UV sterilizer are they worth having...

Hey 3reef!
we'll I was shopping around this afternoon when I came across a uv sterilizer...
It's a Resun UV 11 watt clarifier.
I saw it at the lfs and decided to trade in my hagen no spill waterchange system for a partial value trde in...
we'll with the trade in I paid under 19 dollars for the uv system...
question:
I need your inputs if this peice of filtration is worth installing into my reef...
here's a breakdown of my reef inhabitants:
Fish:
2 false percula's
1 sixline wrasse
1 mandarin dragonet
1 orange spotted goby

Inverts:
1 coralbanded shrimp
2 skunk cleaner shrimp
2 pacific east anemone shrimp
1 greenn BTA
1 yellow tip red anemone
1 clone of the yellow tip anemone(little guy) they recently splt before I bought the 2
also have 2 handfuls of blue leg hermits ad turbo snails,we'l let's say 4 handful's...

Corals:
7 heads of red frogspawn
5 heads of pandan green frogspawn
7 heads of pulsing pompom xenia
1 colony of orange paly's(large)
varios types of zoa's frags(skittles,blue,dragon eyes,watermelon etc etc...
20+ diffirent variety of shrooms...
4 heads of pandan green candycane
5 heads of bulok candycane
4 peices of little diffrent leathers(all frags)
1 half a fist size of GSP frag

filtration(without UV):
filterfloss in first balffle located 1 inch under the drain pvc pipe
second baffle consists of a 160 swc cone skimmer,1 2 little fishes media reactor with seachem phosgaurd media,powered by a 1200 quiteone pump
3rd baffle has my 6000 quiteone return and is split into to 3/4 inch pvc piping 3 feet up to the display...
for flow I'm using 2 hydor koralia #2's(1st gen of koralia's)

so back to topic do I need this UV?
If so where in my filtration line should I be installing it...
:-/

 

IMO UV filters are of assistance for bacterial and algae blooms. A UV is not going to rid your system of common pathogens like marine ich or brookynella. And it is not the answer to algae problems as well. It is a personal choice, if you want to pay the money and long term maintance of the filters than go for it, but it is by no means even close to a cure all.

 

It's ok to run it every once and a while but you dont want to run it 24/7 either. I think it may help your system out but it's nothing that a good water change couldn't help with either. I had a hair algae problem and it did nothing for it. matter of fact I'm really not sure if it did anything at all. I see no noticable difference having this than not having it. the sterilizer will kill some types of algae, parasites etc. but remember it can also kill the good stuff off as well. it would probably be something I would keep as a back up oh s*** item just in case. I personally think if your husbandry is in good standing than they are a waste of money but that's just my 2 cents.

 

I actually like UV sterilizers a lot. You don't get phytoplankton on the glass and it keeps the water crystal clear (along with Activated Carbon). To get any benefit like the killing of parasites, you have to buy one rated for a much larger system. Additionally, if one doesn't keep the quartz clean, you're just wasting electricity.

 

I've been thinking of trying one out lately to see what it was do for the filamentous algae I get a bit of... what size/brand would you all recommend for 30 gallon water volume? I was going to gravity feed it to the sump if that would work ok.

matt

 

In terms of home aquaria...

I look at it like this. A lot of us here on 3reef are successful. I have the impression that very few 3reefers actually use these sterilizers. (and even fewer that use it "correctly")


There are a few folks around here that use them. I don't see any reason to believe they have any less incidents of problem than the rest of us.


My point is, I don't see a single benefit. Not one. I don't see any harm either. I think it is equally as effective as putting money into a fire. It won't hurt the tank, but it isn't helping either...

in short, waste of money.


As compared to, say, a skimmer, which very few folks on 3reef don't use. I did a rough count and it came out to approximately 3.7482 billion better uses for the amount of dollar in question here...

Your money.

 

I believe that algae/parasite killing capabilities is based on how quickly/slowly water flows through the UV sterilizer so if it's not set up properly, it won't do much, if anything, at all. Is that the case in your experience?

 

+1, waste of money... unless you have cash burning a hole in your pocket and have exhausted your money with a lot of other useful equipment/ supplies, I would not get one.

I'm not sure that anyone can confirm that their tank was a success due to having one, and without it, their tank would perish or even have the slightest problem.

 

That was what I was thinking when I posted too, but you managed to say it much more elegantly. +K.

 

IMO they have their uses. I believe that they will keep parasites that have a free swimming stage in their life cycle from blooming to unmanageable numbers. I would recommend if you don't plan to quarantine your fish. It is definitely not a necessary piece of equipment but i would recommend one over throwing your money in the fire.