UV Sterilizer

VA_Beach Nano · 01/02/2010, 02:18 PM

I have been having to clean the glass off at a minimum every other day. All parameters are good been doising Reef Fuel instead of vodka and brought the nitrates down to 0 and the phosphates are near 0. even had the water tested by someone else to eleminate any reading errors. Skimmer is not the best but pulling some nasty gunk, bulbs are new and everything is growing like crazy. Flow is good, 2 K 3's and 1 K4 and a Mag 7.5 Return. My wonderful tank sitter has suggest that I use / try a UV sterilizer. What do you all think. This stuff wipes right off and is browish/green. Does any one have one for cheap or willing to let me borrow one to see if it does the trick. It is going on a 75 with a 20 long as the sump and a custom 10 gallon fuge.

aquatics junkie · 01/02/2010, 02:20 PM

the tank is how old?

VA_Beach Nano · 01/02/2010, 02:24 PM

Tank is about 3 months old at my location. I got it from a local guy that said it was up for about 3 years. It look pretty bad when I got it. Needed alot of TLC. I upgraded some things and took my time setting it back up. There is @ 150 lbs of rock and @ 100 lbs of sand. There was originaly @ 80 lbs and then I added the rest.

gwainrig · 01/02/2010, 02:39 PM

I have a UV and it does not any effect on the algae. More for parasites/bacteria.

jenglish · 01/02/2010, 05:41 PM

WHile a UV can kill an algae spore it's effect on algae growing on glass is minimal.

lordofthereef · 01/02/2010, 07:39 PM

Some swear by UV but I have seen no controlled study to suggest that t is useful in a system the way commercial units are made to be applied.

Aquarist007 · 01/02/2010, 07:46 PM

If you have algae then you have nitrates and phosphates. In alot of cases the algae is consuming the phosphates and nitrates as fast as they are being introduced into the tank so you don't get a measurement on them

Make sure you are using only ro or ro/di water for changes and top ups
Cut back your feedings of flake food and pre rinse frozen food
Establish a refugium with chaeto macro algae
Install two phosban reactors---one with carbon and the other with a GFO media

These are all methods that are way cheaper then investing in a uv sterilzers that in many cases is not as effective simply by the minimal water that can be processed through them.

bertoni · 01/02/2010, 07:46 PM

UV won't help with algae on the glass. Nutrient control via reduced feeding or perhaps better skimming are fairly common approaches to handling algal problems.

Aquarist007 · 01/02/2010, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bertoni

UV won't help with algae on the glass. Nutrient control via reduced feeding or perhaps better skimming are fairly common approaches to handling algal problems.

and if it is diatom algae you can see if someone will lend you a diatom filter and run that for 24 hours---amazing what that will take out of the water

dudley moray · 01/02/2010, 08:04 PM

if this tank is new this is a normal progression all tanks go through a couple of snails ought to do the trick !

VA_Beach Nano · 01/03/2010, 09:17 PM

Thanks for all the info. Like before I am still iffy on the UV. I am sure the issue is due to the tank still being fairly new. I have been running two reactors, one with carbon and the other with GFO (brightwell) I make my own RO water but going to try and get my water somewhere else for a few weeks to see if it is my RO water maker. I had a lot of snails die off over the last few weeks so I need to replenish them. Going to hold back on the feeding as well. Only one fish at the moment and he gets fed ever day. I get my food from a LFS that makes their special food. This Diatom filter. what is it and who makes one?

Aquarist007 · 01/03/2010, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VA_Beach Nano

Thanks for all the info. Like before I am still iffy on the UV. I am sure the issue is due to the tank still being fairly new. I have been running two reactors, one with carbon and the other with GFO (brightwell) I make my own RO water but going to try and get my water somewhere else for a few weeks to see if it is my RO water maker. I had a lot of snails die off over the last few weeks so I need to replenish them. Going to hold back on the feeding as well. Only one fish at the moment and he gets fed ever day. I get my food from a LFS that makes their special food. This Diatom filter. what is it and who makes one?

for your snails--make sure you check the salinity in the bag from the LFS
Sometimes it is as low as 1.018 That means a longer acclimation time for normal sea water of 1.024 to 1.026

VA_Beach Nano · 01/04/2010, 07:57 AM

Thanks for the info. I never thought of that.

