Should I protect my tank from the eclipse?

[Mount_Prion]

So my swamp with my turtle, erpeton, and a bunch of fish is right in the window.

Thinking about the eclipse in a few hours, my first thought was "Wow I bet it's gonna make really cool ripples going through the water, I should video that." But then I started to wonder: Could my turtle and/or fish be blinded by the eclipse potentially? Could I be affected by the eclipse light reflecting off the water?

I'm starting to think maybe for everybody's sake, I should put the blinds down in the early afternoon, before it starts.

Thoughts?

Thanks!!

 

[Grinch]

The best way to protect your turtle from the eclipse it to wrap him in tinfoil, hurry!!!!!!!!






Ok, not really.

The only thing that is dangerous about the eclipse is gawkers gawking at the sun. If you believe your turtle will be so interested in the eclipse that he will start to stare directly at it like most Americans are about to do, then yes, lower the shades. I don't think your turtle will have much interest in celestial events such as this, personally.

 

[Woefulrelic]

Every time a solar eclipse happens unprotected animals go blind. Tons of blind animals running around after every eclipse before we humans stepped in to save them.

 

[Hendre]

Maybe just cover the window to be safe

 

[Mount_Prion]

Guess I'll cover it up then, haha. Makes sense.

 

[Woefulrelic]

I was just kidding about the going blind thing. Animals don't care enough about the moon to stare at it... Rather be eating, sleeping and reproducing.

 

[BIG-G]

I think a lot of people misunderstand and think that somehow the eclipse makes the sun more powerful in some way.
This is not the case. The sun is the sun! it's just the moon passing between us and it. That's all.

 

[millerkid519]

The only reason they are making such a big deal over the eclipse is because people are dumb enough to sit there for 3 hours and watch it without any eye protection. I wouldn't bother with covering the tank. I didn't this morning

 

[Hendre]

I think a lot of people misunderstand and think that somehow the eclipse makes the sun more powerful in some way.
This is not the case. The sun is the sun! it's just the moon passing between us and it. That's all.

Because it is much darker your pupils dilate to adjust, making the remaining light very dangerous

 

[Grinch]

Because it is much darker your pupils dilate to adjust, making the remaining light very dangerous

As soon as more light hits your eyes, your pupils will adjust. The issue is the intensity (number of photons) of UV light hitting your eye. UV light, scattered about (decreased in intensity) after hitting other objects on the planet, is usually "filtered" out by the cornea as light hits your eye, but if you hit it with too much UV, it gets past the "filter" and hits your retina. This is made especially dangerous to your vision if the high intensity UV hits your retina at the focus point on the retina, or macula, and it will if you are trying to focus on the sun/eclipse. Essentially you'd be giving the most light sensitive part of your eyes a lifetime worth of sun burn damage in minutes.

Google "photo retinopathy" for more.