Is a UV worth installing and using ?
- Thread starter Johnic
- Start date
I have no experience with UV but I hear that they can be useful. I’ve heard a lot depends on flow rate
wildman926
Active member
No, I used it, and removed it, and see no difference.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
At the size and power sold to hobby… no. Even many times oversized, keeping the tube clean enough to be effective is going to be tough. Also if it did work it would be killing everything, not just bad organisms that pass through.
reefteaser
Convince'em or confuse'em
Started using a 25 watt UV on my 115 mixed reef 1 1/2 years ago. Had been and still use a algae scrubber. Tank algae is minimal, the stuff in the scrubber is bright and robust. Tank numbers have never been better, and my water is SO clear. I had to clean the lamp often at first, but now only monthly and it’s very light.
Bulbs and sleeves are pricey, but I picked one of each up during Black Friday. They’ll probably be on sale in the summer too.
Overall, yeah, it was worth it to me. My reef looks great!
Bulbs and sleeves are pricey, but I picked one of each up during Black Friday. They’ll probably be on sale in the summer too.
Overall, yeah, it was worth it to me. My reef looks great!
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I would argue that the tank’s ecosystem has simply matured with no real effect from the UV… at the same time, as long as you are happy, that Is all that matters. Your talking to a guy that hasn’t checked salinity or done a water change in 4+ years!
wildman926
Active member
I do check salinity, but I don't see any difference in water quality per the claim to fame of using them
shred5
Premium Member
Depends on what you are using it for.
Parasites yes but require slow rates and a high enough wattage. They really though have a hard time eradicating them completely but can slow them down giving the fish some relief or time to build up some natural immunity.
Algae it really depends on how the algae spreads and what kind and if it spreads through the water column or not. For example dinos are a free swimming algae and it can actually work on certain types of it.
It can kill certain pathogens too.
That said it can kill certain things that are beneficial like some of the critters we like or bacteria.
Most of the time when someone claims UV does nothing they did not have proper flow rate, properly sized UV, purchased garbage one or really had not need for one.
The real question is are they needed and the answer is no. They can be a very helpful tool depending on what you want to use it for.
Parasites yes but require slow rates and a high enough wattage. They really though have a hard time eradicating them completely but can slow them down giving the fish some relief or time to build up some natural immunity.
Algae it really depends on how the algae spreads and what kind and if it spreads through the water column or not. For example dinos are a free swimming algae and it can actually work on certain types of it.
It can kill certain pathogens too.
That said it can kill certain things that are beneficial like some of the critters we like or bacteria.
Most of the time when someone claims UV does nothing they did not have proper flow rate, properly sized UV, purchased garbage one or really had not need for one.
The real question is are they needed and the answer is no. They can be a very helpful tool depending on what you want to use it for.
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BeanAnimal
Premium Member
For a UV to do anything beneficial it needs to be huge and cleaned pretty much daily…
I am sure you have very valid information as to why you believe hobbyist UV sterilizers are not effective .. Are you referring to Saltwater or its application to water treatment in general?
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I am referring to typical hobby sized units in saltwater aquariums, not the application of UV in general or in actual right sized units for saltwater Aquaria.
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Contact time is important. Given a sleeve size and wattage, "contact time" is a function of flow rate AND sleeve clarity.
Slowing the flow will increase contact time, but also decrease throughput and increase fouling... If the UV can't turnover the tank water at a fast enough rate, it is can't be effective.
Properly sized - it can be effective.
The point here being that most hobby sized/priced units are woefully undersized to have any real meaningful effect.
Will leave the conversation at that. There are several of actual studies with math and test results out there. I am too old and lazy to dig them up. UV science has not changed since it was introduced, so the science has not changed.
Is some UV better than no UV and/or effective - that is between you and your pocketbook and personal perception.
Happy Reefing...
Hmm... Yes you just said that properly sized it can be effective.. past comments that hobbyist UV units arent effective (."At the size and power sold to hobby… no". ).
Sounds like you have never had a bacterial/algae bloom that once UV was applied cleared up within 24-48 hrs.. To me that is a observable result. Now you could again say ..
BTW I am no Bean Animal but have been around for a while to be able to acknowledge observable change that is hard to ignore.
Personal perception I guess
Sounds like you have never had a bacterial/algae bloom that once UV was applied cleared up within 24-48 hrs.. To me that is a observable result. Now you could again say ..
But did it really or did the UV kill/destroy the free floating bacteria/algae?
BTW I am no Bean Animal but have been around for a while to be able to acknowledge observable change that is hard to ignore.
Personal perception I guess
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
There is no contradiction in my statements, they are two ends of a conversation making the same point.
A) hobby units are usually not very effective (due to being undersized)
B) properly sized units can be effective (but those sold to this hobby are usually too small to be effective)
There may be instances or outside cases where this is not true, but in general, the typical UV units sold to this hobby are not very useful. I don’t see any harm, I just would advise most folks spend their money elsewhere.
