uv sterilizer for reef tank

[tnr]

I'm wanting a uv sterilizer for my 90 gal reef.Will there be any problems with this.?

 

[fshhub]

do not add a uv to a reef, they work tooooo good, thye kill everything you want to keep, not just the things you wish to kill, ie. bacteria and planktons

 

[captained]

Well, I won't touch the controversy about whether or not to use one, but I can think of a couple of options if you go that route:

• Use a 15watt unit running with 350gph flow throught it- that would be a little on the small side for a 90, so you'd get some sterilization but not too much.
• I have a UV on my sump return, but a seperate return pump in my refugium (stocked with a detrivore kit) that bypasses it.
  You could consider an ozone generator instead.

A UV is only going to zap free-floating stuff (e.g, "loose" bacteria, some algae, and parasites like Ick during the Tomite Stage.) The nitrfying bacteria in your sand and rock doesn't "float" so they are safe. If you have fine filter feeders, you will need to compensate by adding micro-plankton, etc. that will get zapped. I "spray" my anomones, feather dusters, and sponge with Micro-vert using a syringe so that I know they are getting "fed".
I have notes on my Website on my Research on UVshttp://www.wdcnet.net/edward/uv.html as well as a drawing of my sump/refugiumhttp://www.wdcnet.net/edward/sump-pop.html

 

[maury]

You'll find folks to tell you to use it and to stay away from it. Personally, I use an ozonizer on my reef, keep my ORP at 350, have been doing this almost a year, and my corals thrive. Now, I do only have corals with symbiatic algae as their primary nutrient source. However a I do have a sun coral colony that are primarily filter feeders and it has done extremely well. I do not feed it at all. All of the corals have been in the tank for 8 months or so.

 

[tnr]

Thanks for the help everyone.