uv sterilizers

bdr · 04/07/2013, 01:49 PM

a local shop said a high wattage uv sterilizer will help with ich as well as algaes any truth to that?

sporto0 · 04/07/2013, 01:57 PM

Not much truth to it. You will never rid yourself of Ich with a U.V. sterilizer & you wouldn't even know the difference if a few algae spores were zapped, it may kill some bacteria & lessen a cloudy bloom, but it is very tricky finding the proper flow through the device to allow maximum exposure to the light. I bought 2 of these & felt like I wasted my money.

thegrun · 04/07/2013, 02:17 PM

I'm not a fan of them, they kill indiscriminately both good and bad. They will not cure ich, only partially mask it and other diseases. You are better off without one IMHO.

gone fishin · 04/07/2013, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thegrun

I'm not a fan of them, they kill indiscriminately both good and bad. They will not cure ich, only partially mask it and other diseases. You are better off without one IMHO.

Pretty well sums up my thoughts on them.

Reefer_Addickt · 04/07/2013, 04:44 PM

Yeah, I have one, but my new design will not. Refugeium and Algae Scrubber would be better

nynick · 04/07/2013, 06:19 PM

It will "help" with ich if it is big enough. It will not cure ich no matter what the size as it can only kill what happens to float by. Besides that I find that anything a UV can do carbon can do too...and then some!

HumbleFish · 04/07/2013, 09:30 PM

They are more useful for fighting bacterial infections than parasites IMO.

fishgate · 04/08/2013, 05:16 AM

A UVs effectiveness is very dependent on the quality of the bulb. I got a cheap unit on ebay for $30 and it didn't do squat. It couldn't even clear an algae bloom. I also got a $150 aquastep and it kept the tank totally clear. So if you are thinking of one, spend a little and get a decent, proven name.

benjc · 04/08/2013, 10:38 AM

A properly sized unit can reduce the amount of Ich present in a tank, but don't expect it to erradicate it. Some (myself included) believe however, that uv can reduce the Ich population to subclinical levels. Note that running uv at the dose required to kill Ich and most other pathogens means you will kill any phytoplankton in the water column.

surgy · 04/08/2013, 11:45 AM

ok so im not as experienced as some of you guys commenting here by a looooong ways. but in my research on Ich i found that Ich actually drops off the fish and attaches to the substrate and waits for another victim to attack. then it attacks the next fish reproduces inside the fish explodes out of the fish and reattaches to the substrate to start over.

so im confused. how would a UV even effect Ich in any way? it falls straight off the fish and sticks to the substrate...... the UV would have to be pulling in massive amounts of water to get the Ich before it hits the substrate and if its pulling that much then the amount of time the water is in contact with the UV radiation will be too small to destroy the cells of the pathogen.

am i correct? or way off?
anyways UVs seam, to my inexperienced eyes, like they are only useful against free floating pathogens and alga.

nynick · 04/08/2013, 01:27 PM

It has a free swimming period, well 2 actually, in it's cycle. A good enough UV unit will kill what ever it sucks up during this time.

gone fishin · 04/08/2013, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by surgy

ok so im not as experienced as some of you guys commenting here by a looooong ways. but in my research on Ich i found that Ich actually drops off the fish and attaches to the substrate and waits for another victim to attack. then it attacks the next fish reproduces inside the fish explodes out of the fish and reattaches to the substrate to start over.

so im confused. how would a UV even effect Ich in any way? it falls straight off the fish and sticks to the substrate...... the UV 0ould have to be pulling in massive amounts of water to get the Ich before it hits the substrate and if its pulling that much then the amount of time the water is in contact with the UV radiation will be too small to destroy the cells of the pathogen.

am i correct? or way off?
anyways UVs seam, to my inexperienced eyes, like they are only useful against free floating pathogens and alga.

The premise is that during ich's free floating stage it will get drawn into a UV and killed. On paper this should work. But there are alot of factors that throw this off. Contact time with the light(flow through), the proper wattage of the light and current condition of the light. If any of these conditions are subpar then this premise goes out the window. Also, if one is able to pull all that off on a consistent basis then anything going through the UV is killed Good or Bad.

IMO the use of UV in regards to ich is not worth the gamble in comparison to tried and true treatments and especially QT.

wooden_reefer · 04/08/2013, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishgate

A UVs effectiveness is very dependent on the quality of the bulb. I got a cheap unit on ebay for $30 and it didn't do squat. It couldn't even clear an algae bloom. I also got a $150 aquastep and it kept the tank totally clear. So if you are thinking of one, spend a little and get a decent, proven name.

Quality of the bulb?

I think as long as the specs are the same quality should not differ much, but I might be wrong.

