UV Sterilizers

[Krish]

I started a poll on these recently and was surprised to see so many people using them, but yet it is something you don't see much talk about. Infact, I hardly ever hear anyone mentioning they use one when describing their system or even recommend another reefer to invest in one. Why is that? What I gathered from just the poll alone is that some reefers won't be caught dead without a UV plumbed into their system so with that said, I thought it would be cool to maybe discuss the advantages or myths behind the effectiveness of uv sterilizers. Are they relly that beneficial or are they just all hype??

 

[mojoreef]

Krish I think their are some myths about them and some good uses for them. I have always had multiple UV's on my tanks so I fall into that catagory of users. What they do (if set up properly) is to kill or greatly injury free floating pathogens, bacteria, algae and detritus. Again this is if setup properly and if the organism passes through it. Is it a end all beat all?? no but its just one more tool that folks use to help reduce these things and another biproduct is water clearity.

Mojo

 

[Krish]

What about too much exposure to the UV light? Think I read somewhere a while back that if the flow is too slow through the UV sterilizer that it will cause more harm than good killing off more than it was really designed to do or something like that or was that just a bunch of bologna?? I've never owned one and honestly not really ever even considered one. The poll I put up on it had me thinking a bit as I see more people are using them than I thought.

 

[Airphotog]

Krish, the water that passes through does not have much in the way of good biological matter in it. Since the majority is in the rock and sand you can't do much harm. If not mistaken I believe that most of the public aquatiums run them on their smaller tanks and some run them on their huge tanks.

 

[Krish]

Krish, the water that passes through does not have much in the way of good biological matter in it. Since the majority is in the rock and sand you can't do much harm. If not mistaken I believe that most of the public aquatiums run them on their smaller tanks and some run them on their huge tanks.

Yea, I'm not talking about the beneficial bacteria which is part of your biological filtration because technically, there isn't much beneficial bacteria floating in the water which is why you can do a 100% water change and not shock your system "biologically". I was talking more along the lines of maybe plankton etc that floats in the water column that the corals may use as a food source. I've read that too slow of a flow passing under the UV light will kill some of these benefical things.

 

[johnson]

Hey Krish, i actually have a marine fish and reef magazine here with a right up on uv sterilizers in it if you are interested in reading it let me know and you can borrow the magazine.

 

[mojoreef]

Yea the water that passes through it is going to be loaded with biological material for sure, from bacteria to algae to pathogens. and a UV is pretty indiscriminate same kind of way ozone is. If its good or bad its going to kill or mortally wound it. Its one of the reasons I love them so much:gh:

But all kidding aside it does do that but the concept is that in the world of water column you would be better served by not taking the risk, kind of like kill them all and let God sort them out type of thing??:laser:

Hey Krish, i actually have a marine fish and reef magazine here with a right up on uv sterilizers in it if you are interested in reading it let me know and you can borrow the magazine.

Thats real friendly of you Johnson, maybe a mentor type of thing???:eyebrows:

MOjo

 

[Airphotog]

Yea, I'm not talking about the beneficial bacteria which is part of your biological filtration because technically, there isn't much beneficial bacteria floating in the water which is why you can do a 100% water change and not shock your system "biologically". I was talking more along the lines of maybe plankton etc that floats in the water column that the corals may use as a food source. I've read that too slow of a flow passing under the UV light will kill some of these benefical things.

Anything that is alive that passes through it will not survive.

 

[Krish]

Hey Krish, i actually have a marine fish and reef magazine here with a right up on uv sterilizers in it if you are interested in reading it let me know and you can borrow the magazine.

I might check it out. I know the basics on them, but never really had a need for one. Just thought I'd make a small discussion on them seeing you don't hear much talk about them.

 

[sandollar]

you want the right flow through a uv sterilizer. too fast and it won't do it's job.

 

[NC2WA]

Sandy is correct. I have only a couple of turns on my value to make sure water does not pass to fast over the bulbs.

 

[NaTe R]

IMO
pros
Before i hooked up the Uv on my tank i had a yellow tang with red splotches on it and i wouldn't say it even to 72 hours for it to completely go away.
Within 24hours the water was noticeably clearer
I did see a increased production by the skimmer.
I feel algea growth on the glass has slowed but i have no scientific way of proving that i guess
O.R.P. Readings stay more consistent in the 350 range
Cons
Another piece of equipment to maintain
I cannot really think of anything else of the top of my head