Uv sterilizer?

Hmm okay, are the bulbs expensive?

 

I only disagree in that there are some drawbacks, mainly extra energy to run it, the heat it produces, and replacing bulbs

If you get a Coralife bulb, yes. If you go on ebay and get a generic one, no. Keep in mind a UV bulb is just a fluorescent bulb without the white coating on it. Nothing special about them as long as it has the same connector and is the same size.

 

You can also find them at the HW store...they use them in the UV bug zappers.

 

I had one for well over a year. Then I checked it one day and realized the bulb burnt out. I decided not to replace the bulb to see if I would see a difference. Not a thing changed in the tank =/. Maybe they work, maybe not, but I didn't see a noticeable difference with and without it.

 

Unless you had an algae bloom, you really would not be able to tell its effectiveness. So I am not surprised there.

 

+1 This is excellent advice.

 

Just keep in mind that Alex also believes in the tooth fairy so..........

 

I like UV sterilizers for one major thing: killing velvet

I have a 200w sterilizer running on my system at a flow rate appropriate to knock out velvet. I don't run it 24/7, however. I have it on for 3 hours and off for 3 hours.

Initially I was worried about killing beneficial stuff, but my reef seems to be doing just fine running it 50% of the time. When I move my system in a few months I might drop it lower to see what happens.

I like having mine. Parasites can obliterate fish in a reef tank and without one you have limited ability to do anything about it. Ich is rarely an issue in a properly set up and maintained reef tank while velvet, if introduced, can decimate one. Even if I am able to completely turn mine off, I like having the option to turn it back on in the event of a velvet outbreak. And if for some reason Ich gets out of hand I can slow the flow rate and take care of that too.

 

200W is a pretty serious UV unit...do the lights on your block dim when it turns on?

 

haha :LolLolLol