The effectiveness of the UV depends also on the operating temp. I believe that higher temp gives shorter wavelength and more effective UV. The sleeve allows the bulb to run hotter so UV models with sleeve is better, IMO.

UV is in general NOT effective aganist ich.

Ich is best eradicated. After eradication of ich (and in the process), bacterial infection is the next most deadly for most aquarists, and the UV IS rather effective in reducing the incidents and severity of BI, IME.

Also, when there is no BI and one does not have to use any antibiotic, the nitrification bacteria in QT will do their job and there will never be ammonia in QT, so one can QT for very extended period and make sure that ich is eradicated. Such is the only but important link between UV and ich, IME.

04/07/2013, 01:49 PM	#1
bdr Registered Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: kingston ontario Posts: 375	uv sterilizers a local shop said a high wattage uv sterilizer will help with ich as well as algaes any truth to that? __________________ 75g display, 40g breeder sump. 85 lbs lr 2 korillia 1050gph powerheads, vertex 100gpd rodi, brs media reactor water went in jan 3 12

04/08/2013, 05:16 AM	#8
fishgate Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Damascus, MD Posts: 3,340	A UVs effectiveness is very dependent on the quality of the bulb. I got a cheap unit on ebay for $30 and it didn't do squat. It couldn't even clear an algae bloom. I also got a $150 aquastep and it kept the tank totally clear. So if you are thinking of one, spend a little and get a decent, proven name. __________________ 125RR in-wall, 40B Sump, CS180 BM Skimmer, ATI 4x80 watt, eheim 1262, custom wrap around rock wall, ReefKeeper Elite 120g in-wall, 40B Sump, PC 54wx4, Jabao DC-6000 (full siphon), future seahorse t Current Tank Info: 125g, 120g, 2x40b sumps, ATI 4x80 T5HO

04/08/2013, 11:45 AM	#10
surgy Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: oklahoma Posts: 155	ok so im not as experienced as some of you guys commenting here by a looooong ways. but in my research on Ich i found that Ich actually drops off the fish and attaches to the substrate and waits for another victim to attack. then it attacks the next fish reproduces inside the fish explodes out of the fish and reattaches to the substrate to start over. so im confused. how would a UV even effect Ich in any way? it falls straight off the fish and sticks to the substrate...... the UV would have to be pulling in massive amounts of water to get the Ich before it hits the substrate and if its pulling that much then the amount of time the water is in contact with the UV radiation will be too small to destroy the cells of the pathogen. am i correct? or way off? anyways UVs seam, to my inexperienced eyes, like they are only useful against free floating pathogens and alga. __________________ 36 gallon bow front -- FOWLR 4 gallon sump (biggest i can fit anywhere) -- 200 watt heater -- activated carbon 12 lb live rock 9 lb dry rock 2 inches sand instant ocean -- SG 1.025 -- ph 7.8-8.1 Current Tank Info: 36 gal aqueon bow front fowlr

04/07/2013, 01:57 PM	#2
sporto0 Moved On Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Posts: 2,924	Not much truth to it. You will never rid yourself of Ich with a U.V. sterilizer & you wouldn't even know the difference if a few algae spores were zapped, it may kill some bacteria & lessen a cloudy bloom, but it is very tricky finding the proper flow through the device to allow maximum exposure to the light. I bought 2 of these & felt like I wasted my money.

04/07/2013, 02:17 PM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	I'm not a fan of them, they kill indiscriminately both good and bad. They will not cure ich, only partially mask it and other diseases. You are better off without one IMHO.

04/07/2013, 04:44 PM	#5
Reefer_Addickt Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Oakland Posts: 779	Yeah, I have one, but my new design will not. Refugeium and Algae Scrubber would be better

04/07/2013, 06:19 PM	#6
nynick Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,029	It will "help" with ich if it is big enough. It will not cure ich no matter what the size as it can only kill what happens to float by. Besides that I find that anything a UV can do carbon can do too...and then some!

04/07/2013, 09:30 PM	#7
HumbleFish Moved On Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 4,757	They are more useful for fighting bacterial infections than parasites IMO.

04/08/2013, 10:38 AM	#9
benjc Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Thousand Oaks, CA Posts: 636	A properly sized unit can reduce the amount of Ich present in a tank, but don't expect it to erradicate it. Some (myself included) believe however, that uv can reduce the Ich population to subclinical levels. Note that running uv at the dose required to kill Ich and most other pathogens means you will kill any phytoplankton in the water column.

04/08/2013, 01:27 PM	#11
nynick Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1,029	It has a free swimming period, well 2 actually, in it's cycle. A good enough UV unit will kill what ever it sucks up during this time.