UV filter

[tony varrell]

I want to add a uv sterilizer to my new 300 gallon tank. Those of you who actually use them please give me your comments on most effective unit for my size tank and how you recommend it be plumbed to my system. Any negitave reasons why they should not be used??

 

[blackthunda77]

I cant say or reccommend anything for your size tank because mine is much smaller, but i do have a coralife on mine and i run it 24/7. most will say to run it sparingly. I do however scrape my glass alot less now, and ich in my tank seemed to have taken a back seat for now. I have it running through the sterilizer very slowly that way it nt only affects the algea spores but also the parasitics too. all this will be in your manual. I have added tangs also and before theuy would usually get an outbreak of ich, even just mildly, but that was the process, then they would usually pull through, recently though, with the last tang i added it didnt even go through that process,, i had no problems with the ich, not even blotchy fins. knock on wood...........

 

[urbanthreatz]

I have one and i run it 24/7 as well. i have COMPLETELY ridden my tank of ich (which was my main concern). As stated above, running the water through the sterilizer as slow as possible is the key.

 

[blackthunda77]

Yup, Wat he said

 

[Rogger Castells]

I have the 2" 57w aqua uv it can handle up to 3200 gph but I run mine at about half of that, it runs for 12hrs a day.
I became a big believer of the uv once I installed it in my pond and I saw the water go from a monster lake green to a crystal clear in about 3 days.

 

[gasman059]

Tony I've always had one. IMHO no reason to not run one.
I like pentair lifeguard.
Clearly fish health is improved.

 

[pherbert]

OK, I know that this can be good for ich, and I've read that it can help greatly with algae, clearing the water and all. But what about the dreaded bubble algae (valonia?)

Anybody had any experience where UV has helped with the scourge? Right now I am battleing a nasty outbreak.

 

[blackthunda77]

Agreed, like i said before, i didnt notice anything visual that was like WOW what a difference, but there is less film on the glass, and not to long before i got a sterilizer i couldnt keep a tang for the life of me, that was the biggest diff for me, i noticed that even when i added my tang, which are ich magnets, they didnt die from ich, he did jump out
of my tank though, :-/ but thats another story.