Testig UV Sterilizer

The person I bought my tank from, had a UV Sterilizer with it. Is there anyway to test if its working? (When its plugged in the pump does push water through it, and at night when almost all the lights are off, I can see that a light is on inside it.)

Also, it looks like there are some strong opinions on these, and if they really help and if they should be run all the time. I'm trying to learn about this still, so what are the pro's/con's of UV sterilizers?

Thanks!

 

Yes, I understand what you are saying. We like to "see" something happening but in the case of a sterilizer you have to trust the science of it. If the light is on (and not too old) and water is passing through, it is "working". What was your purpose for using it? Whatever the answer is to that question if you see the desired result you were looking for, well again, it is working.

 

no way to know for sure, you can replace the bulb with a new one, but who's to say you wont get a lemon bulb.

if a uv sterilizer is doing its job you shouldnt notice anything at all, its more of a control device, its like a condom for your tank, preventing parasite and algae blooms... but even if you get those it doesnt mean its not working... if it came with the tank ur just gonna have to poke and pray.

pros:
keeps parasites, nuisance algae under control by killing free specimens in the water column

cons: theoretically will kill beneficial microorganisms, well it wont theoreically kill them it actually will, but this is a hypothetical argument and i think 90% of ppl who have them report almost purely positive results esp with regards to algae control and ich prevention.

the only real problem i could see is if you had a refugium it woud kill plankton, copepods, etc that would travel through the return to the display tank... and thats debatable

 

Honeslty if you plan on keeping a reef tank i would not run this on it

 

Ok, why? I haven't heard not to run it before, so just curious as to why you would recommend that?

 

UV kills or more accurately inactivates a necessary part of the natural food chain. Big creatures eat little creatures all the way down the chain. If there are no little creatures it affects everything up the chain.

I swear by UV on a heavily stocked fish only system but not for a reef.