quick UV filter question
- Thread starter entice59
- Start date
T
thomas712
Guest
It won't kill ick on your fish
It wont kill ick in your substrate
It will only kill free floating ick if it has enough hang time in the UV light, if the UV light has been setup correctly, and if the bulb isn't too old.
They don't belong on a reef tank IMO, they kill too many things in your water colum that you really would benifit from.
Thomas
It wont kill ick in your substrate
It will only kill free floating ick if it has enough hang time in the UV light, if the UV light has been setup correctly, and if the bulb isn't too old.
They don't belong on a reef tank IMO, they kill too many things in your water colum that you really would benifit from.
Thomas
tangman99
Active Member
Originally posted by entice59
thanks for the reply, i guess its useless for saltwater tanks then
This topic has been debated with great arguments on both sides to take one opinion as correct. IMHO, I don't think they are useless on a saltwater tank at all. I have always had a UV on my tank both when it was a FO and now as a reef. In 4 years, I've only had one ick outbreak and no other fish problems. Is this because of the UV or luck? I don't know, but I believe if it's not broken, don't fix it.
T
thomas712
Guest
Just continuing the disscusion -
If you know anything about molecular biology, you will realize that the prospects for this device working are too slim to warrant the cost. UV radiation, in theory, should disrupt the ability of a cell to divide by altering genetic sequences. For the sterilizer to work correctly, the water would need to be slow to stagnant under the radiation for it to have a positive effect on any parasites, grater bulbs perhaps having greater ability, and this just isn't the case. The transient time of water rushing by is too small to be effective. This is why it has to be set up correctly. Also to me this is one more possablilty of glass breaking in the UV, whether it be the bulb itelf, which gets covered in slime and reduces effectiveness, or the sleeve which also gets dirty and reduces its ability to work. I just don't think they are worth the money and they tend to kill the good stuff first.
I will give it the ability to clean the bad algea out of the water, sometimes that is enough of a heaven send to make people love them.
Just a few thoughts
Thomas
If you know anything about molecular biology, you will realize that the prospects for this device working are too slim to warrant the cost. UV radiation, in theory, should disrupt the ability of a cell to divide by altering genetic sequences. For the sterilizer to work correctly, the water would need to be slow to stagnant under the radiation for it to have a positive effect on any parasites, grater bulbs perhaps having greater ability, and this just isn't the case. The transient time of water rushing by is too small to be effective. This is why it has to be set up correctly. Also to me this is one more possablilty of glass breaking in the UV, whether it be the bulb itelf, which gets covered in slime and reduces effectiveness, or the sleeve which also gets dirty and reduces its ability to work. I just don't think they are worth the money and they tend to kill the good stuff first.
I will give it the ability to clean the bad algea out of the water, sometimes that is enough of a heaven send to make people love them.
Just a few thoughts
Thomas
tangman99
Active Member
Damnit Thomas, now you've got me debating taking the thing off again. 
I did turn if off for a week once to see what would happen and algea formed like crazy on my glass so I turned it back on and left it at that. As I said, I've read a lot a good and bad points to using them and I never could decide what was best so I just kept mine as it never caused any problems and I have had a very healthy tank.
Entice, do some searches not only on this board but on others and the web itself. You will find a lot of information about using them and then you to my friend can be just as confused as myself.
Good luck.
I did turn if off for a week once to see what would happen and algea formed like crazy on my glass so I turned it back on and left it at that. As I said, I've read a lot a good and bad points to using them and I never could decide what was best so I just kept mine as it never caused any problems and I have had a very healthy tank.Entice, do some searches not only on this board but on others and the web itself. You will find a lot of information about using them and then you to my friend can be just as confused as myself.
Good luck.
krux
Member
there is a pretty good review on the effects of a uv filter in fama about 3 months back. if you know someone with a collection look around march or april. the issue deals with what uv kills, how it works, and how to properly size one for your volume of tank. the article primarily dealt with pond applications, but the information on contact, recirculation percentages, and cell irradiation are all apropos.
with enough recirculation, the contact time of the uv radiation on a single cell actually reaches something lethal doses on like 98% of organisms that pass through it. you just can not make use of smaller units like 8 watt modules and expect it to have any effect on anything but a nano for purposes other than algae.
uv has some good advantages in fish only and aggressive tanks, but as thomas pointed out, there are just as many reasons not to use them, if not more, on reef tanks where the entire food chain for many inhabitants is based on the particles that the uv will affect.
if i can find my magazines laying around i will try to get you the exact month.
with enough recirculation, the contact time of the uv radiation on a single cell actually reaches something lethal doses on like 98% of organisms that pass through it. you just can not make use of smaller units like 8 watt modules and expect it to have any effect on anything but a nano for purposes other than algae.
uv has some good advantages in fish only and aggressive tanks, but as thomas pointed out, there are just as many reasons not to use them, if not more, on reef tanks where the entire food chain for many inhabitants is based on the particles that the uv will affect.
if i can find my magazines laying around i will try to get you the exact month.
gatorcsm
Member
I agree that they kill too much of the good stuff. I had one that worked well at controlling algae.. But it also affected copods and coraline algae. Once I took it off, coraline started to grow, and copods took off.
For a reef it is not recommended or desired.
However, some people have obviously had success with a UV, so just like everything in this hobby, there is no black and white answer...
For a reef it is not recommended or desired.
However, some people have obviously had success with a UV, so just like everything in this hobby, there is no black and white answer...