Do you have a UV sterilizer?

[lesleybird]

Hi, I was wondering how many of you use ultra violet sterilizers, and how do you like them? Do they destroy the plankton food in a reef tank? Do they kill the algea on the rocks that my grazers like? Are they effective for disease prevention?? Any comments on these would be nice. Lesley

 

[karajay]

I didn't vote (not sure where )
I used to have one on my old 55FO for about 4 months. It's hard to say for me about the disease prevention because we never had a problem. I don't know if that's why. It will not kill off your algae, at least it didn't in mine. My base rocks and back glass had all kinds of green algae. And for about a month before I tore the tank down, I had red slime everywhere. I've read many recommendations on this board against having one for a reef for reasons you mentioned.

 

[beth]

UVs, IMO, are only appropriate in FO tanks. I did use it when I had a FO and I felt it did its job. Its not going to cure ich, however, if you introduce it to your aquarium.