Malign Reefer
New member
Just trying to see if there is any reason not to use a UV and maybe some benefits I don't know about.
Thanks
Thanks
Pros & Cons of using a UV Sterilizer
- Thread starter Malign Reefer
- Start date
needmore-reef
New member
and they don't work.
Rploaded
New member
Okay let's actually answer the question, instead of spouting off non true facts.
Pros: can help control water clarity and aid in disease prevention.
Cons: To really work the unit needs to be much larger then most people think or can afford. Water must move through them slowly, most people just shoot return water through them.
Yes uv sterilizers can work and are used heavily by public aquariums and aquaculture facilities. In home aquariums 99% of people undersize to save money and end up with a fancy light bulb.
For a more cost effective way of controlling water clarity you might want to research and read about ozone usage.
Pros: can help control water clarity and aid in disease prevention.
Cons: To really work the unit needs to be much larger then most people think or can afford. Water must move through them slowly, most people just shoot return water through them.
Yes uv sterilizers can work and are used heavily by public aquariums and aquaculture facilities. In home aquariums 99% of people undersize to save money and end up with a fancy light bulb.
For a more cost effective way of controlling water clarity you might want to research and read about ozone usage.
harlequinacro
New member
They aid in disease prevention. Any UV smaller than 57watts is useless, no matter what the manufacturer says. That's where most people go wrong.
fishgate
Active member
Sweet! Another UV thread! (lol)
YES! They do provide water clarity by killing free-floating algae and bacteria. YES! They do aid in disease control.
I have a 15 watt UV (Pentair Aquatics Aquastep 15 Watt UV Lamp) on a 120g tank and it keeps it crystal clear and I have never had a disease outbreak. The UV is rated for a 400gph flow but I only use 160gph through it. It was $120 (plus a powerhead) and I bought one new bulb already for $50.
This is EXPERIENCE talking. I have had one for over 2 years and it is worth its weight in gold.
I also bought one of those cheap one on ebay for $30 that come with a spare bulb. THEY are crap and it did almost nothing. Possibly just a crap bulb that didn't have the proper wave length or something else - who knows. Perhaps people are buying these cheap ones and they don't work and that puts a bad taste in their mouth for UV in general. Fortunately, I started with a good one that worked VERY well.
YES! They do provide water clarity by killing free-floating algae and bacteria. YES! They do aid in disease control.
I have a 15 watt UV (Pentair Aquatics Aquastep 15 Watt UV Lamp) on a 120g tank and it keeps it crystal clear and I have never had a disease outbreak. The UV is rated for a 400gph flow but I only use 160gph through it. It was $120 (plus a powerhead) and I bought one new bulb already for $50.
This is EXPERIENCE talking. I have had one for over 2 years and it is worth its weight in gold.
I also bought one of those cheap one on ebay for $30 that come with a spare bulb. THEY are crap and it did almost nothing. Possibly just a crap bulb that didn't have the proper wave length or something else - who knows. Perhaps people are buying these cheap ones and they don't work and that puts a bad taste in their mouth for UV in general. Fortunately, I started with a good one that worked VERY well.
Lisa: By your logic I could claim this rock repels tigers.
Homer: How does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't...but you don't see any tigers around here, do you?
Homer: Lisa, I would like to buy your rock.
fishgate
Active member
lol - yes spoken like a true armchair reviewer. I didn't just decide to buy it out of the blue. I had massive algae blooms that would not go away. The UV got rid of them overnight. Overnight as in I set the system up at 5pm and could not see three inches into the tank and at 9am the next morning the algae was gone and the tank was as clear as glass. I have had the exact same results with cloudy water (bacteria bloom).
I added that I have never had an outbreak of disease of any kind simply because I have not. Since most disease is spread through the water column, it would stand to reason that a pass or two through the UV would kill most disease before it had a chance to further infect the tank. That makes sense to me. I haven't seen the fish shaking fins or kissing too much anyway so I assume the water column is a contributing factor. I can't say 100% that it was the UV I just may have never gotten any disease in the tank.
Sometimes just "going with the loudest crowd" is not the right choice. Sometimes it is though.
