UV Sterilizer....Hype or Effective!?

[Lousybreed]

So I would like to hear people’s opinion on using UV Sterilizer on their reef tanks. I hear one camp saying they reduce disease, kill cyano, make the water clearer, etc. The other camp is generally against them. Thoughts?

 

[SPR1968]

I’ve used one since the start of setting up my system and provided the flow is correct through them I can’t see a single reason not to use one. If you don’t want to then fine, but I see no downside other than an annual bulb change and the cost of buying it.

But I’m in the UK and I think we are more into them here than possibly the US markets from what I’ve read before.

 

[CMO]

I run UV on my reef and love it. Keeps water super clear and also helps keep things like dinos at bay. Best practice when adding to a reef though is to wait 9-12 months to let the tank fully establish - UV could slow down the process if added too soon.

 

[Timfish]

I'm in the camp who feels they are beneficial. Properly set up an apropriately sized UV hooked up with the correct flow rate will help erradicate ick from a display tank without having to remove the fish. However, it's much better to never to get ich in a system to begin with. I've been saying this for years to local aquarists, QUARINTINE EVERYTHING INCLUDING CORALS before adding to a display tank. Ich cysts can be transferred on any hard substrate.

I can certainly understand why some people think UVs are useless for getting rid of ich in display tanks. Marketing hype will say on the outside packaging a UV is good for a certain size ssytem but when the instructions are read buried inside the verbage is the the recommended tank size is only for getting rid of suspended algae and for ick it's only recommended for a much smaller tank. I've seen UVs hooked up in a sump with the proper flow rate so an effective single pass kill rate is acheived with just one or two turnovers an hour but where the return is next to the intake giving a very poor mixing with the water going to the display tank so the ich easily survives in the display tank. And I've seen UVs hooked up to the return pump with a flow rate way to high to effectively kill ich with one or two passes.

 

[KrisReef]

They can help.
They are also excellent for keeping outdoor freshwater fish ponds clear of algae.

 

[Burrito]

Got rid of my Dino’s.... just that alone keeps it running on my tank

 

[ca1ore]

Lots of threads on this exact topic - search is your friend!

 

[ReefGeezer]

UV Sterilizers can do a few things well when properly sized. They can control viruses and suspended single cell algae. They are less effective at control of Marine Velvet, White Spot, and the like. Non-disease related "Dino" outbreaks are not generally effectively controlled with standard hobby sized UV units either. It has everything to do with intensity and exposure time. Very simple organisms with little cell structure can be controlled with the low intensity/short duration UV exposure of hobby grade UV units. More complicated organisms with more robust cell structures aren't.

Don'tread this as recommending against UV. Clearer water and reduced virus counts are a good thing. Just don't expect miracles.

 

[linkedsilas]

For what it’s worth. I have dinos
I upped my pH and threw in a uv sterilizer.
My tank has improved greatly. Can’t say which it was but something worked. I will make sure I always have uv now.
It is cheap to run so it really only takes up room and a bulb every year

 

[ccombs]

Purely anecdotal. I ran a UV sterilizer on my system wayyyy too early to clear an algae bloom. However, it did clear the bloom quick and I did not fully understand the chain reaction it would cause for other issues at the time. That being said, I did get Uronema in my tank and it kept the parasite at bay (which typically moves pretty rapidly) for several months and then spread rapidly once turned off. I think there is a difference in coincidence and correlation so I am not sure. Either way.... there you go lol.

 

[richiero]

The more dwell time in the uv the better that why tuning in your flow rate to the UV is so important

 

[mnml]

UV got rid of my dinos, keeps my glass clean longer.

 

[Neo Jeo]

I think mine works well. Flow is important. I run my around 140gph to kill ich. Its kept it at bay and helps keep my water clean. People have asked if I have upgraded glass.

 

[Evanpolyps]

Got rid of my Dino’s.... just that alone keeps it running on my tank

How did you set up your uv sterilizer? Im currently fighting dinos so i need a bit advice

 

[Evanpolyps]

UV got rid of my dinos, keeps my glass clean longer.

How did you setup your uv

 

[Dennis Cartier]

I have always considered UV as something that will work counter to my goal of having a robust food web, starting with the microscopic level. Like things that feed on phytoplankton, which UV will interfere with, or even eradicate. Then in my frag tank, when moving more and more to being SPS dominated, I was struggling to keep my SPS happy at one point. The ORP in this tank was really low, like 250 mv, which many would consider a problem. Out of desperation, I purchased a small UV unit and installed it not expecting much. My ORP was the first thing impacted, it increased to about 450 - 475 mv and stayed there pretty much constantly. The higher ORP had a huge impact on the SPS. They loved it and it became much easier to get them not only happy, but flourishing and growing. LPS, not so much. In fact, they seemed to stop growing and be less happy at the higher ORP level. This continued for about 6 months, but then I noticed the effect seemed to wane a bit. I suspect the quartz sleeve was fouled and needed to be cleaned. Unfortunately I lost most of the SPS in this tank during vacation mishaps this past winter, so the UV is off at the moment. Going forward I would not hesitate to use UV for SPS dominated tanks. In fact I would consider it an useful method of tilting things towards the water quality that SPS prefer. For LPS tanks, they may still have a place, but their impact may need to be monitored and modulated to not clean the water column totally of the stuff that LPS like.

Dennis

 

[kles]

How did you set up your uv sterilizer? Im currently fighting dinos so i need a bit advice

It's all about tte correct size of unit and contact time or flow rate though the unit . You should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for flow thogh the unit because not all uvs are the same they all work just some are much better than others. Remember a uv will only sterilize what passes in front of tte bulb and if the unit is to small it will not work as well because of water volume it has to process and strength of tte light . Always do maintenance on your uv the quartz sleave has to be removed every 6 months or so to clean make sure there no calcium build up because of the heat it's like a heater and builds up calcium deposits on it and if the light cant pass thogh it well not going to work ! Replace the bulb every 9 months to a year max . But main thing is contact time there are charts to show you what your trying to do far as alage or bacteria or parasites they all have a flow rate for proper contact time.

 

[mnml]

How did you setup your uv

I ran it off a dedicated sicce pump.

 

[piranhaman00]

I set up a 15 watt aquauv on a 65 gallon for dinos. I couldnt believe how much clearer the water became along with its intended purpose. I am now setting up a 180 and have two 40 watt pentairs plumbed in. I personally wont do another tank without.

But I like what @Dennis Cartier talked about. UV kill indiscriminately....

I am running two so I can have one at a very low flow rate and one at a high flow rate to tackle algae and proto/parasites. Excited to see the results.

 

[Jon Fishman]

I run 2 tanks.

One with just a skimmer. Constant vibrant dosing keeps it “ok” but always have to clean glass etc. I barely feed the tank at all, and it has no fish, just CUC

Other tank is 140-150g with Ozone, skimmer, ATS, and 100W UV

Could be the ozone, or UV, or both, but I feed 2 big scoops of Reef Roids, and a lot of frozen and fresh to my fish/coral every day, and I have no algae at all really.

Actually surprised my snails survive

Don’t know about disease control..... I know I had ich “spots” on fish before UV, and have since thrown in a Gem Tang (zero qt) and he has been great for about 6 weeks now maybe