UV sterilizer instead of HOB skimmer??

[Kayo2289]

my question for you guys is:

do you think if I run a coralife turbotwist 3x [small one ] intermittently say 2 days a week and 5 days off. Instead of buying an skimmer[Aquamaxx HOB]? Was looking at these options because I have a slight algae problem. its not really growing fast but still in the past ive had algae problems get out of control because I didnt know what i was doing and didnt read the warning signs and act accordingly.

Tank Info and parameters:

40 gallon breeder

Livestock
1 yellow tang [very small] 2.5"
1 blue tang [teenie tiny] 1.5"
1 saddleback [regular size] 3"
3 astrea snails
1 redfoot conch
1 golden coral banded shrimp [small] 2"
1 arrow crab [smallest ive ever seen] .75"

Corals
mother colony of GSP
1 medium size green polyp toadstool
1 red montipora 5" dia
2 mini colonies of acans
1 med torch coral

Filtration
50-60lbs LR
20-30 LS
1 bag of chemipure elite
filterfloss
3500 gph from koralias and hob filters.
and weekly 10g wc's

Feeding Regimen
light serving of reef flakes 2x DAY
oyster eggs 2x a week
spot feed the shrimp, crab, and LPS - Roggers food 2-3x a week

water parameters
water temp 73-78 deg. F.
Nitrate - 0
phos - 0
calc - 400
alk - 8
mag - 1300

I know a UV doesnt do what a skimmer does, as in blast gunk out of the water. My question is will running an UV as stated above noticeably kill of algae growth effectively enough to avoid having to by a skimmer??

oh... and please dont call them' boys...
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[Siptang]

UV will only do so much for algae. I would recommend that you get a skimmer to skim out all that access nutrient. Hell, I have a skimmer and UV and I still have little bit of green algae growing.. (need a sea hare soon)

 

[chinodragon]

UV will only do so much for algae. I would recommend that you get a skimmer to skim out all that access nutrient. Hell, I have a skimmer and UV and I still have little bit of green algae growing.. (need a sea hare soon)

Agree i have a turbotwist not sure if the size but i know its one of the larger ones plus a skimmer n i am still having hair algea issue, i am looking for a sea hare to do the work

 

[AquamanE]

IMHO- UV and Skimmers have 2 TOTALLY different purposes.

Skimmers are a MUST for reef tanks.

Algae problems are a result of excess organics. Many ways to control organics, ie. water changes, protein skimming etc... UV alone is not the answer.

 

[Kayo2289]

when I setup this tank up I wanted something that was simple, cost effective, aesthetically pleasing, and with minimal equipment in the DT.

now i got an UV sterilizer hanging on, and more than likely gonna end up shelling out 2 clams for the skimmer. which also is a HOB so now all the things I initially set out to accomplish have been nixxed and wish I would have gotten a sump and drilled tank.

sigh...

thanks for the input guys i appreciate it.

 

[Kayo2289]

btw im gonna still try out using the UV as stated earlier to see how that goes, hopefully with positive results.

i'll post here as time goes on.

 

[Siptang]

Good luck but don't skimp out on the skimmer. It really does make a huge difference.

 

[lostmyz]

UV Sterilizer =/= protein skimmer... I run a turbo twist 6x on my 72 24/7 in the skimmer chamber..

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[canesfan44]

I agree with Eddy. A protein skimmer is pretty much a must on a reef tank, especially having two tangs and a saddleback in a 40g. I really don't like the idea of any tangs in anything under 75 gallons, preferably 120g and bigger. The reason being that you will have no choice but to find a bigger tank for them in a short amount of time. Tangs have high metabolisms. They'll outgrow a 40g tank very quickly and as they grow, the need for a skimmer will be even greater. In my opinion, the uv sterilizer won't do a thing except make the water look a little more clear. The UV sterilizer is more for water clarity and killing small pathogens and parasites. You definitely need to step-up your clean-up crew if 3 astreas is all you have. I recommend getting a lot of different snails and a couple Mexican turbos and if you have hair algae problems, try to get a sea hare. Sea hares can make a big difference on algae in a short amount of time.