Fair enough, but realize that suspended algae or "green water," which UV is certainly effective at killing, is quite rare in reef tanks. Every day there are dozens of RC threads started by people struggling with different algae issues. Green hair algae, cyanobacteria, bubble algae, dinoflagellates are the most common, and UV is not effective for any. I don't read every thread but I can't remember the last time I saw a green water thread--it is uncommon and usually if there is enough phosphate in the water to grow it you've got even bigger problems.
UV can actually be detrimental as well, given the current trend to encourage bacterial growth for nutrient reduction.
You may have never seen fish shake hands, but they do share the same rocks and sand, and some of the most pernicious parasites have reproductive stages that shelter them there between hosts. This is why UV has been demonstrated to be completely ineffective at preventing ich, for instance.
Not much for disease prevention if at all except when large and usedin single pass applications .
Tanks recirculate;even if uv kills some bacteria passing through, those in the tank will take up the slack.
Killing bacteria in the water column is not beneficial anyway, imo. Most bacteria related to disease are on the surfaces of infected organisms. Many bacteria use up excess inorganic nutrients and help bind excess toxic metals. They also feed the bottom of the food chain, so killing them is undesireable.
Parasites and other protists are larger and probably won't be killed in an aquarium sized uv. Very large units might produce enough radition to kill them but contirubutes more heat than you might want. In any case only parasites that pass through them would be affected but those that don't will just proliferate as they hatch from cysts on surface areas.
Not sure if a particular application reduces phytoplankton but there are many other ways to do so and some of these organisms are desireable in a reef tank.
I have several uvs on the shelf from years past. My tanks do much better without them.
Quarantine and preventative treatment for new specimens is effective at disease control.
Tanks recirculate;even if uv kills some bacteria passing through, those in the tank will take up the slack.
Killing bacteria in the water column is not beneficial anyway, imo. Most bacteria related to disease are on the surfaces of infected organisms. Many bacteria use up excess inorganic nutrients and help bind excess toxic metals. They also feed the bottom of the food chain, so killing them is undesireable.
Parasites and other protists are larger and probably won't be killed in an aquarium sized uv. Very large units might produce enough radition to kill them but contirubutes more heat than you might want. In any case only parasites that pass through them would be affected but those that don't will just proliferate as they hatch from cysts on surface areas.
Not sure if a particular application reduces phytoplankton but there are many other ways to do so and some of these organisms are desireable in a reef tank.
I have several uvs on the shelf from years past. My tanks do much better without them.
Quarantine and preventative treatment for new specimens is effective at disease control.
harlequinacro
New member
You need at least 100,000 μWs/cm² of UV Light Dose to kill certain protozoa's. UV's smaller than 57w can't produce that kind of UV killing power, even if running the water through them super slow. Cryptocaryon Irritans takes 300,000 μWs/cm² of UV Light Dose.
Greetings all,
I have a 75gal HT that is in Hypo with 7 fish with ICH.
I would like to help clean up the water with a UV or Ozone. I have been reading alot and am more confused that anything. My DT is a 125 Mixed Reef and was thinking about moving it over once these guys are Okedokee.
I am concerned about using the UV on the DT as the UV kills the good critters too???
Where there are no drawbacks of Ozone?
Please, someone, help me stop the madness!@!!
thanks!
Drew
I have a 75gal HT that is in Hypo with 7 fish with ICH.
I would like to help clean up the water with a UV or Ozone. I have been reading alot and am more confused that anything. My DT is a 125 Mixed Reef and was thinking about moving it over once these guys are Okedokee.
I am concerned about using the UV on the DT as the UV kills the good critters too???
Where there are no drawbacks of Ozone?
Please, someone, help me stop the madness!@!!
thanks!
Drew
I personally just use with granulated organic carbon and skimming.There are drawbacks to ozone.It breaks up organics which can release some bound metals for one thing and if not dosed appropriately it can add harmful substances to the water and the air. Here are few very informative articles on ozone by Randy H Farley:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-05/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-05/rhf/index.php
Dragon moray ki
New member
I have on eon my 90 and it helps if I get a small ich out break. I really like mine and when I upgrade my tank I will be getting a new bigger one.
