UV Sterilizer...Do Ya?

[Xxero]

I'd just like to see a few responses from current RC viewers:

Do you use a UV Sterilizer?

Yes? No? Why? Why Not?

 

[Aqualoon]

Yes. Ran them on FW tanks for years, they have come down in pricing A LOT from when I first started to use them. Investing a lot in live stock along with time and energy, figure why wouldn't I get one.

 

[cloak]

I've never really found the need to. Algae is controlled through the use of decent source water and overall good husbandry and QT tanks are fairly easy to set up.

 

[davocean]

We don'y typically use them much in reefs, maybe if you were trying to resolve some algae issues, I've seen some claim it helps rid of ich issues, but for the most part not really needed.

 

[Sk8r]

No. After having two of them catch fire and nearly take out my koi pond skimmer, I sure didn't want one in my house. I'm sure the indoor ones are nicer, but honestly, they're a chancy thing: pump rate has to be mated to the bulb to keep the water passing the bulb slowly enough for it to do any good, and over all, just too much hassle and likelihood of it not working well.

 

[firemountain]

I actually run a UV sterilizer on my RODI unit, which doubles as my drinking water. It's appropriately matched for the flow rate on my house water pressure. With already having the water sterilized initially when I make water, I don't feel the need to run a separate one on the tank.

 

[snorvich]

I use one on my pond (as a water clarifier). I do not use UV on either of my tanks.

 

[ericarenee]

Nope . Do not use one on my Tanks But a FOWLR Tank without a skimmer i could see it helping. But then again another piece of equipment to maintain that a but of reg maintenance would make obsolete

 

[tennesseebob]

I will when i can afford to, but not at the moment, i want a good one and that will cost me nearly as much as my skimmer lol.

 

[gone fishin]

Nope. Just have not seen the need for one.

 

[Xxero]

Hmmmm.....Interesting!

My UV curiosity is more along the lines for algae blooms rather than parasite eradication.

I'm creeping up on the 90 day mark of my 40b, and my sand bed has that dusty brown algae on the surface. I believe these are Diatoms, but I have many questions as to why they're there to begin with:

1) Is this just the norm for a newly cycled tank and they'll go away eventually?
2) And if it's not normal, then what issue do I have that's causing this? I feel like my lights are either too strong and need to be raised up a few inches or I need to increase circulation in the DT. (Or possibly both of these!)

I've noticed when the lights first come on that the sand bed is completely clear! Then within an hour or so, the rusty colored algae is back. It's not the slimy, reddish brown algae with bubbles - It's the dusty brown type that is only on the surface of the sand and gradually builds up on the glass. It dawned on me that I ran a UV Sterilizer on my last tank, but it was only because of my LFS's suggestion...

Is this just a typical case of new tank algae happenings and I just need to ride it out, or do you think a UV Sterilizer should be implemented?

(And BTW, thank you guys for the input!)

 

[tennesseebob]

Normal stuff there, i'm loving the diatoms at the moment, my pods are skyrocketing, if the pods are still there after the diatoms clear out, and are holding steady, imma get a mandy XD

 

[davocean]

If you are getting film algae or something on a newish tank going through the cycling issues, and you have one on hand, it wouldn't hurt to throw it on, but I would not go out of my way to buy one.

 

[jminick2]

add more flow and some snails that sift your sand, my hermits pick at the sand all day as well.

 

[Xxero]

I have a few Black Margarita Snails which do a great job with the Live Rock, but never go down onto the sand.

I have a bunch of Nassarius Snails, two of which are the Super Tongan type. They churn up the bed really well and do a good job hunting down missed food scraps, but I have not observed them having an appetite for Diatoms.

And I also have a few Astraea Snails. Now these little guys appear to have an appetite for the Diatoms, but they seem to stick to the glass, power heads, return tubes, and the Live Rock. I have seen them eating the Diatoms on the sand bed, but it's usually just grazing along the way from the Live Rock to the glass.

All of the snails probably avoid the sand bed because of the Hermits, and I am not one who could blame them. The Hermits will tumble around the sand, but they're just looking for scraps in doing so. I will probably grab a few more Astraea Snails and then just let this new tank do its thing.

Does anyone have any more specific snail types who seem to enjoy the Diatoms?

 

[kmbyrnes]

I had one when my reef was young. I thought it would clear up the greenish water color. It didn't. After 3 months, I took it down and never looked back. Proper flow and regular maintenance have my water crystal clear.

 

[PIPSTER]

I run one because my water was cloudy due to a bacteria bloom. It has since cleared.

UV will only take care of floating bacteria or algae, not anything on your rocks, sand, or glass. It's basically a water clarifier.

 

[tennesseebob]

My pin cushion urchin does pretty good, he will go onto the sand, but still prefers rocks and glass