UV on Reef? Please dont jump to conclusions

[spruce]

What do you think about this:
18-25 watt UV sterilizer running on a 75G reef tank, BUT religiously adding Kent marine’s Plankton. UV would be used to help control unwanted diseases, parasites, algae, and water clarity.
I know probably most people will say its not a good idea cause the UV will kill the good stuff as well as the bad stuff. But I would religiously add the good stuff back to the tank. At least the stuff that I can add back. I’m hoping most of my pod population would not swim over the over-flow and to the UV. Also thinking that even without a UV, most of the pod population that does swim over the over-flow doesn’t successfully navigate through my pre-filters, sump, skimmer and two return pumps anyways.
What do you think?
Thanks,
B

 

[kathy18]

I have been using one for about 3 years now and my tank does great. All corals do GREAT, and never any fatalities (knock on wood). The only thing is there is a lack of copapods, and all the little bugs, etc. But everything does great w/o them so works for me!

 

[spruce]

hmm very good points guys... thanks...
Sammy:
I see what you mean about the baby copepods. Seems like their population could be stastained as long as they dont swim through the filter system. Right now I have thousands of pods, and want to keep a mandarin dragonet. In your opinion this would be 100% imposible with a UV? And Do you think there will be a 100 percent chance of having no pod population if I run one?
Kathy:
Thanks a bunch for the reply. I am glad to get a positive response to my question. I want to run a UV because I want to house a tang, but I know how suceptable they are to Ich. In your case Kathy, with no pods, then I assume you dont house a mandarin dragonet?
grrrr, wish I could have my cake, and eat ... just a little of it. or however that saying goes.
Thanks again,
B

 

[fshhub]

also, having one does not insure success with a tang, or success against ich. At the same time, not having one does not insure failure either.
Tangs do GREAT without them, and ich also does GOOD in tanks that have them.
So do NOT rely on one as a success ingredient for a tang or against ich. And do not asssume FAILURE without one. There are many things that can be doen to help prevent ich which are reef friendly and proven to be even more of a help.
End result, if you want one, fine, just bear in mind that it does not insure what you seem to be assuming. And not having one, the same stands here too.
PS, I am with sammy here. my feelings are not to have one, personally.

 

[hairtrigger]

Tell me about it. I have ich right now, my UV is running too. I brought a new fish in from the LFS... iched out... it infested the tank. Arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

[fshhub]

tiem to Quarentine and start Hypo, the uv will only pull out what is free floating and goes therough it, not any more either, so here we would be at square one, as you are aware the uv will not fix the problem now/
Unfortunataely this does hapen and partly b/c some do rely on thiers, not realizing it can and does still happen.

 

[hairtrigger]

Yeah, the only thing is... they are in a 200 gallon tank. Catching the little ba$**rds would be a pain. I am trying a little bit higher temperature for now. I have removed the stress causers by luck.
That stuff kick ich is horrible isn't it?

 

[spruce]

fshhub,
My plan was to quarantine all new fish for atleast 4 weeks. Slowly adjusting them to copper or Hypo( I havent made up my mind on which to do yet) Then adding them to the main tank. Keeping the main tank's water quality perfect. Doing 7% water changes every week. and Checking water stats weekly and adjusting values accordingly. And charting the stats and what I dose for future reference.
Also, being as carfull as I can not to drip the tinyest bit of water from Q-tank or LFS's tank into my main tank. And using shrimp, garlic, and UV to controll Ich. As well as keeping the tank as stress free as I possibly can.
I'm so worried though if I do all this and then eventually have an Ich breakout, that I will not have the setup to quarantine more then one fish at a time. I'm also having a hard time deciding if pulling a fish to treat it wont make matters worse cause we all know catching and moving a fish is extremely stressfull for them which is the main source of Ich in the 1st place.
Which is why I am debating the UV now....
hmmm, sure hope Broomer5, Rye, and the other veterans kick in and reply with their advice.
I reguard Sammy a veteran too. Fshhub and Kristy you guys may be extreemly experienced as well, and I ttruely appreciate your advice... I just have not read much from you guys yet...... Just wanted to say that so I wouldnt hurt anyones feelings while I was wishing for Broomers, and other additional replys in my last paragraph.
Thanks,
B

 

[fshhub]

Originally posted by Spruce
fshhub,
t
hmmm, sure hope Broomer5, Rye, and the other veterans kick in and reply with their advice.
I reguard Sammy a veteran too. Fshhub and Kristy you guys may be extreemly experienced as well, and I ttruely appreciate your advice... I just have not read much from you guys yet......
B
Posts: 4484, they are here, somewhere.
but do not go only upon the fact of who posts how much, either

 

[mikegronholz]

I have a UV in my sump. If you check around, I also had a pod explosion a week or so ago. Now barely anything !!! I figure (after reading) that the explosion happened and as they began free floating around to find food, they got sucked in to the sump and ZAP. There are a FEW left. So, would I take the UV off due to this ?.........YES
BUT
My clowns and firefish came down with a case of ich after I changed a little too much water and the heater broke and the temperature dropped 5 degrees. Added some garlic food and all signs of ich were gone in about 3 days. Would I keep the UV due to this ?..........YES
So what now ? Keep it or sell it ? I have planned to turn the UV off and see what happens. But everytime I go to unplug it, I swear I see a white spot. It is probably just me imagining things, but you see my predicament. Like Broomer says, "Your tank, Your choice". Right now, I can't bring myself to unplug it.
On the flip side, my 20g with no UV was used as a QT and the Naso that was being treated in there died from black ich. Should I add a UV ?.........YES
BUT
The 20g tank is COVERED in pods (big ones too). They are everywhere. When a peppermint is out feeding, it almost looks like the rocks are moving from the swarms that are running. Should I not add a UV ?.........YES
Anyway, just my personal experience. Where is the happy medium ? There isn't one. Just assess the positives and negatives, and as Nike says, "Just Do It". Add it or don't. Decide though and stand behind your decision.
Mike

 

[ironreef]

IME if you have a reef???? Even if you use hypo in a qtank copper, uv ect... It doesn't matter if you don't have good water quality and fish that don't get along.IME if you add a tang and it's fighting with another it will get ick. Or if you have poor water quality and poor diet. You need to buy a fat healthy one thats eating and not overcrowd it. Thats much better than a uv. IME tangs are very hardy fish in the right conditions which are suppose to live @50yrs in the wild