Does UV light help in treatment of Ich?

[oama]

StevenPro
Interesting read

It seems that there are still three camps.

Those that think UV are worthless.

Those that think UV are the Cat's Meow and a Cure-All.

Those (like me) that think it's somewhere in between. UV's won't cure, but they will help control (if used properly).

Oama

 

[jdieck]

Here is my take on it: Is UV helful in:
a) Getting rid of Ich... NO
b) Slow down Ich .. May be if large enough but may increase the damage to benefical things if too large.
c) Stopping other parasites: NO
d) Kill algae spoores/ help prevent Algae blooms: YES
c) Get rid of some harmful bacteria/virus: YES
d) Kill benefical organisms like plankton: the smaller YES althouhg it's impact may be minimized if installed and sized properly. In addition dead plankton can still be usable as food by corals and filter feeders
e) Will it damage the fish inmune system: NO
f) Will it damage the sand critters: NO
g) Will it prevent coralline growth: NO
h) Do I use one? YES
i) Do I use it 24/7? YES
j) Do I pass all the water in the return loop trough it: NO

 

[Steven Pro]

StevenPro
Interesting read

It seems that there are still three camps.

Those that think UV are worthless.

Those that think UV are the Cat's Meow and a Cure-All.

Those (like me) that think it's somewhere in between. UV's won't cure, but they will help control (if used properly).

Oama

I, like you, fall into the last group. My biggest problem is the false sense of security and the excuse it gives some hobbyists to not quarantine.

 

[TerryB]

I am in the third camp also. I see a use for UV but I also believe they are of limited value in most situations with hobbyists. If I had a large public aquarium, especially one with a multitank system, then I would definately be using powerful UV lights.
Terry B

 

[Tigger240]

jdieck - uvs have two ratings, one for algea kill and protozoan kill rates. the flow that you had through your uv probably did little to nothing. a 40 watt uv to kill protozoans needs to be in the neighborhood of 200 gallons per hour. the 5x turn over is a good number but the uv must be sized to meet the aquarium volume not the flow rate set to volume and flowed through what ever sized uv. uv gallon vs watts ratings have been severly overstated.

holy crap i brought up an old thread sorry to all.

 

[kfowler]

LOL I was just thinking I hope you don't expect a response from the above posts. Still a good read though.

 

[bgiles11]

I had an ich problem about 3 years ago. I bought a uv sterilizer, and it eradicated the problem. It assisted in the ability to prevent the cycle of the ich. The affected fish needs to be treated individually, but the spread can be contained by uv.