I want to get a UV light for my 20&72 gallon tank

[joe.chiefsparky.1620]

I'm pretty sure I won't need no more then a 9watt UV light for my 20 gallon tank to fight against my brown algae , but not sure how high I need to go for my 72 gallon witch has no algae yet. Also would having it help prevent or fight agents inch or ick

 

[flower]

I'm pretty sure I won't need no more then a 9watt UV light for my 20 gallon tank to fight against my brown algae , but not sure how high I need to go for my 72 gallon witch has no algae yet. Also would having it help prevent or fight agents inch or ick

Hi, welcome to the site!

A UV light is not going to help you. Check your phosphate and nitrate levels, nuisance algae feeds on these. Use only RO (reverse osmosis) water, and never tap or well water. UV lights will not prevent ich, quarantining all new fish however will. I have always been told that UV lights are a waste of money, and only kill off the good little critters that come out at night and swim around that you need alive to keep things balanced.

 

[geridoc]

Hi, welcome to the site!

A UV light is not going to help you. Check your phosphate and nitrate levels, nuisance algae feeds on these. Use only RO (reverse osmosis) water, and never tap or well water. UV lights will not prevent ich, quarantining all new fish however will. I have always been told that UV lights are a waste of money, and only kill off the good little critters that come out at night and swim around that you need alive to keep things balanced.

I'm not even sure that hobbyist-grade UV lights will kill the critters that come out at night - the light intensity is just too low and the flow rates generally too high to produce much of an exposure. Commercial-grade lights will be effective in protecting cross-contamination of multiple tanks, but that's about it.