Bio pellets vs UV

[mysticmikie]

I want to know other people's opinions regarding using one or the other, or both from personal experience.

 

[tj w]

They are for different purposes. One is for lowering nitrates and the uv is used to kill off bacteria and algae in the water column.

 

[mysticmikie]

I realize that. What I would like to know is are they compatible with each other. I have read that the UV sterilizer can kill off the bacteria that the bio pellet reactor needs in order to function. I have not found anything online that says you can use both at the same time. However I have not found anything online that is from anybody's personal experience saying either or.

 

[lion king]

That's interesting hadn't thought of that, I run a uv. I didn't have a positive experience with biopellet but I dose nopox. So it's a similar concept and and the nopox is working, so the uv doesn't seem to have an effect on the anaerobic bacteria that converts nitrates.

 

[mysticmikie]

Bio pellets work on aerobic bacteria. If you cut off oxygen to the bio pellets they are ruined and can poison your system.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Uv sterilizer don't have enough contact time to really do any damage to beneficial bacteria, unless it's a gigantic uv. and this is the reason why they won't help with bacteria, diseases, etc.

 

[mysticmikie]

Uv sterilizer don't have enough contact time to really do any damage to beneficial bacteria, unless it's a gigantic uv. and this is the reason why they won't help with bacteria, diseases, etc.

Then why are they used in most large public aquaria?

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Those ones are super gigantic.

Then why are they used in most large public aquaria?

 

[mysticmikie]

Those ones are super gigantic.

What about the ones that are used in lobster tanks in grocery stores? They do not have much space to work with.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

My guess is that they're useless against diseases as well. uv sterlizers that are rated for our tank sizes by manufacturers simply don't have enough contact time with the water to kill the life cycle. the bulb would need to be much larger and the flow rate would most likely need to be slowed down too. they can, however, reduce algae in the water column. could cut down on film algae on the glass.

What about the ones that are used in lobster tanks in grocery stores? They do not have much space to work with.

 

[Monroereef]

I run a bio-pellet reactor (4000 Ml) and a UV (240 watt) on my reef. Yes UV kills the bacteria that goes though it, but think about it. How much bacteria is in the water? Bacteria cultivates in sand, live rock, other substrate, fuge and bio-pellet reactor.

I will not run a reef without either one of them.

Sunny

 

[mysticmikie]

I'm not sure about this, however isn't algae harder to kill then bacteria?

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Harder is subjective. it has to do with what's actually in the water column (that can go through the uv) and what is not.

I'm not sure about this, however isn't algae harder to kill then bacteria?

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

A lot of people is uv to just clear up their water and possibly reduce film algae. that's all I would rely on one to do.

 

[mysticmikie]

I run a bio-pellet reactor (4000 Ml) and a UV (240 watt) on my reef. Yes UV kills the bacteria that goes though it, but think about it. How much bacteria is in the water? Bacteria cultivates in sand, live rock, other substrate, fuge and bio-pellet reactor.

I will not run a reef without either one of them.

Sunny

Beautiful! Thank you for the proof.

 

[cromag27 Verified Sponsor]

Lobster tanks don't have sand or rock.

Beautiful! Thank you for the proof.

 

[mysticmikie]

Lobster tanks don't have sand or rock.

They also don't have bio pellet reactor's to remove nitrates. Inside of rocks and the deep sand bed nitrates get turned into nitrogen gas. I am looking to do a triton method. With the triton method you do not do any water changes unless absolutely necessary. When not doing any water changes the biological cycle from ammonia to nitrite do nitrates to nitrogen gas becomes a specially important. This is why I am concerned with using a UV sterilizer in combination with bio pellets.

 

[lion king]

I put the uv on my tank specifically to clear a bacterial bloom, and it did it over night. I kept it there as a water clarifier. So uv does clear bacteria from the water column.

 

[mysticmikie]

I put the uv on my tank specifically to clear a bacterial bloom, and it did it over night. I kept it there as a water clarifier. So uv does clear bacteria from the water column.

I was afraid that a UV sterilizer might affect the available bacteria in the efficiency to bio pellets.

 

[mysticmikie]

Please let me repeat myself in a much more understandable way. I was afraid that the UV sterilizer might affect the available bacteria needed for the efficiency of a bio pellet reactor.