uv steriliser

ok is it worth while getting a uv steriliser for a reef tank.. mine is 97 gallon approx.. pics are up in the forums... so yeah is it a worth while investment.. i already got protein skimmer internal and external filters coral lighting and normal lightin heaters etc.. any advice be great.. cheers

 

i don't think its necessary it will kill ich and some algae i believe, but i think it also kills stuff the fish eat

 

Yeah, some people use it only during a breakout of diseases. Using it non-stop wouldn't be beneficial due to the fact that it kills the good bacteria. like the ones that nosh on ammonia and nitrites and what-not.

 

I'd like to hear more input on this subject...
From what I have been reading, it has more benefit than not. But, as with everything, so many opinions....I have heard what you said ermano, from other sources, but I just don't understand why it is not ever brought up as a tool to contain and or eradicate such chemicals as nitrates or ammonia?...if in fact it depletes them from the system....real early here..need coffee..hope I'm make'n sense.
LG

 

it doesn't remove nitrate and ammonia it only kills live things like animals and plants not chemicals.

 

A UV can be run all the time...Sure it kills the "good bacteria" that we want to breakdown the waste produced by our livestock but...The bacteria that does this is not free swimming in the water column. So a UV will have very little effect on that bacteria anyway. On the other side a UV is great for parasites such as ich, bacteria that is in the water column, and does help with some algae as well as overall water clarity. In fact i cant think of any drawbacks that would make me stop using it in my reef tank.
However dont let anyone lead you to believe that if you throw a UV on than you no longer worry about ich or need to QT, and all of your algae issues will be taken care of. They are just another tool to put in the arsenal to keep the tank running smoothly and depending on the way you set it up will depend on how effective it is.

In order for a UV to be the most effecient is to prefilter any water going into the unit. The clearer the water that is in contact with the UV light the more efficient it will be at sterilizing the water. So that also means you need to clean the inside of the UV often so the glass/plastic covering the bulb is also clean enabling the UV to better do the job for which it was intended. Flow rate is also a big concern with the set up. The slower the flow through the UV the better it is to a certain point. You want the flow to be slow enough to effectively sterilize the water but not so slow that it cant keep up with the turnover rate of the entire system.

 

I was meaning bacteria...not chemical.....my bad.

 

I completely agree. The beneficial bacteria in the tank is mainly seeded in the sump via wet/dry media and in the LR and LS. The amount of beneficial bacteria that passes through the UV shouldn't be enough to "damage" the stability of a tank. If it did, they really wouldn't be a hot item on the market. My UV has stopped the growth of algae in my tank. I have my UV filter driven off the output of my Eheim canister. It's slow enough to effectively disinfect the tank. I also have a PH pointing to the intake so water is being circulated in the area.

 

thanks to all that responded.. i think i will get one and run it off my external filter.. alot of what has been said is a great help.... cheers..

 

I have a 25 watt that i need to hook up.. anyone have recommendations for a pump? I'd rather not sacrifice the tanks turnover rate and brach off the main return pump.. I'm reading in most places that If i want to use it to kill of parasites it needs about 150gph....

Just need to find a cheap pump that I can run once in awhile and not all the time.. was thinking in line but they appear to be more expensive.. i have no problem dropping one in the sump.. as the pvc is currently plumped into the pump from the UV