orientalexpress
New member
Since we keep alot of expensive Fishes in our tank.Just curious ,i have one but i haven't turn it on for the last 3 years.
lapsan
lapsan
Is UV necessary for a Reeftank?
- Thread starter orientalexpress
- Start date
stunreefer
Reef Hugger
Not necessary. But I employ one on my display 
Crimson
Member
Somewhat disagree. If setup properly it can indeed help reduce parasites, algae spores, good and bad bacteria. Example, I keep my 57 watt uv for my 105 gallon at a flow rate of 270/300 gph which gives me around 330k µw/cm2 with a 3x turnover rate. This is even considered effective for ich Theronts (provided it enters the UV) SOURCE.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Sure, it will kill some of the parasites. But some isn't good enough. Many folk e buy UV thinking it will prevent/cure ich and similar parasites. It can't and it won't do either.
Crimson
Member
In theory could it under certain circumstances? If the uv is in a system such as a QT that has a very high kill rate with equally as high turnover with no substrates it would be effective on killing and possible curing a fish? I would think this method would mirror the effect on how tank transfer works without the stress.
Maybe someday I will try this theory out.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
UV is excellent at preventing transfer of ich between tanks and many facilities use it that way.
To eliminate ich in any tank, you would need every free swimming parasite to find the UV intake before it found a fish host. Most UV units are in the DT. Ich cysts live on/in the substrate and release their offspring there, usually at night. Most fish spend the night on the substrate; on top of or next to the emerging parasites. The only cure is to kill every parasite in the free swimming stage or to leave all ich stages behind, as is the case with tank transfer. IMO, TT is the best way to go for most folks, assuming they don't have to treat a lot of fish.
Noticed the Eagles logo. IMO, getting rid of Vick gives them at least a chance. It isn't just the dog thing, I've never thought he was a Superbowl QB since he came into the league (about 2002?). I live about 850 miles from Green Bay now, grew up in N. Wis. and will be celebrating 50 years in the same seats at Lambeau. Pack stays healthy and fills a hole or two, another SB for Cheeseheads.
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Crimson
Member
Running QB don't win Superbowls IMO. Yes, it was a good idea to let him go. We also let Jackson go, which turned out to be a drama between him and the Eagles coaches. With Jackson gone and going to redskins which means we need a WR.
Seems to me there are two 'facts' in play here. One, run properly, a UV sterilizer kills parasites. Two, common sense dictates, that not every parasite will be killed. The more interesting question is whether UV can reduce parasite pressure enough to make something like ich manageable. Observation by self suggests this is a debatable approach, and one that may require greater skill/experience to pull off.
I think if one were to run a BB tank with very little in the way of rocks, etc., and run an oversized UV with its water input close to the bottom if the tank, ich could probably be managed consistently. However, that seems like more work than a traditional TT or copper regimen - and it still isn't likely to completely remove the parasite, so why bother.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
If "managed ich" isn't an oxymoron, "permanently managed ich" certainly is. There may be a few folks that are able to "manage" ich for quite a while, but it almost always will return.
Funkateer_1
New member
I use them on ponds and they work great, don't do much on SW IME. Where we work, we have 2 x 250w Aqua UV Viper Unit on roughly 4,000-5,000g gallon system. Doesn't help with dinos on glass and doesn't do much for parasite control.
MrTuskfish
Team RC
Of course not. I'd read the info on ich (crypto) on the fish parasites by Snorvich at the top of the disease column. Knowing the ich life cycle is vital info.
Well, I'm in that camp. I have had a Hippo and Achilles in my 265 reef show periodic ich - the former for almost 4 months so far. So far things simply haven't gotten bad at all. All fish are eating well, bickering constantly, and generally asymptomatic.
In the interest of full clarity, I would not actually recommend attempting to 'manage ich', oxymoron or not :lol:, I'm doing it simply because the alternative of attempting to catch 30 plus fish and treat them seems overwhelming.
I have very heavy SPS growth in my tank, and I really don't think all fish are removable without disassembly which, for me, means 'the solution is worse than the problem'. So, for now, maintaining water quality at the highest possible level, feeding as well as I can, and heavy UV will have to suffice.
Yeah, I know, none of those things will eradicate ich from my system ..... although I've been keeping reef tanks since about 1988, this is the first time I've actually had an ich problem in over 15 years, so I'm a bit out of practice. Time will tell!
MrTuskfish
Team RC
I don't think there is any doubt that when it comes to ''managing" ich, experience counts and this is certainly a factor in your success so far. But the fact that its still there must drive you nuts; knowing that it will probably (not certainty; but, IMO, close.) return in very dangerous numbers. I hope the elusive reef safe ich cure appears before that day comes. This is true (IME & IMO) about many things in the hobby. Like so many things, there are things that experienced hobbyists can get away with that would be tragic to newer folks. I do many things, in several endeavors, that I would never admit to; because I wouldn't want someone else to try the same thing.
I have a tendency to obsess a bit over my tank, so you couldn't be more right - knowing my tank has ich makes me nuts. Particularly since I am pretty militant about QT'ing fish. However, I don't QT corals, so it is possible that was the source of the parasite.
the808state
New member
The contact time needs to pretty much perfect in order to kill anything. Obviously there is room for error on UVs. However, If the contact time is set up correctly it will effectively kill what you are trying to kill (everything has different contact time). IMO it is highly unlikely to kill 100% of ICH, but i've seen it manage it quite well. Fish would have it, once it falls off it kills the free floaters. There will always be eggs on the rocks/ground etc. Only way to kill ICH in a reef is no fish - period! There is no other way. copper kills ICH, but also everything else in a reef...
I was planning on using one for a pond, only for algae control, as in Hawaii its sunny and i know already there will be algae that I will want to get rid of!
I was planning on using one for a pond, only for algae control, as in Hawaii its sunny and i know already there will be algae that I will want to get rid of!
MrTuskfish
Team RC
The key isn't "no fish"; its keeping ich out in the first place. Not difficult with a good QT routine.
