UV Sterilizer???

[steelermags]

Before I sent this post, I researched UV sterilizers and whether they are worth purchasing or not. From that research, it is evident that there are mixed feelings across the board on if I should consider or not. I am having ick problems in my 125G reef tank that has been up and running for 4 months now. My powder blue tang seems got it once. I pull him along with my clown and Safrin tang and put in a quarantine tank for a week which cleared them up. THey have been back in my main tank and got it again. The LFS told me to purchase a UV sterilizer to help. My sump is working well which contains my skimmer, refugium, live rock etc.


QUESTION TO all of you - assuming you support getting one -what brand would you recommend that I should purchase? I am assuming I need a 13 watt.

Feedback is appreciated.

 

[btkrausen]

I just put one on my tank and I bought an AquaUV. Pretty nice and its smaller than a lot of them out there.

Wattage decision needs to be made on what you are trying to accomplish with it. If you want to kill ich or something like that, it needs a higher wattage or slower flow through the unit. I went with a bigger one than I needed so I could get to the higher range to kill ich. I run a 57w on my 220.

 

[aherre07]

I would recommend doing research on the life cycle of ich and understand how the infection happens within the fish before buying a UV sterilizer. The parasite will fall off the fish and be on the substrate in their cyst form in preparation of reproduction. when the cyst bursts out come many new ich "babies". If it is in the water column it will be there until that parasite no longer has a host. From my readings the best treatment option for ich is to go fallow in the DT and use an effective treatment in a QT or hospital tank. Once Fallow period is over always QT ALL new specimens before placing in DT. In the fish discussion forum there is a great thread on ich treatment options.