Nano UV sterilizer?

[RedFrog211]

I’ve never run a UV sterilizer, but after waking up to dinos, I’m considering it. I have a 16g tank with about a 5” deep overflow— would a UV sterilizer be overkill in my system? If not, do you have any recommendations? It’s a mixed reef with a pair of clowns

 

[brandon429]

No it’s perfect, and you should do a deep clean before installing it

a tank of that size is easy to deep clean we have done about four already this week, easy. Apply uv as a preventative, in the zero mass condition, take advantage of nano accessibility big tanks don’t have.


there’s a certain way to deep clean that is safe, if you want the real win and are willing to command clean it first let’s do another easy fix, 16 gallons is easy. The deep clean alone has about a 95% chance of fixing the issue without uv.

 

[brandon429]

Not only is it not overkill we want overkill and then UV

a decisive win, among hesitants


the going rule is you sit back and allow. Our deep cleaning thread is forty pages of solely this action, we are practiced. But if you want the option there’s a particular short thread in the nuisance algae forum that would apply to your tank, and I’d wait on buying uv. It’s a great idea if this doesn’t work, this is likely to work alone and the $ is 16 gallons of new water.

 

[RedFrog211]

No it’s perfect, and you should do a deep clean before installing it

a tank of that size is easy to deep clean we have done about four already this week, easy. Apply uv as a preventative, in the zero mass condition, take advantage of nano accessibility big tanks don’t have.


there’s a certain way to deep clean that is safe, if you want the real win and are willing to command clean it first let’s do another easy fix, 16 gallons is easy. The deep clean alone has about a 95% chance of fixing the issue without uv.

You definitely have my interest! What does this deep clean entail? Also, I’m confused by the presence of dinos, because I feed my fish 3-4 times a day, in addition to phyto and vitachem. I don’t understand how my nitrates could possibly be low

 

[brandon429]

We would stop all testing and clean, using a certain safe order of takedown and setup, check this out. These jobs are much bigger than yours will be, but that doesn’t change the fundamental approach.

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

a short four pages. That method is 95% likely to clear your tank in one pass, can you post a pic of your setup

testing will only be needed and valid in the clean condition, very handy alignment of actions. It’s why we didn’t need pics to fix your tank, it’s sixteen gallons and that means 100% accessible and that means not hard to control. Curious to see your layout though

they had hair algae, your issue is different


it’s the new water and sandbed rinsing part, and the external cleaning off of dinos down the sink you want to replicate.

the information in the thread can be used to prevent every form of invasion a nano reef could ever see. All the rules currently in use for dinos were written by large tank owners

these rules are written by people with fishbowl reefs, hence the breaking of every single reef rule ever made in a short four pages. sharp outcomes though, commanded clean. One pass.

 

[Reef.]

I’m thinking of getting one, had what I think is a bacteria bloom for a couple of weeks now.

Check out the auqa shield by IM, they do 3 sizes that drop into the back compartment, I’m thinking to only use it now and again as opposed to pumping one in permanently.

 

[Reef.]

Oh and is it Dino could be diatoms?

 

[brandon429]

They are wonderful cheats to have, if I had a large reef a decent uv would be on standby. nothing is permitted to take over a reef I own, done opted out. They might even be cyano

 

[RedFrog211]

We would stop all testing and clean, using a certain safe order of takedown and setup, check this out. These jobs are much bigger than yours will be, but that doesn’t change the fundamental approach.

Algae Identification

Any opinions on what type of algae this is growing on my rocks and sand bed?

www.reef2reef.com

a short four pages. That method is 95% likely to clear your tank in one pass, can you post a pic of your setup

testing will only be needed and valid in the clean condition, very handy alignment of actions. It’s why we didn’t need pics to fix your tank, it’s sixteen gallons and that means 100% accessible and that means not hard to control. Curious to see your layout though

they had hair algae, your issue is different


it’s the new water and sandbed rinsing part, and the external cleaning off of dinos down the sink you want to replicate.

the information in the thread can be used to prevent every form of invasion a nano reef could ever see. All the rules currently in use for dinos were written by large tank owners

these rules are written by people with fishbowl reefs, hence the breaking of every single reef rule ever made in a short four pages. sharp outcomes though, commanded clean. One pass.

