What's your opinion on UV Sterilizers?

[krazedkazoo]

I've heard things ranging from "they can help kill everything including ich in it's free floating stage" to "they do nothing".

What do you say?

[tcwayne]

I used to swear by them. It kept the tank crystal clear. When the bulb blew out the tank would get a little cloudy and I would replace the bulb and all went clear. Then... the more I learned about keeping quality water parameters and I feared that I was killing good stuff that corals needed, the more I realized I didn't need the UV. The bulb blew about a year or so ago and I never replaced it. The tank never got cloudy again. I eventually disconnected it and have it sitting in a box in the garage, anyone wanna buy a 9watt coralife?

[TampaSnooker]

I use them on all of my tanks - especially in the first year and when adding to the fish population. They help with the myriad of funk that new fish can bring in with them. After that, I usually don't worry about them and just turn it off and keep it handy in case it is needed.
My thought on fears of killing good plankton with UV is they are usually spawned from the rock and sand so killing or sterilizing the larvae in the water still leaves it available to corals and microfauna to consume.

[JDL1000]

I use them on my tanks. I am a believer. The tanks just look healthier with them.

[NONNA58]

I love mine. I like to use it in times of stress, adding fish, ect. I would like to use it all the time if it just did not add 2 more degrees to my tank temperature. I am thinking about using it in the evening only.

[USF Nealio]

Originally Posted by NONNA58

I love mine. I like to use it in times of stress, adding fish, ect. I would like to use it all the time if it just did not add 2 more degrees to my tank temperature. I am thinking about using it in the evening only.

If I remember, you have a tank controller right? Why don't you just set it up to run below a certain temperature. When it hits the desired tank temp, it shuts off.

[NONNA58]

yea, but I have my mh set to go off if I hit 82 and that is what I would set my uv at as well. Now that my uv is off my temp hardly ever hits 82. I would have to raise the temp that I would want it all to turn off if that was the case.

[USF Nealio]

What is your normal operating temp?

[TampaSnooker]

Sue - there may be a side benefit to running the UV only at night in response to temp - ich hatchlings seem to do their most damage at night. How many times have you seen a tang go to sleep happy and wake up speckled?

[mattliu]

search for threads by bomber. Ph.D in marine pathology. Infamously left RC after making borneman and other "experts" look like hobbyists.

biggest problem is improper sizing.

necessity: no
improved SPS coloration: yes

[TampaSnooker]

Originally Posted by mattliu

necessity: no
improved SPS coloration: yes

Why the improvement in coloration? Clarity? Fewer bugs irritating them?

[NONNA58]

Originally Posted by TampaSnooker

Sue - there may be a side benefit to running the UV only at night in response to temp - ich hatchlings seem to do their most damage at night. How many times have you seen a tang go to sleep happy and wake up speckled?

very good point. The only problem is I have to remember to turn the pump off in the morning before going to work from the uv as I cannot fit it into my apex. I have used the whole energy bar already. Or I guess I can attach it to another timer...
I think I will go back to using it at night again.

[NONNA58]

Originally Posted by USF Nealio

What is your normal operating temp?

mine is around 80-81. When the uv is on it goes over 82.

[mattliu]

TampaSnooker,

UV can break down organics better than ozone and it produces ozone anyway. it also breaks down organics that skimmers and GAC miss. So a UV tank has better water quality in general. This is probably why most tanks still benefit from water changes despite all our filtration efforts. The crystal clear water also preserves light intensity and spectrum better. Good for corals and our viewing pleasure.

it destroys allelopathic compounds. fickle SPS corals appreciate this i'm sure.

it kills protozoans. who knows what's lurking in our tanks bothering the acros.

then there's all this debate about complex photochemical reactions that occur and the possible breaking of organic bonds, i.e. phosphates.

[Gimplar]

Originally Posted by mattliu

TampaSnooker,

UV can break down organics better than ozone and it produces ozone anyway. it also breaks down organics that skimmers and GAC miss. So a UV tank has better water quality in general. This is probably why most tanks still benefit from water changes despite all our filtration efforts. The crystal clear water also preserves light intensity and spectrum better. Good for corals and our viewing pleasure.

it destroys allelopathic compounds. fickle SPS corals appreciate this i'm sure.

it kills protozoans. who knows what's lurking in our tanks bothering the acros.

then there's all this debate about complex photochemical reactions that occur and the possible breaking of organic bonds, i.e. phosphates.

Makes me want to get a UV again.

I used to use them when i had a bigger tank, i felt that it helped with ich, but this magical food stuff that FAOIS gave me really did the job.

I used a UV for like 2-3 years and never had any negative experiences. besides paying for a new bulb :P

[mattliu]

gimpy,

I hear that. I never wanted nor needed one. Then I scored a nice ich prone Black Tang from John. After reading up on them, the parasite control became a secondary buying point. And you're right that medicated food works like a charm.

[jordan3548]

I added one to my tank and my Zoas hated it they didnt open up not one time until I took it off

[krazedkazoo]

Originally Posted by jordan3548

I added one to my tank and my Zoas hated it they didnt open up not one time until I took it off

Well that's disheartening.

[TampaSnooker]

I can't believe it was the UV causing the problem - maybe loose electrical current but not from the UV in general. I've got a big UV on my 180 and have over 30 species of zoa's that are jamming. Kazoo can attest to that.

[krazedkazoo]

Originally Posted by TampaSnooker

I can't believe it was the UV causing the problem - maybe loose electrical current but not from the UV in general. I've got a big UV on my 180 and have over 30 species of zoa's that are jamming. Kazoo can attest to that.

Well, they're not jammin' per se... They're more catatonic.

[schudini]

Originally Posted by krazedkazoo

Well, they're not jammin' per se... They're more catatonic.

Vodka dosing?

[DK2]

Originally Posted by tcwayne

I used to swear by them. It kept the tank crystal clear. When the bulb blew out the tank would get a little cloudy and I would replace the bulb and all went clear. Then... the more I learned about keeping quality water parameters and I feared that I was killing good stuff that corals needed, the more I realized I didn't need the UV. The bulb blew about a year or so ago and I never replaced it. The tank never got cloudy again. I eventually disconnected it and have it sitting in a box in the garage, anyone wanna buy a 9watt coralife?

How much you want for it?

[TampaSnooker]

My zoa garden is catatonic? Maybe I should give them some vodka!

[Dkarc]

Learn about the UV, embrace the UV, love the UV......

http://www.aquaticeco.com/pages/full...et-Sterilizers

As stated earlier, #1 problem people encounter when using a UV is it is undersized and/or too much flow going through it. The Tech Talk article above will give you some helpful insight to the topic.

-Ryan

[krazedkazoo]

Originally Posted by Dkarc

Learn about the UV, embrace the UV, love the UV......

http://www.aquaticeco.com/pages/full...et-Sterilizers

As stated earlier, #1 problem people encounter when using a UV is it is undersized and/or too much flow going through it. The Tech Talk article above will give you some helpful insight to the topic.

-Ryan

That page just MASSIVELY confused me. I don't see where any "µWs/cm²" is listed on commercial information pages about specific UV sterilizers. When browsing, I'm lucky if I get "it's rated for this many gallons". I just have a 40g tank and I want a sterilizer that will kill everything bad-- all the way up to ich. I know I need the water to be exposed to the lamps for longer/the UV to be stronger for it to kill ich, but I still can't narrow it down to a specific sterilizer or wattage.