UV Sterilizer

kaddy522 · 09/29/2009, 10:18 PM

I have a 90 gallon aquarium and it is doing really well. Although I clean the glass and then in like 30 mins it has algae all over it. I was wondering would a UV light be good to help keep this algae off the glass.

muttley000 · 09/30/2009, 03:33 AM

What are your nitrite and phos. levels? It sounds like you need to get your water paramaters in order so you are not "feeding" that algea.

kaddy522 · 09/30/2009, 09:58 AM

When I tested my water it showed 0 for phosphate as well as nitrites. I also have it tested at our saltwater store here in town and they never get anything either.

downhillbiker · 09/30/2009, 10:06 AM

I think that UV sterilizers are great pieces of equipment, but mine doesn't seem to help with the algae film. I still get it every day, but not in 30 mins. Do you really have it build up in 30 min? how bad does it get?

wooden_reefer · 09/30/2009, 11:36 AM

No matter what you want to control, algae or bacteria, the UV can only be good at keeping waterborne concentration of whatever very low.

If that whatever can reproduce on the substrate without first getting waterborne, UV cannot help that part.

Keep waterborne patheogenic bacteria concentration very low is quite helpful while stocking fish. That is why I use UV in both QT and DT, in general. UV cannot control direct fish to fish contact or substrate to fish contact.

kaddy522 · 10/01/2009, 10:05 PM

The algae seems to be like dust, so that is why I wanted to check if a UV light would work with that. I do not have any algae growing anywhere else.

09/29/2009, 10:18 PM	#1
kaddy522 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 113	UV Sterilizer I have a 90 gallon aquarium and it is doing really well. Although I clean the glass and then in like 30 mins it has algae all over it. I was wondering would a UV light be good to help keep this algae off the glass.

09/30/2009, 09:58 AM	#3
kaddy522 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 113	water When I tested my water it showed 0 for phosphate as well as nitrites. I also have it tested at our saltwater store here in town and they never get anything either.

09/30/2009, 10:06 AM	#4
downhillbiker Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah Posts: 2,831	I think that UV sterilizers are great pieces of equipment, but mine doesn't seem to help with the algae film. I still get it every day, but not in 30 mins. Do you really have it build up in 30 min? how bad does it get? __________________ The friendliest GIANT you'll ever meet. Current Tank Info: 200g Marineland Deep Dimension (Lumenmax Reflectors/Dual PFO 400w/Radium 20K) and 2xFrag Tanks (One TEK T5 fixture and one MH, Galaxy/Phoenix) on same system w/100g sump w/6"x100g DSB, AquaC EV-1000 Skimmer, Reeflo Barracuda return pump

09/30/2009, 03:33 AM	#2
muttley000 MTS Sufferer! Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: NW Ohio Posts: 1,926	What are your nitrite and phos. levels? It sounds like you need to get your water paramaters in order so you are not "feeding" that algea.

09/30/2009, 11:36 AM	#5
wooden_reefer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 4,670	No matter what you want to control, algae or bacteria, the UV can only be good at keeping waterborne concentration of whatever very low. If that whatever can reproduce on the substrate without first getting waterborne, UV cannot help that part. Keep waterborne patheogenic bacteria concentration very low is quite helpful while stocking fish. That is why I use UV in both QT and DT, in general. UV cannot control direct fish to fish contact or substrate to fish contact.

10/01/2009, 10:05 PM	#6
kaddy522 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 113	The algae seems to be like dust, so that is why I wanted to check if a UV light would work with that. I do not have any algae growing anywhere else.