UV Sterilizers
- Thread starter Bkab_Jay
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Retro Reefer
Slow and steady wins the race!
I personally don’t use them unless I’m dealing with a particular issue like bacterial bloom or algae outbreak.. just remember they kill everything, GOOD and bad 
jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
I use them on both my tanks. Helps with redox and I think it polishes the water. My reef tank always had a slight haze to it. Since I installed the UV, it's clear.
It will kill everything at a low enough flow rate, but nearly everything good in the tank is in the rocks.
It will kill everything at a low enough flow rate, but nearly everything good in the tank is in the rocks.
jasonrusso
2500 Club Member
210g fowler and 34g reef. 25 watt on the 210, 8w on the 34.
These are the best. The Vectrons. There is a lot of good reading on that site too.
TMC Premium UV Sterilizers; Only USA Authorized Seller
We carry the highest grade professional UV sterilizers. TMC Vecton, Titan, Advantage Pond/Aquarium, UV Sterilizer | Category A . Along with internal UV pump Filter
www.americanaquariumproducts.com
AlexG
Valuable Member
There is no easy answer to your question. I have a UV sterilizer on my system and I added it when the tank was just a few months old. I had a small crash with fish and the usual algae/cyano bloom. An opportunity came along to purchase a large UV sterilizer so I jumped at it. The effectiveness of a UV sterilizer depends on water flow which will determine the level of water sterilization. The manufacturer will normally provide flow charts for each model. I went with lower flow on my unit so it would sterilize pathogens and algae/bacteria in the water column. While a UV sterilizer can harm beneficial organisms that go through it such as pods or beneficial bacterial in the grand scheme of things that impact is minimal since most beneficial bacterial and pods are not free floating. I noticed a slight pH boost running my UV. The water always runs clear in my tanks unless a resident is kicking up sand. The behavior of my skimmer changed once my UV sterilizer was added as the foam being produced was very thick to the point where I needed to weigh the lid of the skimmer down for several weeks while my cyano bloom was still underway. In my experience with UV sterilizers I think they are a great add on for reef and fish tanks but they are not required.
