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That video is awesome. The most interesting part is watching the zoas surrounding the lasered aiptasia recede in unison.
LOL, I see CJO is already on there trying to buy one, as are a few other reefers looking to experiment
Would it not be possible to use a slightly lower power laser for a more extended period of time? i.e. a 1W to reduce some of the dangers to others?
A 1 watt laser poses a similar threat, perhaps even more as using a lower power laser will require more lase time to effect the same result. As duty cycles can be less than a minute, you might be forced to re-aim and re-lase a target that a higher power laser would have taken out in a single lase, thereby increasing the risk of reflection. More lase time also increases the risk of injuring livestock in the tank as just looking at the laser end-point can lead to eye damage.Would it not be possible to use a slightly lower power laser for a more extended period of time? i.e. a 1W to reduce some of the dangers to others?
The biggest issue to me is that there doesn't seem to be a good way to protect the fish. If they are looking in the wrong direction at the wrong time, you might blind them. I've been thinking about trying to come up with a shield made from one of the protective glasses that you could connect to the end of the laser with a long tube. This would help you aim it and would also help to protect your fish. CJ
There are waterproof "hosts" (the term for the casing that holds the laser diode and components), but it works very well through the glass or acrylic.Thats real cool. Does it work above water or does it go under water?
+1, I agree this is a real risk. I thought about the safety glass material, but it is seems very expensive and would be hard to fabricate into a cylinder. I think an even simpler solution would be to use a short section of PVC or acrylic pipe, place on the end of a rod. This would allow a single person to place the protective cylinder over the area being lased to shield it from any livestock.
so i could zap thru my acrylic tank without damaging it?
What I was actually envisioning was a section of opaque plastic pipe that would fit over the end of the focus knob or host. Attached to the other side would be a larger piece of the translucent laser shield. This could only be used from the top of the tank and the pipe and shield would be put in the aquarium adjacent to whatever was being lased.
CJ
I agree CJ - I'm thinking a flexible boot (like the end of a tiny plunger) that would enclose the working end of the laser and fit tightly against the glass surface containing any reflection from outside the tank. A small, cylindrical shield on the end of a rod would cover the endpoint. I've not yet tried shooting from the water's surface. I have a camera box that might work well at removing surface reflections.I've been thinking on this some more and it would be hard to implement because of the refractive properties of the water. You'd either have to have a wide tube (4" plus) or one that bends at the same angle as the refraction, which doesn't seem very plausible.
CJ