01/02/2010, 02:18 PM	#1
VA_Beach Nano Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 61	UV Sterilizer I have been having to clean the glass off at a minimum every other day. All parameters are good been doising Reef Fuel instead of vodka and brought the nitrates down to 0 and the phosphates are near 0. even had the water tested by someone else to eleminate any reading errors. Skimmer is not the best but pulling some nasty gunk, bulbs are new and everything is growing like crazy. Flow is good, 2 K 3's and 1 K4 and a Mag 7.5 Return. My wonderful tank sitter has suggest that I use / try a UV sterilizer. What do you all think. This stuff wipes right off and is browish/green. Does any one have one for cheap or willing to let me borrow one to see if it does the trick. It is going on a 75 with a 20 long as the sump and a custom 10 gallon fuge. __________________ The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday Current Tank Info: 75 Mixed Reef, (2) 250 CV 14K, Bubble Magus 180CS, Mag 9 Return, RDSB Fuge, MP40, and Neptunes APEX

01/02/2010, 02:20 PM	#2
aquatics junkie Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 68	the tank is how old? __________________ 65 Reef, Orbit Lighting system, SPS 96watt Actinic 03, and 10k bulbs, CPR backpack 2, Koralia 4 & 2, Penguin 400 & Marineland 150 hang on the backs. (sump in the makings) Predominately LPS and Zoas and a couple rics.

01/02/2010, 02:24 PM	#3
VA_Beach Nano Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 61	Tank is about 3 months old at my location. I got it from a local guy that said it was up for about 3 years. It look pretty bad when I got it. Needed alot of TLC. I upgraded some things and took my time setting it back up. There is @ 150 lbs of rock and @ 100 lbs of sand. There was originaly @ 80 lbs and then I added the rest. __________________ The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday Current Tank Info: 75 Mixed Reef, (2) 250 CV 14K, Bubble Magus 180CS, Mag 9 Return, RDSB Fuge, MP40, and Neptunes APEX

01/02/2010, 02:39 PM	#4
gwainrig Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: winterville,nc Posts: 53	Uv I have a UV and it does not any effect on the algae. More for parasites/bacteria.

01/02/2010, 05:41 PM	#5
jenglish Marquis de Carabas Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,523	WHile a UV can kill an algae spore it's effect on algae growing on glass is minimal. __________________ Jeremy Brown liquor never hurt anybody “Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse" Pierre-Simon Laplace I should want to cook him a simple meal, but I shouldn't want to cut into him, to tear the flesh, to wear the flesh, to be born unto new worlds where his flesh becomes my key. Current Tank Info: broken and dry

01/02/2010, 07:39 PM	#6
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Some swear by UV but I have seen no controlled study to suggest that t is useful in a system the way commercial units are made to be applied. __________________ "A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself" ~ Josh Billings Visit My Home page for current build thread (click my user name and select "Visit LordoftheReef's Homepage" in the drop down menu!

01/02/2010, 07:46 PM	#7
Aquarist007 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Hamilton, Canada Posts: 28,240 Blog Entries: 1	If you have algae then you have nitrates and phosphates. In alot of cases the algae is consuming the phosphates and nitrates as fast as they are being introduced into the tank so you don't get a measurement on them Make sure you are using only ro or ro/di water for changes and top ups Cut back your feedings of flake food and pre rinse frozen food Establish a refugium with chaeto macro algae Install two phosban reactors---one with carbon and the other with a GFO media These are all methods that are way cheaper then investing in a uv sterilzers that in many cases is not as effective simply by the minimal water that can be processed through them. __________________ I prefer my substrates stirred but not shaken Current Tank Info: 150gal long mixed reef, 90gal sump, 60 gal refugium with 200 lbs live rock

01/02/2010, 07:46 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	UV won't help with algae on the glass. Nutrient control via reduced feeding or perhaps better skimming are fairly common approaches to handling algal problems. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

01/02/2010, 08:04 PM	#10
dudley moray sisternofuselessknowledge Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: orillia ontario Posts: 795	if this tank is new this is a normal progression all tanks go through a couple of snails ought to do the trick ! __________________ We urge hobbyists to develop a good 'BS' detector that will allow you to question information presented to you without any experimental evidence to support it. chris Current Tank Info: 90 gal south pacific biotope 40 gal sump/fuge ,65 gal rebuilding

01/03/2010, 09:17 PM	#11
VA_Beach Nano Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 61	Thanks for all the info. Like before I am still iffy on the UV. I am sure the issue is due to the tank still being fairly new. I have been running two reactors, one with carbon and the other with GFO (brightwell) I make my own RO water but going to try and get my water somewhere else for a few weeks to see if it is my RO water maker. I had a lot of snails die off over the last few weeks so I need to replenish them. Going to hold back on the feeding as well. Only one fish at the moment and he gets fed ever day. I get my food from a LFS that makes their special food. This Diatom filter. what is it and who makes one? __________________ The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday Current Tank Info: 75 Mixed Reef, (2) 250 CV 14K, Bubble Magus 180CS, Mag 9 Return, RDSB Fuge, MP40, and Neptunes APEX

01/04/2010, 07:57 AM	#13
VA_Beach Nano Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 61	Thanks for the info. I never thought of that. __________________ The Only Easy Day Was Yesterday Current Tank Info: 75 Mixed Reef, (2) 250 CV 14K, Bubble Magus 180CS, Mag 9 Return, RDSB Fuge, MP40, and Neptunes APEX