I honestly don’t have much as far as layout. It’s a 3 chamber overflow. First section is live rock, heater and chaeto, middle is sponge with carbon and matrix, and last is some live rock with return pump. It’s very basic— I’d probably have to move some stuff around to fit a UV though!

 

[RedFrog211]

Oh and is it Dino could be diatoms?

I believe them to be dinos because it’s stringy and mostly in high flow areas, where it has been caught by things in the current. There are few bubbles in the strands, causing me to consider dinos more than cyano. I’ll post some pics once I’m home! (~2 hours from now)

 

[Reef.]

I honestly don’t have much as far as layout. It’s a 3 chamber overflow. First section is live rock, heater and chaeto, middle is sponge with carbon and matrix, and last is some live rock with return pump. It’s very basic— I’d probably have to move some stuff around to fit a UV though!

consider removing the matrix, I’ve just removed my Siporax and up to now seen no difference in the way the tank is running (early days) as long as you have rock in the display and sand then matrix may be not needed.

 

[RedFrog211]

consider removing the matrix, I’ve just removed my Siporax and up to now seen no difference in the way the tank is running (early days) as long as you have rock in the display and sand then matrix may be not needed.

Okay! I have a lot of surface area in my tank. Again, with it being a 16g, I have probably 25lbs of rock, and 1-1/2” to 2” sand bed.

 

[Garf]

Now the UV shaming is declining, go for it. Health of the animals is paramount. And it does help, that’s for sure.

 

[RedFrog211]

@brandon429 I’ll try your deep clean method! I’m certainly guilty of seeing algae on the glass, shrugging, and walking away! Haha

 

[brandon429]

Hey neat it will work great, we are being careful to only include the deepest most thorough rip cleans on that thread, so after this is done if you still decide to deep clean we‘d link your work there in pics for a third power run reference thread. The key is accurate sand rinsing no skimping in detail, rocks saltwater jetted clean over the sink, set back in all new water matching temp and salinity of the prior, and lights re ramped back up from lower intensity over a week.

 

[Reef.]

I hear a few people singing the praises of dinox.

some think a mixed approach is better to fight dinos p, cleaning, uv and dinox may do the trick.

 

[Reef.]

Okay! I have a lot of surface area in my tank. Again, with it being a 16g, I have probably 25lbs of rock, and 1-1/2” to 2” sand bed.

the first day I removed the media my nitrates dropped in half, a couple of days later they are exactly where they were before I removed the media, as said early days but if they stay put, I have one less thing to clean and space for other equipment.

 

[RedFrog211]

the first day I removed the media my nitrates dropped in half, a couple of days later they are exactly where they were before I removed the media, as said early days but if they stay put, I have one less thing to clean and space for other equipment.

I’ll remove the matrix once I get home. I have DinoX, but am hesitant to use it. I just received some tiny tiny blastos in the mail, and they’re looking a bit rough. They are extending in the light and looking better than day 1, but I doubt they’d survive treatment :/

 

[RedFrog211]

So after looking at it, I’m guessing it is cyano. I notice more bubbles than I remember seeing- Also, all 3 of my BTA’s are very upset.. I’m going to test every parameter right now

In the photo you can see a strand in the top right- the Rainbow BTA is hiding in the crevice in the foreground, and those are two GBTA under the rock. I wonder why they’re so upset?

 

[RedFrog211]

Salinity was 1.028.. that might’ve done it. I really need an ATO on this thing. Rimless 16g is a great way to have major salinity spikes-

pH: 8.2 (Hanna inst)
Ammonia: 0 (salifert)
Alk: 7.0 (Hanna inst)
Nitrate: 5ppm (API)
Temp: 78°F