Pros and Cons to UVfiltration in a Reef tank?

[super7]

I was just wondering what problems might occur in a reef tank while using UV and would running it only at night or day or when needed make the problems go away?

Thanks

[StirCrazy]

I personaly do not think they are any cons. I include UV as a preventitive measure and run it 24/7

Steve

[Delphinus]

What benefit does running the UV provide?

Just curious, has anyone used UV to successfully combat dinos?

Not trying to stir the pot, just curious what specific niche is filled by running a UV that gives a tank an edge over a tank without UV.

[StirCrazy]

UV will kill free floating Algae pretty simplay, a little harder to kill is free floating bacteria and the hardest is parasites. but UV will kill them all if sized properly and you have a slow enough flow rate through the unit.

Is it a cure all, no but it is one more tool we can use to help us.

Steve

[Aquattro]

I've read that UV potentially kills things that corals eat, so for me, UV sounds like a bad thing.

[banditpowdercoat]

Is there a con to using a too large UV? I see they're reted in W, for gallon size, is there any drawback, other than cost, for putting a 18W unit on my 45g tank?

[Tom R]

The kill rate of a UV filter is a relationship to the wattage and the flow. The bigger the wattage the lower the flow the higher the kill rate.

I also believe that it kills the good with the bad. I use to use my UV for about a day once or twice a month.

As I am now on ZEOvit UV is not used (why spend all that cash to build a bacteria base and then kill it with UV).

Tom R

[dsaundry]

I am in the process of hooking up a uv system for my tank as well. I was told that if you feed your corals anyway, whatever the uv may take out of the system shouldnt be too bad. Still researching it though as I dont know whether to plumb to tank or through sump. Any suggestions.

[Samw]

Originally Posted by reef_raf

I've read that UV potentially kills things that corals eat, so for me, UV sounds like a bad thing.

But there's not a significant amount of living food in the water column of a tank to keep a coral that requires feeding alive...meaning this point would be irrelevant as a con.

[super7]

Thanks for the Info, really appreciate it.