Do U.V. Sterilizers do anything for parasite problems?

[jcmjoe]

Just wanted your guys opinion on U.V. Sterilizers. I bought a 15 watt on the advice of my LFS trying to cure an ich problem. Obviously if it worked I wouldnt have had to remove all the fish and put them in a quarantine tank with cupramine,(which got rid of the ich in about a week btw) The 15 watt is more than sufficient for my 60 Gallon DT from what I have read for "sterilizing" and I have the proper flow rate pump for the unit. So are they worth the money for a Marine tank or best left for the Koi guys with Algae problems in their ponds? Thanks:fish1:

 

[b0bab0ey]

IMO they only have value in s/w if you have all your tanks connected to, say, a common sump. So, that mostly would apply to a LFS. IF the bulb is changed regularly AND the flow rate is adjusted properly, a UV running on a common return line will kill anything and everything before it reaches another tank. But in a typical home aquarium setup, there's just no way it can/will kill all of the nasties... They reproduce too quickly and it never can suck out those embedded in the substrate.

 

[snorvich]

IMO they only have value in s/w if you have all your tanks connected to, say, a common sump. So, that mostly would apply to a LFS. IF the bulb is changed regularly AND the flow rate is adjusted properly, a UV running on a common return line will kill anything and everything before it reaches another tank. But in a typical home aquarium setup, there's just no way it can/will kill all of the nasties... They reproduce too quickly and it never can suck out those embedded in the substrate.

Exactly correct.

 

[Kahuna Tuna]

I use an aqua 40 watt UV set up exactly as above and find it to be a valuable tool. You also have to clean/replace the quartz sleeve for it to be at its most effective. I run mine from the sump to the refugium and the water quality in the fuge is ideal for introducing new fish.

 

[MrTuskfish]

IMO they only have value in s/w if you have all your tanks connected to, say, a common sump. So, that mostly would apply to a LFS. IF the bulb is changed regularly AND the flow rate is adjusted properly, a UV running on a common return line will kill anything and everything before it reaches another tank. But in a typical home aquarium setup, there's just no way it can/will kill all of the nasties... They reproduce too quickly and it never can suck out those embedded in the substrate.

Well said. UV can be a "little helper" but won't (and can't) cure or prevent any parasite infestation. Its a good algae controller, that's why pondkeepers love them.