UV Sterilizer

[gandolf8]

Like to know how many use a UV Sterilizer.

 

[sg1838]

I use one - The QL-25 from Lifegard Aquatics. The one big benefit that I see from it is the reduction of algae on the glass. I only need to clean my glass probably once every 3 or 4 days. I can't say whether it has other benefits, but since it came with my used tank setup when I bought it, I figured I might as well plumb it in.

 

[tmz]

I have 4 ,used them for years. They've been on the shelf for years since I speculated killing planktonic bacteria might not be a good for the food web or any organic binding of metals the bacteria might perform in my reef tanks.

The sterlizer only kills what passes through it and then it needs to be oversized( more watts and more flow) to have any effect against larger parasites typically associated with fish diseases like crytocaryon and velvelt(oodinium) and even then it only works against the free swimming phase and only some of those. So it's largely ineffective as a disease control.
I do use one on my quarantine tank. I think it may help to control secondary bacterial infection and maybe kill some velvet spores.

 

[moonlightdriver]

I run one on my 75 gal tank but would be interested to see what people have to say about them

 

[SkiFletch]

I run one on my 65 and about the only effect I notice from using it is less glass-algae. Keeps my cleaning regimen down, so I do it