uv sterilizers

[kien]

I have never used a UV sterilizer but always wondered, don't they kill the good micro organisms along with the bad ones?

[Seamazter]

yes Kein, anything alive that passes by the bulb in long enough contact time gets fried.

Your amphipods isopods copepods all die in contact with uv light, not only them but thier food source too, any live phytoplankton will be killed, this will stop your system from creating the food your micro organisms require.

I have used UV before as well as ozone, and they most certainly do what they are said to do, i choose now not to though in order to have a diversity of marine fauna in tank.
Im certain my corals are happier because of it, there are other ways to control the benifits you get with UV or Ozone. Proper husbandry and knowlage being the largest.

When i did use UV it eradicated my tank of Ich, for that i was very happy, however now my cleaner wrasse has something to eat, Same for micro algea from the tank glass, UV rids it but then my tang has nothing to nibble on.

Uv is bad for anything alive that passes by..

[viperfish]

Like pretty much everything in this hobby, there is no absolute answer. There is no doubt they do work, I don't think they erradicate everything (good or bad), the only way to catch everything would be to run the return pump through it and most people's flow rate is too high to kill anything, let alone everything. There are charts with most UV units to tell you the recommended flow rates. I have a 36 watt on my 180 LPS/Softie and no UV on my 90 SPS tank and I can honestly say I have no issues with either tank. The fact of the matter is do you NEED a $5K light fixture, a $2K BK skimmer, or a UV? They would all be nice to have but you can do just fine without them, and good husbandry is better than any of these things.

[kien]

Originally Posted by medhatreefguy

Like pretty much everything in this hobby, there is no absolute answer. There is no doubt they do work, I don't think they erradicate everything (good or bad), the only way to catch everything would be to run the return pump through it and most people's flow rate is too high to kill anything, let alone everything. There are charts with most UV units to tell you the recommended flow rates. I have a 36 watt on my 180 LPS/Softie and no UV on my 90 SPS tank and I can honestly say I have no issues with either tank. The fact of the matter is do you NEED a $5K light fixture, a $2K BK skimmer, or a UV? They would all be nice to have but you can do just fine without them, and good husbandry is better than any of these things.

So if your 90 sps tank is doing well without a sterilizer then why are you running one on the other tank? I'm just curious :-). Seems like an added expense that you don't need to run? Again I'm not criticizing I'm
just curious! :-)

[Seamazter]

For a fish only setup UV is good, but for a reef setup it does good things, you must only then decide what you prefer the actions of the UV or the results of having more of the benifitial organisims as well as the bad without.

Many people only see the noticable actions of the UV (less desiese or less micro algea) and forgo seeing the actions it has on the other live micro organisms in thier reef.

If you can say even at a 50% death rate of live plantonic life is worth the benifit of having the reduction of the other more harmfull lifeforms is something you can agree with then by all means give it a shot.

I however preffer to keep a large diversity of life in my reef, and wouldnt use UV or Ozone ever again.

[Steve_the_nucks_fan]

Thx everyone. I think with everyones insight I'm not going to run one. I have a good skimmer so I'll stick with that for now. Thx everyone.

[MMAX]

I was considering running a UV sterilizer when I was doing research on my backyard pond because everyone said you have to run one if you want clear water. I found a company out of the States who said otherwise. What happens when the water is passed through the system? Sure it will kill all the nasty stuff that causes algea and other things but it also kills your beneficial bacteria. Not worth the extra cost, just my 2 cents.

[viperfish]

Originally Posted by kien

So if your 90 sps tank is doing well without a sterilizer then why are you running one on the other tank? I'm just curious :-). Seems like an added expense that you don't need to run? Again I'm not criticizing I'm
just curious! :-)

At one point I had a problem with ich, I had an adult Emperor Angel and a Bluethroat Trigger infected, I was prepared to throw anything I could think of at it to help them get rid of it, Cupramine in the QT, garlic, and of course the UV. I ended up losing the battle with ich and lost my two fish, I kept the UV running to help kill free floating parasites. I have never rid the tank of ich 100%, my Cleaner Wrasse keeps that in check, so obviously the UV doesn't completely rid the tank of parasites although I'm sure it helps. I couldn't run it fallow for a few months because I would need a very large QT which I don't have. The rest of the fish are good though. My other tank has never had ich, and until I run into it I don't see the need. As far as algae goes, I don't see any difference in the tank with vs the one without. I think high nutrients and lighting have the biggest impact on algae and introducing fish without quarantine is probably the biggest cause of ich, UV or not.