You can get some pretty good deals on used skimmers from fellow hobbyists here on RC and e-bay. I don't know how your tank and corals look, but I think you'll see a pretty noticeable difference once you get a skimmer. The UV sterilizer will be like putting a band-aid on your chest after a heart-attack; it won't do anything to bring down the phosphates and DOCs that fuel algal growth.

 

[nivram]

Depending on tank size you could just do some water changes.

If its just an algae issue. I would correct the real problem (nutrients). And save my $ for a skimmer and call it a day. Or look into a hob fuge.

 

[Kayo2289]

okay so..

-get a better CUC
-splurge on a skimmer
-upgrade to a bigger system before tangs outgrow the tank.

I appreciate the passion you guys have for fish and their welfare, they have always and will always be well taken care of.

Fish Pledge.
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thanks for the input fellas.

 

[silver17jo]

Skimmers are a MUST for reef tanks.

+1

 

[rovster]

Something doesn't add up. You obviously have a nutrient problem so its coming from somewhere. With the amount of LR you have and quantity of water you're changing, a skimmer is a plus, but not necessary. Not saying don't get a skimmer since that's always a good idea, but you need to look deeper into what you are currently doing. GL!

 

[illal]

With the amount of LR you have and quantity of water you're changing, a skimmer is a plus, but not necessary.

Couldnt disagree more with this statement!
2 tangs + a 40g tank = You better have one hell of a skimmer
Id also try and add a sump with a fuge. By adding a sump you could go with an in sump skimmer rather than just a hob

 

[Siptang]

yea, I'm with Al on this one. tangs are big poopers... my blue hippo tang sprays huge blobs of poop whenever I'm feeding the fish tank so that other fish will step back for a second while he devours the food...

 

[Kayo2289]

Something doesn't add up. You obviously have a nutrient problem so its coming from somewhere. With the amount of LR you have and quantity of water you're changing, a skimmer is a plus, but not necessary.

That's what I was thinking, and it hit me last night before I fell asleep.

Proposed explanation:

About 3 weeks ago I decided to break down a 90 gallon which sprung a leak due to a chip on the glass on the wet side of the drain bulkhead, in the overflow. And the water when I drained it from the tank had been stagnant and just sitting there for months. It was filled with algae.
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I had taken out all of the livestock before hand when the tank sprung the leak. I used the 5 gallon jugs of water to empty out 80 or so gallons of this water, and in the end I just hosed it down a few times with the water hose. MISTAKE#1.
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By this time the 40 gallon had already been set up for about 2-3 weeks with very little algae growth. Since the 90g teardown I have continued to use the jugs weekly for RO/DI and WC's. MISTAKE #2.

Review and questions:

After having the turbo-twist on for almost a day I can certainly see a big difference in water clarity and micro-bubbles growing on glass and rockwork.
There also was a lingering film that was on the surface of the water that has been totally wiped out. But these results were expected and are just signs of normal operation.

I am going to continue to run the UV for about another day or so and continue the weekly WC's.

Question?
1. Is there any way to disinfect the insides of these water jugs so that I can confidently use them again? Or just replace them?

Pics
surface of the water is now clear after few hours of UV.
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New addition
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this and the rock the birds nest is on are really the only affected areas.
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Sorry for the phone camera pics, lost the charger to my other camera =/

 

[Kayo2289]

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[illal]

Rinsing the jugs like you mentioned should be fine, UV isnt going to get rid of nutrients, which is where algae comes from. Water changes, Skimmer and fuge will all help though!

 

[illal]

If its only those 2 rocks with algae, did those 2 rocks come from somewhere differant than the others?

 

[AquamanE]

I cant take the time to read all posts on here but have skimmed through most.

REASON: It annoys the HECK out of me that we are comparing a UV sterilizer to a real biological filtration system, and a DOC remover. A UV STERILIZER IS NOT IN THE SAME PICTURE.

Remember when we where kids and had to decide from a group of things what matched? We where given a group of veggies and one fruit and where asked what did not belong?????

DUDE: You are comparing a cucumber to a banana!!!!!!!!!!! ONE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OTHER.

Please READ< READ< READ, COME TO MEETINGS. MEET PEOPLE. PLEEEEEASE.......