added a UV to my 125 reef...yay!

[jer4916]

Well, I added a UV to my reef today,...im told that it will help out with unwanted things like ich,red slime..etc...so yeah ...im just happy that ich shouldn't be an issue ever again!
~Chris

 

[fishfreek]

Yah, i'm doing the same thing in my 38g reef. I had a 5w UV running for a few months and things were great. I sold it and now wish i didn't. I'm going to buy a different one and run it occasionally, just as a precaution. To me, the pros out weighed the cons using a UV in a reef.

 

[jer4916]

I did you notice your water stay'd more clear?...did you see any side affects?...Right now my yellow tang has ich...not bad...just a slight case...hes been in my tank for almost a year...so hes extremely hardy and hes had ich like 3 other times...and pulled through....im sure the uv will help some....
as in when they drop off....the uv will catch it...distroy the spores...etc
~Chris

 

[thangbom]

Uv Are Nice.. I Like Em.. I Have Used Them Befor And Think They Are Great.. But Do Make Shure That It Has Propper Flow Rate Through The Uv.. Or It Wont Work.. Cuzz Certain Things Need To Be Exposed To The Uv Light For A Certain Amount Of Time To Die.. And.. How Did U Get Ich Afther Your Fish Have Been In The Tank For Over 1 Year??... Thats Like Really Bad Luck... I Mean.. Like U Said.. The Spores Are What Cuase Them.. So If They Where Never Introduced Into The Tank. Then You Will Never Get Them.. So I Guess It Had Ich When U First Introduce Him.. And When U Cured It.. U Dint Cure It All The Way....

 

[stingrayjs]

I just added a 8w to my tank about 4 hours ago. Hoping it will help out with unwanted algi, and kill anything else I don't wnat in there. I plain on running mine about 2 hours a day, I put it on a timer. :jumping:

 

[jer4916]

i heard it was best to leave them on 24/7
~Chris

 

[fishieness]

Originally Posted by Jer4916
i heard it was best to leave them on 24/7
~Chris
the problem with this is that UV lights will also kill desired things in your tank. This is why many people leave it on for only a portion of the day. However, as far as ich goes, and often unwanted algae and cyno, as long as your keep your parameters in check, these will not be a problem IMO.

 

[jer4916]

Ich has never been a problem in my tank, i added a clown tang, and it died of ich...(came like that from the store...ich didn't come out till after i bought him)...anyways ...my tang has it now...but its not bad...its almost looking cleared up already ..and no other fish has any signs of it.... my water levels are perfect...just i know i had to arrange some rock..and that might have stressed the tank a bit.
so do you think i should just leave it on for 12 hours a day?
~Chris
if i leave it run for only half the day...will it really work?

 

[fishieness]

it would depend what you want to sacrafice more. since ich is a free floating parasite, then it would be in the water, so the UV will help with that greatly. I do not have a UV because i cant see myself spending that type of money for something seeing how i am already full as far as fish go in my tanks so i wont be introducing realy anything else. But some do argue that it can also kill the bacteria that breaks down waste in your tank. I would leave it on for a good portion of the day, and feed some garlic product like garlic extream to help with the immune system of the fish. The best offence (against ich) is a good defence (the immune system). That is what i would personaly do if i had a UV. some others may disagree though.

 

[stingrayjs]

Yes I would not leave it on all day. From everything i have read, and talked with people, leaving it on all day could cause all kinds of problems. Which is why Im only going to leave it on for 2 hours. Withe the pump I have on it, that will cycle my entire tank twice in that 2 hour peroid.