UV affect on corals?

[jcdeng]

Randy, not trying to argue with you cuz your points are valid. But personally I feel that the potential benefits of running one outweights those drawbacks. I dose bacteria to my tank on a regular basis to replenish them rather they get kill by the uv or not, and not all of the water volume passes through the uv (the pump is only at 60gph).

I don't use ozone and I don't like to replace GAC (my gfo annoys me enough when its time to replace media). I like the once a year set it and forget it kind of equipment thats why I feel the uv is right for me. Furthermore, my fishes are 3 years old now and I would like them to live to 15. So rather it be my strick qt procedure or the UV or combination of both, I feel that I am doing something right and would like to keep it that way.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy, not trying to argue with you cuz your points are valid. But personally I feel that the potential benefits of running one outweights those drawbacks. I dose bacteria to my tank on a regular basis to replenish them rather they get kill by the uv or not, and not all of the water volume passes through the uv (the pump is only at 60gph).

I don't use ozone and I don't like to replace GAC (my gfo annoys me enough when its time to replace media). I like the once a year set it and forget it kind of equipment thats why I feel the uv is right for me. Furthermore, my fishes are 3 years old now and I would like them to live to 15. So rather it be my strick qt procedure or the UV or combination of both, I feel that I am doing something right and would like to keep it that way.

Fair enough.

 

[Russ265]

There are potential drawbacks, and I would not run one on my system. Specifically, I dose organic carbon to my system in large part to drive the growth of bacteria that feed various organisms (sponges, etc.). I want those bacteria to remain alive, not to pass through a UV and be killed, break apart and spill their guts into the water column where it is essentially wasted.

Also a UV does not remove organic matter from the water. It may reduce yellowing, as a weaker sibling to using ozone, but GAC removes the organics while a UV does not.

funny. your sponges eat organic matter that uv doesnt remove. so whats the harm?

im not trying to be smart. im just saying that removing a skimmer can aid in sponge growth moreso than abstaining from uv.

my best best best advice to all of you. if you go uv.
avoid the cheap plastic chinese stuff. no sunsun or jebao or whatever. they do not have uv resistant plastic and will deteriorate in the column killing your fish.

i use it only for emergency reasons. i would not recommend a 24/7 running of it.

these are just my experiences, your mileage may vary. mother nature is fickle.

 

[machome79]

There are potential drawbacks, and I would not run one on my system. Specifically, I dose organic carbon to my system in large part to drive the growth of bacteria that feed various organisms (sponges, etc.). I want those bacteria to remain alive, not to pass through a UV and be killed, break apart and spill their guts into the water column where it is essentially wasted.

Also a UV does not remove organic matter from the water. It may reduce yellowing, as a weaker sibling to using ozone, but GAC removes the organics while a UV does not.

so could it be counter productive to run a uv sterilizer and have a refuge running at the same time?

 

[rennjidk]

so could it be counter productive to run a uv sterilizer and have a refuge running at the same time?

It should be fine

 

[bushdoc]

"Use of ultraviolet (UV) sterilization to kill theronts has been suggested, based on research involving Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (freshwater "ich"). The recommended UV dose for Ichthyophthirius theronts is 100,000 µWsec/cm2 (Hoffman 1974). However, UV doses required for Cryptocaryon irritans are anecdotal or extrapolated, and range from 280,000 µWsec/cm2 (industry numbers) to 800,000 µWsec/cm2 (Colorni and Burgess 1997)."
You need industrial grade UV sterilizer to kill Cryptocaryon theronts. You can get some at commertial pool supply stores.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

so could it be counter productive to run a uv sterilizer and have a refuge running at the same time?

Depends on what is taking place in the refugium. I personally do not want to drive bacteria by organic carbon dosing just to ahve a UV kill them again. I'd rather have an organism (such as a sponge) consume them.