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09/26/2006, 10:52 AM
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#1 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Miramar, Florida
Posts: 243
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UV or not UV...that is the question?
Hi:
A newbie here asking abount UV filtration... I am setting up a 70 gal corner tan for FOWLR. I will use a 250W MH DE lamp, Remora C Skimmer and 90pound of LR. I will possibly have to start with tap water until I can get an RO system. Do I need UV filtration? When it is needed? How to determine wattage needed? Any brand or type suggestions? Thanks, jc 
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09/26/2006, 11:02 AM
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#2 |
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Team RC Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 14,754
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I personally don't think you need it. But, there are a lot of people that do use them. Bob Fenner once said that the fish cannot develop immunities to disease with long term usage. Something to think about I guess.
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-Brett 180g Marineland Starfire In-Wall 278 gallon system |
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09/26/2006, 11:03 AM
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#3 |
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Moved On
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Hartford CT
Posts: 1,517
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Do you need UV... would you rather lose a beloved $50-70 angel to a parasite or buy a $50-70 UV?
If you plan on having a tang it'd be a good idea helps to keep any ich in check. Manufacturer usually says. About 5-10w is good for a 70gal. I'd use it once a week maybe leave it on at night. Lots of things come out at night =) |
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09/26/2006, 11:03 AM
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#4 |
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Premium Member
 Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Mobile, AL
Posts: 6,611
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I have never found one necessary in light to moderately stocked tanks with good stability and water quality--even tangs, angels, and the like.
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You've done it now, haven't you? Current Tank Info: 40g breeder patch reef w/ seagrass; 2-250w XM 10K; Vortech MP40wES & MP10wES; BM Curve 7 skimmer; carbon & occasional GFO |
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09/26/2006, 11:29 AM
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#5 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: South Florida
Posts: 1,936
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If you're concerned about paraistes, you need to follow a rigorous quarantine procedure. A UV may help marginally well, but I've yet to see a UV setup that could be counted on to do this properly.
jds Quote:
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09/26/2006, 02:30 PM
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#6 |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 188
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I just had all my fish die from an ich/parasite outbreak. Going 'no fish' for 6 weeks.
I think I could use a UV stab. as well. I have 80 gallons, so I should get 400 watts? Where does it go at or near the tank? I can just leave it on at nighttime or just awhile throughout the day? wbs or send me a pm for advice. Thanks, Courtney
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Send me a private message if you have any newbie advice to give. ;) Patience is a virtue..that I do not have..but I'm working on it! Current Tank Info: 80 gallon long and short, power filter for 10 gal, fluval 305 canister filter, powerhead, sand substrate,51 lbs live rock, 1 sand sifting sea star, snails,all in display tank. foxface has ich again |
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09/26/2006, 03:00 PM
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#7 |
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Bogus Information Expert
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 16,147
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To me they are more highly touted than practical. Buy a canister filter with micron cartridge and you can purify more water, faster and for less cost
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"Leading the information hungry reefer down the road to starvation" Tom Current Tank Info: 130 Now out of service and a 29 |
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09/26/2006, 11:12 PM
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#8 | |
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Registered Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: South Florida
Posts: 1,936
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Same thing happened to me! I think in my case it was velvet, hits faster and kills more frequently than ich, but a similar beast in many ways.
The problem I have with trusting a UV for something like this is, for it to be guaranteed effective, you would need to somehow ensure that every parasite, while in its free-swimming stage, would be pumped through the UV at the proper flow rate, etc. Even if you could ensure that ALL the water would pass through over a given time period (you can't even do this in a normal configuration) that wouldn't be good enough, because the parasite could conceivably be in the substrate for a period of time, or simply swim over to the water that just came through the UV. For sure, it won't hurt, but I think you can get a false sense of security that is simply not warranted. Now, if you're transferring water from one tank to another, and you run it through a UV, you can ensure that no parasites are transferred...but that's not the way most people are using them. You know what you're going to have to do. Its the Q-word  Quote:
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