) solution than replacing the bulbs. They still get corrosion, I
suspect because the sockets are still corroded and it spreads to the
prongs.

When I first had the pond built 12 years ago, I purchased an attractive
50-watt copper fixture, only to be chagrined when I read the fine print
that the copper was toxic to the fish. It sits in its box to this day
and has been out of mind until recently as I toyed with the idea of
just replacing all the fixtures. Now, of course my pond is filled with
water that had gone through copper pipes! My fish are just fine,
thank-you. What is the issue with the copper then?

So, in summary, are "underwater" lights that end up getting corroded,
really truly made to withstand being under water, or did my contractor
just use crappy fixtures?

Could I cause serious problems by not submersing the lights? The copper
light I have specifically says to ONLY use under water. After my
experience with corrosion, and not having a catastrophe by removing my
other lights to dry land, I am taking this instruction with a grain of
salt.

Is copper truly toxic to fish?

Regards
--
Bill O'Meally
"Wise Fool" -- Gandalf, _The Two Towers_
(The Wise will remove 'se' to reach me. The Foolish will not!)
Change the lights. Light have come along way since your purchase. Its obvious