Uv sterilizer is no joke!

[REEF DIVA]

Using a UV sterilizer

Using a UV sterilizer

Yes the saltwater tanks that use tap water seem to have the biggest problems.
I never get a bloom in my large reef and I often turn off the UV for various reasons or I may fail to change the bulb after say a year. I am not perfect. Still, no blooms in that tank ever. Never even had cyano from 1995 until last year after I started using amino acids. Fancy that! I still think amino acids are good but you have to go slow. I did what the bottle said and it was too much.

 

[mmotown]

When you guys talk about algae blooms, are you referring to like film algae on rocks and sandbed? I have a 150 and never had any issues with algae and now all of a sudden I have an algae issue that I have been battling. I run carbon and GFO

 

[bertoni]

A UV filter can help with a phytoplankton bloom. It won't do anything much for films on surfaces, in general. In some cases, UV might help with a dinoflagellate infestation, but that's not all that much evidence for that, either.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I see I got the juices flowing on this topic. Just some info and update. I use and have been using RO/DI unit that's maintained. I'm using this to clearify the water column and not expecting much else. (Green water and bacterial blooms.) Water clarity has vastly improved since starting using the UV. Still very clear. I'm still dealing with some diatom on some rock and have been combating these with the typcal methods, light period reduction, manual removal, GAC, water changes.....etc. which the UV was not intend for.

It has done what I intended it to do. As for the discussion at hand, some great thoughts on its use and potential uses. I would love to see anybody's first hand technical data on research conducted with UV in marine environments. Positives and negitives from a data stand point.

Thoughts welcome.

 

[REEFCHITOWN]

After i installed my 40 watt emperor I could not be more pleased. Water was clearer and i have not had any Ick out breaks since. This thing is huge, but i think it makes a difference. If it saves 2 fish too me it pays for itself.