One of the biggest challenges for those who maintain a home aquarium is keeping the tank free of pests and contaminants, that pose significant threats to the living creatures inside. While there is no shortage of methods to keep your tank balanced and under control, a recent thread on aquarium enthusiast site Reef2Reef revealed a new defense against unwanted aquarium pests: high-powered lasers.

The thread, focused on “best practices” for laser use in aquariums was started by user CalmSeaQuest, gives ample explanation to how lasers can be used to fight Aiptasia, cyanobacteria, valonia, byprosis, snails, crabs, and beyond.

Using an 1800 mW, 445 nm blue laser, CalmSeaQuest was able to remove all traces of the harmful pests. As a Class IV laser, there are a number of significant risks that come with this laser application. Not only could it cause significant physical harm to the user, the lasers could also cause accidental death or injury to fish and coral in the tank. A laser of this level can additionally cause severe eye damage when viewed without protection.

Because of these risks, it is highly unlikely that pest removal via lasers will ever hit the market. However, for those with proper training and practice, it is an exciting new application of laser technology.

The full thread can be found here.