No QT, UV Sterilizer?

[BigEZ77]

Hi All,

Unfortunately I don't have the space for a QT in my current place. Will likely use my current tank as a QT when I upgrade to 120G tank at my new place. For the time being, would it be a good idea to run a UV Sterilizer for a 2-3 month period when bringing in new fish? I understand its not a guarantee to avoid disease but would it be helpful?

Thanks,

 

[Tisbe]

A UV that truly controls parasites needs to be large and is very expensive. The 20ish watt or lower ones are really only good for controlling algae in the water column.

The QT tank is really the only safe bet in keeping nasty's out of the DT. A plastic tub with heater, powerhead and any light (even room lighting) is fine for fish QT. I have even put then in a closet and in the corner on the floor.

 

[pyithar]

http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/6/m006p295.pdf

 

[Sapelo]

uv is not a substitute for QT
proceed without QTing at your own risk.

 

[Timfish]

First of all, a UV should not be used as an excuse to bypass a thorough quarantine process. For fish the "triple tank transfer" technique can be used but it won't work for cycsts attached to rocks or coral colonies. I use UV sterilizors and from what I have seen in my tanks over the years a properly sized UV sterilizer hooked up properly will eradicate ich from a tank. But if I don't have an ick problem I'm not going to use it. If there is a moderate to heavy infestation it probably will not prevent fish loss. (Part of the problem is there sre different strains with varing degrees of virulance.) One down side is UV's are also heaters so temps might need to be monitored. Because a UV needs a low flow rate to maximise the kill rate it should have it's own pump. This creates an additional issue because if the UV's pump is added to the sump there are two seperate loops and trying to figure how much of the ick is being killed gets problamatic. Best to have the UV's pump in the DT behind the rock at one end of the tank with the return at the other end. Here's a link to a paper on Ick, note the cysts attach to any hard substrate and can be transfered between tanks on rock or coral colonies as well as on a fish:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fa164

You also need to read the link Pyithar posted get get a better understanding of some of the limitations of UV sterilizers in dealing with a range of pathogens. But it is research looking at mathmatical models for many different pathogens and does not give any specific consideration to how the biology in a system is reducing ich/crypticaryon parasites (filter feeders removing larva, algae eaters scraping cycts off rock and life forms preventing adults form finding places to attach and encyst). It also does not look at the role of the immune response of fish to develop resistance to ich.

 

[BigEZ77]

Thanks for the helpful info and the links. IF I understand correctly, a UV sterilizer will eradicate ich if a fish is already infected, but will eradicate it from the water column, i.e. If a fish I bring in has ich, it won't be able to pass it on to the other fish in my tank?

Tim, you also mention immune resistance to ich...Does a UV sterilizer help build the immunity of a fish?

 

[cougareyes]

It is great as water clarifier, that is all. I run one and also qt my fish. With that said it is a 36 watt on a 210 running 210 gph, so it is supposedly rated to control some diseases. It does not, I've had flukes and ick.

 

[gone fishin]

Thanks for the helpful info and the links. IF I understand correctly, a UV sterilizer will eradicate ich if a fish is already infected, but will eradicate it from the water column, i.e. If a fish I bring in has ich, it won't be able to pass it on to the other fish in my tank?

Tim, you also mention immune resistance to ich...Does a UV sterilizer help build the immunity of a fish?

A UV sterilizer will not eradicate ich.

 

[Devolver]

A UV sterilizer will not eradicate ich.

UV will not kill ICH...don't kid yourself.

Read up on TTM...tank transfer method...this is the easiest and quickest way to get rid of ich