UV Sterilizer Need? or dont need?

[rbtwo4]

Ok got my protein skimmer out of the way the next thing i need advice on for a 30 gal tank is a UV sterilizer if i do need it and which one should i look into??? thanks everyone im gonna dedicate my tank to Reef Central cus everyone here is helping me build it!

 

[Shagsbeard]

I personally wont use one. The goal is to artificially remove harmful bacteria from your system... something you can do with proper husbandry. The costs of running a UV light is dead phyto, dead bacteria (both harmful and benificial) and all that has to be removed from your tank.

I'm no expert, but until I'm convinced that the device saves lives and money, I'll skip using one.

 

[ledford1]

Don't need one. They can be helpful in certain situations, but it's certainly not necessary. I'd sink that money into something else, like a larger sump or fuge.

If you find you need/want a UV some time down the road, you can add one then.

 

[Southern Boy]

Are you doing a fish only or reef tank?

 

[rbtwo4]

Im doing a reef tank. shouldve mentioned that sorry.

 

[kh6sat]

Don't need it. They have pros and cons on effectiveness. They may be too effective, killing beneficial organisms as well as the bad.

 

[Southern Boy]

Sterilizers are good for fish but not so good for reef.Like shagz said kills the good and bad.It will kill basicly anything that passes through ut including the stuff that you reef wants!

 

[rbtwo4]

ooooooooooooooh ok so what are they really for?

 

[WaterKeeper]

Only place they have value is if you have multiple tanks fed from a common central sump like they do in some pet stores. Here they prevent disease from moving from tank to tank.

For a single tank a canister running a sub-micron filter will clear up bacteria and other parasites faster and cheaper than a UV.

 

[virginiadiver69]

What do you mean by "sub-micron filter"?

 

[kevin2000]

A UV has its purposes .. but often as not its one of those "last resort" devices purchases by reefers who find they have a disease issue and can't catch/QT their fish. In those cases a QT might help mitigate the severity of the disease sometimes enabling the fish's own immune system to fend off the problem.

Some reefers argue that UV kill critters that the corals eat .. that probably true but those critters tend to propagate easily in our tanks and I have no doubt the corals eat them "dead or alive".

 

[pressthebutton]

ive found that my small uv on my reef was wonderful at keeping the greenish algae tinge out of the water resulting in much clearer water and less algae on the glass.