UV Sterilizer

golby · 01/25/2010, 12:58 PM

I've done some reading on UV sterilizers, but most of it seems to be marketing from manufacturers, so I can't figure out what to believe.

Do they really kill free floating parasites and microbes? For example, would they help reduce the severity of an ich infestation by killing the ich in its free-floating stage?

Are there downsides to the use of UV...does it kill helpful things?

wooden_reefer · 01/25/2010, 01:08 PM

Uv sized against bacteria and viruses are not powerful enough against ich.

I always use UV when possible when stocking new livestock, when eradicating ich in QT. The purpose is to reduce the incidents of (concurrent) bacterial infection, not against ich.

The UV will degrade most drugs so when an infection has taken place it cannot be used.

The UV is very useful and I consider it necessary. It is the cost of just one to three fish and is very worthwhile to have.

Most people run the UV far too fast. In general, the UV must have either a by-pass (in DT) or a dedicated small pump, in QT or DT.

WhoDat? · 01/25/2010, 01:14 PM

+1...

heyyitsjustin · 02/04/2010, 12:09 PM

I myself am trying to decide if a UV sterilizer is right for me. If it kills both good and bad bacteria is it something I really need? I hear its great for killing off an algae bloom though which is the problem I'm having now (thanks phosphates in my water supply). If my water parameters were good to start out then I wouldn't be thinking of getting one later :-)

kobett · 02/04/2010, 12:56 PM

i have an in-line uv sterilizer, and it's been working great. It's true that it kills off certain bacteria but not ich....one of my fish got ich unfortunately.

fleming3 · 02/04/2010, 03:21 PM

I've personally never used one in a main system on a regular basis, nor have many of my friends in the hobby. However, I will say that I have a small one that came in quite handy when I had a rather nasty phyto bloom in a 29G sea horse tank I used to have.

I'm pretty diligent about my water parameters, and have never had a sick fish, so outside of phyto I've never had the reason to think its necessary.

greenbean36191 · 02/04/2010, 03:40 PM

http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/6/m006p295.pdf

lordofthereef · 02/04/2010, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greenbean36191

http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/6/m006p295.pdf

Fantastic. I had searched for something like this to no avail. Nice to see something I can use as a reference in the future. Thanks!

iluzhun · 02/04/2010, 06:14 PM

I have run a UV on every Saltwater tank I have had after a major algea bloom in my third tank. It cleared up my problem and overall tank health seems better (this might just be psychosematic though).

dudley moray · 02/04/2010, 07:46 PM

i like to think of it like a seat belt :i may never get into an accident but i''ll be happy i'm wearing it if i do

wooden_reefer · 02/05/2010, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by heyyitsjustin

If it kills both good and bad bacteria is it something I really need?

The UV is a disease control device and an algae reduction device.

It never kills anything if it is not waterborne.

Then you asked two additional questions.

1. water good microbes/organisms are waterborne?

2. Is it more vulnerable than ich, since ich is not harmed much?

There is no concern about UV killing desirable things in a tank, except perhaps eggs and sperms of invertebrates that you want to grow profusely.

01/25/2010, 12:58 PM	#1
golby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Bethesda, MD Posts: 242	UV Sterilizer I've done some reading on UV sterilizers, but most of it seems to be marketing from manufacturers, so I can't figure out what to believe. Do they really kill free floating parasites and microbes? For example, would they help reduce the severity of an ich infestation by killing the ich in its free-floating stage? Are there downsides to the use of UV...does it kill helpful things? __________________ Unless I explicitly state otherwise, assume that I have tested my parameters recently and they are: Temp: 80F Salt: 1.023-1.024 pH: 8.2 Amm: 0 'trite: 0 'trate: 0 Phosphate: 0 Copper: 0 Calcium: 360-420 dkH: 9 Current Tank Info: 90g internal overflow; 30g sump; ~325 Watts 6500K CFL bulbs; 100 lbs LR; mixed reef with LPS (frogspawn, torch, trumpet and bubble) and softies (leathers, mushrooms and lots of zoas)

01/25/2010, 01:14 PM	#3
WhoDat? Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Crowley, LA Posts: 295	+1... __________________ Hello my name is Grant.... and I have OCD.... (first step is admitting it right?) :) Current Tank Info: 165g Red Sea Reefer, S-200 skimmer.; CW-200 Algae Scrubber. Sea Max 26 LED lights. 2 Nero 5’s

02/04/2010, 03:40 PM	#7
greenbean36191 Premium Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Ft. Lauderdale Posts: 10,598	http://www.int-res.com/articles/meps/6/m006p295.pdf __________________ Some say the sun rises in the East. Some say it rises in the West. The truth must be somewhere in the middle. Current Tank Info: tore them down to move and haven't had the time or money to set them back up

02/04/2010, 06:14 PM	#9
iluzhun Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: under a rock Posts: 157	I have run a UV on every Saltwater tank I have had after a major algea bloom in my third tank. It cleared up my problem and overall tank health seems better (this might just be psychosematic though). __________________ The truth only hurts when you hear it from someone else There are times when the only choices you have left are bad ones That's not a unicorn.. It's a donkey with a plunger stuck to it's face Current Tank Info: filled with salt water

02/04/2010, 07:46 PM	#10
dudley moray sisternofuselessknowledge Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: orillia ontario Posts: 795	i like to think of it like a seat belt :i may never get into an accident but i''ll be happy i'm wearing it if i do __________________ 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

01/25/2010, 01:08 PM	#2
wooden_reefer Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 4,670	Uv sized against bacteria and viruses are not powerful enough against ich. I always use UV when possible when stocking new livestock, when eradicating ich in QT. The purpose is to reduce the incidents of (concurrent) bacterial infection, not against ich. The UV will degrade most drugs so when an infection has taken place it cannot be used. The UV is very useful and I consider it necessary. It is the cost of just one to three fish and is very worthwhile to have. Most people run the UV far too fast. In general, the UV must have either a by-pass (in DT) or a dedicated small pump, in QT or DT.

02/04/2010, 12:09 PM	#4
heyyitsjustin Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Connecticut Posts: 10	I myself am trying to decide if a UV sterilizer is right for me. If it kills both good and bad bacteria is it something I really need? I hear its great for killing off an algae bloom though which is the problem I'm having now (thanks phosphates in my water supply). If my water parameters were good to start out then I wouldn't be thinking of getting one later :-)

02/04/2010, 12:56 PM	#5
kobett Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Southern Cali (LA area) Posts: 170	i have an in-line uv sterilizer, and it's been working great. It's true that it kills off certain bacteria but not ich....one of my fish got ich unfortunately.

02/04/2010, 03:21 PM	#6
fleming3 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Nashville Posts: 94	I've personally never used one in a main system on a regular basis, nor have many of my friends in the hobby. However, I will say that I have a small one that came in quite handy when I had a rather nasty phyto bloom in a 29G sea horse tank I used to have. I'm pretty diligent about my water parameters, and have never had a sick fish, so outside of phyto I've never had the reason to think its necessary.