Uv sterilizer

[Redemption626]

So I’m doing my hard plumbing, at this point getting ready to do the return line back to the tank. My question is, is a uv sterilizer a big help at the beginning and should be plumbed in to help the tank off the get go? Or is it something to put in now to save the headache of replumbing later? Yes I’m doing hard plumbing.

 

[Spare time]

I want to call UV useless violet because I think it's a waste of money in most tanks as the only issue it solves are bacterial blooms. If you buy one, I'd add it at the start so you don't have to mess with the plumbing in a major way later on. The question to get one or not is depending on what issue you are trying to solve

 

[Kmst80]

I want to call UV useless violet because I think it's a waste of money in most tanks as the only issue it solves are bacterial blooms. If you buy one, I'd add it at the start so you don't have to mess with the plumbing in a major way later on. The question to get one or not is depending on what issue you are trying to solve

I had a massive diatom bloom to clean up( water was brown), only reason i bought a uv coz my corals were dying.
Bought a green killing machine, well undersized for my 200 g but cleared the bacterial bloom in 2 days. That uv sits just in the sump, no plumbing needed. Absolutely agree with the only useful application for uv's are bacterial blooms.
Disconnected the uv after 2 weeks, been sitting in the cabinet since.

 

[Waters]

Yes, I would just plumb it from the beginning...even if you don't use it right away. Every tank I set up uses UV.....helpful not only for bacterial blooms but can assist in keeping parasites in check (depending on flow/contact time with the bulb).

 

[doubleshot00]

I would consider some mind of plan for plumbing it in. I have mine on a loop in my sump using a separate pump. All soft plumbed. Works for me.

 

[exnisstech]

If you are planning on running UV plumb it now. It will save you a hassle down the road.
Many people swear by them. I have two UV units but have no proof that they have done anything at all. I've never had a bacterial bloom that I remember. I've read they help with the film that builds up on the glass but I still have to clean the glass at least every other day. One is now boxes up and the other unplugged.

 

[Reefer911]

I want to call UV useless violet because I think it's a waste of money in most tanks as the only issue it solves are bacterial blooms. If you buy one, I'd add it at the start so you don't have to mess with the plumbing in a major way later on. The question to get one or not is depending on what issue you are trying to solve

I’ve been needing to get mine up and running on my new build, now about 9 months old.
I dose hydrogen peroxide twice daily and other than a little cyano (my nutrients bottomed out), the tank and fish look great. I may get the UV plumbed to enter/exit in the sump, but I’m wondering if some people use H2O2 in place of a UV

 

[Spare time]

I’ve been needing to get mine up and running on my new build, now about 9 months old.
I dose hydrogen peroxide twice daily and other than a little cyano (my nutrients bottomed out), the tank and fish look great. I may get the UV plumbed to enter/exit in the sump, but I’m wondering if some people use H2O2 in place of a UV

I've never heard the two compared. I will say that a UV will not prevent a cyano bloom if that is the goal. UV sterilizers are good for pelagic bacterial or phyto blooms. If you are comparing them for preventing parasites, a UV to me like putting a drop of Neosporin on big gash. Sure it will stop some bacteria, but overall it is useless at solving an infection problem. Hydrogen peroxide dosing for infections in a tank is, to me, probably not very helpful. In my opinion, i'd just use quality carbon for water clarity rather than oxidizers or sterilizers.

 

[Spare time]

I had a massive diatom bloom to clean up( water was brown), only reason i bought a uv coz my corals were dying.
Bought a green killing machine, well undersized for my 200 g but cleared the bacterial bloom in 2 days. That uv sits just in the sump, no plumbing needed. Absolutely agree with the only useful application for uv's are bacterial blooms.
Disconnected the uv after 2 weeks, been sitting in the cabinet since.

I have a green killing machine too that I've used for a bacterial blooms and for dinos in one case the first time I got them.

I like those little green killing machines as they are so convenient.

 

[Reefer911]

I've never heard the two compared. I will say that a UV will not prevent a cyano bloom if that is the goal. UV sterilizers are good for pelagic bacterial or phyto blooms. If you are comparing them for preventing parasites, a UV to me like putting a drop of Neosporin on big gash. Sure it will stop some bacteria, but overall it is useless at solving an infection problem. Hydrogen peroxide dosing for infections in a tank is, to me, probably not very helpful. In my opinion, i'd just use quality carbon for water clarity rather than oxidizers or sterilizers.

No I didn’t start H2O2 for cyano. I just mentioned that I’m dealing with it.

I started H2O2 because my at-the-time newly added Watanabei started showing signs of what I suspected was uronema. I had just lost her QT mate to it. I knew there wasn’t much to do so I decided to start dosing that. She did well and the spots cleared up. This was maybe three months ago.

I just decided to keep dosing after all I read about it