UV Sterilizer who uses them?

Larsen · Jan 2, 2012

Just thinking about getting a UV Sterilizer and was wondering what the pros and cons and if anyone uses them.

Connie · Jan 3, 2012

I use one. I was having a problem with ich. The LFS suggested the UV Sterilizer. It was easy to install and I have had no fish illnesses since. I have the Turbo Twister and I definitely recommend. They say it will not cure the fish that already have ich, but will prevent any new breakouts. The fish that had the ich the worst died, but I had 3 or 4 others that had a light case and they made it just fine.

badlands25 · Jan 3, 2012

I use one also. Very easy to use. Unfortunately I have had ich also. The best way to get rid of ich is with a diatom filter. It filters down to less than 1 micron which is smaller than ich. Although the only way to be sure it is gone is to leave your tank fishless for 6 weeks.

CJO · Jan 3, 2012

I would recommend not using one in a reef aquarium unless you are combatting a particular disease. Since it kills all of the micro organisms in the water, you kill many of the nutrients that corals use to stay healthy.

CJ

racerw · Jan 3, 2012

I use one and have for years in my 210 SPS dominate tank...Never had any issues

btkrausen · Jan 3, 2012

CJO said:
I would recommend not using one in a reef aquarium unless you are combatting a particular disease. Since it kills all of the micro organisms in the water, you kill many of the nutrients that corals use to stay healthy.

CJ

This is the biggest argument with using a UV....that and no scientific data has been provided that they actually help anything. The UV kills everything organic moving through it....good stuff and bad stuff.

The best way to get rid of ich....or prevent it....is NOT a UV sterilizer....its a quarantine tank.

Acrokeeper3729 · Jan 3, 2012

I don't know about ick, but I have seen a few very nice full blown Reef setups that run them with great results. a lot of people use them as a water polisher to get rid of yellowing compounds in the water column which is good for sps. In fact I know a guy who has an awesome sps tank that uses one full time and he has absolutely awesome growth and colors on his sps, so I am not sure what good stuff is being killed, but I do know its not effecting anything in a negative way on his tank.

Larsen · Jan 3, 2012

Thx guys

btkrausen · Jan 3, 2012

nicks387 said:
I don't know about ick, but I have seen a few very nice full blown Reef setups that run them with great results. a lot of people use them as a water polisher to get rid of yellowing compounds in the water column which is good for sps. In fact I know a guy who has an awesome sps tank that uses one full time and he has absolutely awesome growth and colors on his sps, so I am not sure what good stuff is being killed, but I do know its not effecting anything in a negative way on his tank.

Would be curious to see the reaction to his tank if he simply removed it. It may not be hurting anything, but it may not be doing anything helpful either

bucfan · Jan 3, 2012

I've been using one 24/7 for over a year in my 28g dominated by lps, sps, softies. Have not had any problems with fish illness. In fact helped kill my algae bloom which has not since recurred. Also my coral growth has been great. So not sure where the uv myth comes from. I am now planning a 100g upgrade and will run uv for sure on that system too.

bct15 · Jan 3, 2012

I currently run a uv sterilizer. I have seen a few very nice sps tanks with certain fish that some people claim to be impossible to keep I noticed the main thing they have in common is a uv sterilizer ran all of the time. I got myself one and am very happy I did. Now that I run my uv sterilizer I have crystal clear water (you won't understand the difference until you add one as it is hard to explain), only have to scrape my glass about once every three weeks (not necessary either as I only scrape my front glass and there isn't much of a difference between the sides and front), and I keep some difficult fish with ease. I constantly get asked how do I keep my tank so clean, and people wonder how often I clean it...when I tell them they can't believe it. Before I got my uv sterilizer I'd have to scrape about once to twice a week. I also upgraded to an h&s skimmer about the same time and have the uv feeding the skimmer. I like it and will not go without again, but there are people strongly opposed to them for whatever reason I don't know but from experience i can tell you it works.

Good example, I added a powder blue after a four week quarantine in copper. Still broke out with a mild case of ich due to the harassment from my yellow. No other fish showed any signs ever and within three to five days he showed no signs either.

CJO · Jan 4, 2012

bucfan said:
I've been using one 24/7 for over a year in my 28g dominated by lps, sps, softies. Have not had any problems with fish illness. In fact helped kill my algae bloom which has not since recurred. Also my coral growth has been great. So not sure where the uv myth comes from. I am now planning a 100g upgrade and will run uv for sure on that system too.

I've been running a tank without one for quite a bit longer and have never had a problem with fish illness

If you are using the UV to kill an algae bloom, you are dealing with the symptoms rather than the issue, which is likely high nutrients.

What UV myth?

CJ

CJO · Jan 4, 2012

bct15 said:
I currently run a uv sterilizer. I have seen a few very nice sps tanks with certain fish that some people claim to be impossible to keep I noticed the main thing they have in common is a uv sterilizer ran all of the time.

Interesting- of which particular fish are you speaking?

bct15 said:
I got myself one and am very happy I did. Now that I run my uv sterilizer I have crystal clear water (you won't understand the difference until you add one as it is hard to explain), only have to scrape my glass about once every three weeks (not necessary either as I only scrape my front glass and there isn't much of a difference between the sides and front), and I keep some difficult fish with ease. I constantly get asked how do I keep my tank so clean, and people wonder how often I clean it...when I tell them they can't believe it. Before I got my uv sterilizer I'd have to scrape about once to twice a week. I also upgraded to an h&s skimmer about the same time and have the uv feeding the skimmer. I like it and will not go without again, but there are people strongly opposed to them for whatever reason I don't know but from experience i can tell you it works.

My water is also crystal clear and I only have to scrape about every 3 weeks, and I don't run UV. Like I said above, think about what it is killing- is the UV helping with the symptoms or the issue (nutrients)? Also, your new skimmer probably made a significant difference in the amount of scraping you had to do as well.

bct15 said:
Good example, I added a powder blue after a four week quarantine in copper. Still broke out with a mild case of ich due to the harassment from my yellow. No other fish showed any signs ever and within three to five days he showed no signs either.

IMO, that is a good reason to use UV, but only for short periods until the fish has healed.

CJ