UV Users....why do you use this?r

[Uncle99]

Doesn’t UV light “sterilize” good bacteria guys in the water as well the bad?
If this is true, aren’t we killing the stuff we are trying to build?
To be honest, I put one on and not sure exactly why.
I like the tech stuff, impulsive on this one.
I think I’m just going to turn it off and see what happens.
Does that seem wrong?

 

[Don_Jorge]

Most of the beneficial bacteria is on the glass rocks and sand, this only filters bacteria and algae in the water column so its Better to add a UV after a cycle, also keeps water clear of parasites

 

[austibella]

Your beneficial bacteria is on your rocks and safe
UV sterilizer on a higher flow will kill algae spores and keep your tank clear.. on a low flow will kill parasites. I use a 40 watt pentair .you have to make sure you have one big enough one for your size tank for it to work properly The cheep ones don't work.

 

[HB AL]

Its not gonna kill beneficial bacteria, if it did my tank with a heavy bioload would have crashed and died by now. I have it to keep water clear from the smallest to largest of potential small algae blooms causing slightly cloudy water ever and too keep parasites in check. With a heavy bioload, and since I don't quarantine it seems to do its intended purposes quite well. I would keep it running 24/7 as its not gonna hurt a thing and do its job.

 

[DaddyFish]

It's not a mistake to use UV, it's a mistake to arbitrarily install a UV without proper sizing/flow/etc. Pretty much like everything else in aquatics, you need an up-front and clear understanding of it's intended purpose, technological and performance parameters, and biological impact.
You've started down the correct path by asking questions, just be prepared that the best answer may be that you have already purchased the wrong piece of equipment to get where you want to be.

 

[DaddyFish]

Doesn’t UV light “sterilize” good bacteria guys in the water as well the bad?
If this is true, aren’t we killing the stuff we are trying to build?
To be honest, I put one on and not sure exactly why.
I like the tech stuff, impulsive on this one.
I think I’m just going to turn it off and see what happens.
Does that seem wrong?

I have a bad habit of not directly answering questions!!! Aaaargh!

1. UV light only sterilizes organisms in the water column as they pass by. There are different combinations of power/UV exposure and water flow rate required for sterilizing algae, bacteria and parasites.

2. Some of it, yes. Which is why you want UV turned off when initially cycling a tank, to give free-floating bacteria/spores the opportunity to latch-on to surfaces and build their new homes. After that, it's Game-On!

3. You want to be sure of WHY, what your targeted purpose/goal is for the UV, before you purchase a unit. Along with being very purposeful in the system flow rates and where it falls within your filtration scheme.

 

[Uncle99]

I have a bad habit of not directly answering questions!!! Aaaargh!

1. UV light only sterilizes organisms in the water column as they pass by. There are different combinations of power/UV exposure and water flow rate required for sterilizing algae, bacteria and parasites.

2. Some of it, yes. Which is why you want UV turned off when initially cycling a tank, to give free-floating bacteria/spores the opportunity to latch-on to surfaces and build their new homes. After that, it's Game-On!

3. You want to be sure of WHY, what your targeted purpose/goal is for the UV, before you purchase a unit. Along with being very purposeful in the system flow rates and where it falls within your filtration scheme.

I originally put into the loop to help with pest algae and it’s was amazing. Crystal water, no pest type algae’s.
But now that the problem is gone and the tank very mature, not sure what’s it’s doing, it processes the tank volume every 15 minutes so that time ain’t going to kill any parasites.

 

[Jeffcb]

no

 

[Uncle99]

Its not gonna kill beneficial bacteria, if it did my tank with a heavy bioload would have crashed and died by now. I have it to keep water clear from the smallest to largest of potential small algae blooms causing slightly cloudy water ever and too keep parasites in check. With a heavy bioload, and since I don't quarantine it seems to do its intended purposes quite well. I would keep it running 24/7 as its not gonna hurt a thing and do its job.

Very nice tank. Love it. Very mature.
Good response and thank you.

 

[Uncle99]

no

LOL

 

[DaddyFish]

I originally put into the loop to help with pest algae and it’s was amazing. Crystal water, no pest type algae’s.
But now that the problem is gone and the tank very mature, not sure what’s it’s doing, it processes the tank volume every 15 minutes so that time ain’t going to kill any parasites.

Well... Maybe...
You can have a large enough UV running a 4xTank flow rate that does kill parasites. You probably won't need a heater (I don't in a FOWLR DT that I run. That 90-gal DT setup runs 385-450 gph (depending on the filter media conditions), 4-5x Tank Volume, and definitely kills parasites. But I'm using a 36-watt UV, and when the bulb is strong/new I can only run it at night when the room is cooler because it heats the tank 2-3 degrees above ambient room temperature without a single heater cycling on.