how critical is UV?

[drkegel]

I've been keeping a FOWLR for about 7 months now, and just bought a new tank to go to a reef set up. My question is how critical is a UV sterilizer to a system? I've read about them, but wanted to hear some actual real world experiences with/without them. The tank I bought is 72 gal bow with 3" SB and going to have about 120 lbs. of LR. The lights are 384 watts of PC's. I bought a Berlin protein skimmer, which I haven't hooked up yet as the tank is still cycling. I'm also building a refugium to be on opposite light schedule as the reef.

 

[underthesea]

The benefits of having a uv system is so that you have better chances of not getting diseses in your tank like ick. when the water flows through the uv it will kill the cysts. That is what I have been told and since i have been running one i have never had a sick fish

 

[drkegel]

OK, I understand what they do and how they do it. But my question is, how critical is it to use one? Can I legitimatly keep a reef without one, or will it alleviate so many problems that it's indispensible?

 

[jamesp]

It's a matter of preference. You can run any tank with out one. It’s just an extra precaution against diseases.

 

[tangdude]

I can't seem to run a tank without a UV sterilized. If it's not running, within a month or so I had a damsel with something pink growing on the side of his body. I turned the UV back on and it cleared up within a week.

 

[jimi]

It is a matter of preference as stated. If you talk to some serious reefers they would curse at you for even thinking of using one on a reef tank. Because a u/v does not discriminate on what it kills, it kills alot of benefitial micro organisms that corals use. If you practice good quarantine habits with all fish you should never need a u/v. If its not a reef tank and you lack the patience to quarantine your fish then it would not hurt.

 

[sylock]

I thought they killed beneficial things too though. I was under the impression that you did _NOT_ want to use this with a reef set-up.

 

[goofyreefer]

I've had a few UV's and the one thing that seemed to always happen is the bulb would burn out quickly. They would last 2 or 3 months and it got to be a pain to change them as well as buy new bulbs.

 

[templar]

I would never use a UV in a tank, I think it kills to many good things. You can do other steps to prevent diseases such as quarantine, cleaner shrimp, cleaner fish, and soaking food in garlic.