S
simm
Guest
Yup. Me to. Iv got a uv on mine and my reef has been up and runing for over 2 years and my tank is covered in it. Coraline that is.
UV sterilizer on a reef set-up. Yes or No.
- Thread starter ryebread
- Start date
kyaney
Member
I'm a doctor, not a marine biologist, but with humans, it works like this. It is the humans immune system that fights off disease, not the sterility of the air. A human body becomes infected when it is exposed to an antigen and the immune system is weak due to stress or illness or the bosy has never been exposed to the antigen before and therefor has no antibodies to the antigen. In the fishes' case, for instance, it isn't benificial bacteria in the water that protects it from disease, but the fishes' own immune system. If, for some reason, the immune system is compromised and there is an organism in the water (ie. ick), then the fish will become infected. The bad thing is, is that we never know when the fish may be compromised. I know that ick matures in the sand or gravel, but it eventually has to surface in order to infect the compromised fish. And this is where the UV steralizer comes into play. One thing that it does kill floating around in the water is algae spores. This is benificial in the sence that it cuts way down on algae growth, but does limit the amount available for certain inverts. If you're willing to add a supplement (like DT's phytoplankton), then this is a very good trade-off. As always, just my opinion (except for the human attack by antiigens, that is fact), do what you want, but maybe this will help you.
ryebread
Active Member
Hmm........lots of varying opinions for sure. 
I am thinking at this point that I will have the UV plumbed into the system but, not running yet. If I do plan to run it.......it may be for my own experiments to find out what it does or doesn't do for me.
I may toy with cycling the UV. Such as.....run it for one week out of the month or something like that. I will have to play around to see if I like it.
I appreciate all of the opinions (and facts) coming through on the topic and I hope that they keep coming.
I am thinking at this point that I will have the UV plumbed into the system but, not running yet. If I do plan to run it.......it may be for my own experiments to find out what it does or doesn't do for me.
I may toy with cycling the UV. Such as.....run it for one week out of the month or something like that. I will have to play around to see if I like it.
I appreciate all of the opinions (and facts) coming through on the topic and I hope that they keep coming.
kimkissyfish
Member
I say if you have the money now.. GET IT!!!
I had an ich out break and lost all my fish.. so I waited 4 weeks and added more fish.... more ICH.. so they died.........
I bought the UV sterilizer, (18 Watt)turned up the heat in my tank and let it run for 3 days... THEN I bought a pair of clowns.. figuring if they died of ich, not much $$ lost. If they lived, I wanted them in my tank anyway............. The clowns would draw OUT the ICH spores to attach to the fish... BUT the UV was running full force to KILL them..... So now I have added more fish and they are fne SO FAR... All fingers crossed XXX
Also, I added 5 different Coooooool Corals. and added compact lighting... I am LOVIN my tank, So....
I say GO FOR IT!! CANT HURT!!
Also, if you can afford it, even better.. I have great corraline algea growth and no menace algea!!! Hope this helps
Thanking you kindly, Kim
I had an ich out break and lost all my fish.. so I waited 4 weeks and added more fish.... more ICH.. so they died.........
I bought the UV sterilizer, (18 Watt)turned up the heat in my tank and let it run for 3 days... THEN I bought a pair of clowns.. figuring if they died of ich, not much $$ lost. If they lived, I wanted them in my tank anyway............. The clowns would draw OUT the ICH spores to attach to the fish... BUT the UV was running full force to KILL them..... So now I have added more fish and they are fne SO FAR... All fingers crossed XXX
Also, I added 5 different Coooooool Corals. and added compact lighting... I am LOVIN my tank, So....
I say GO FOR IT!! CANT HURT!!
Also, if you can afford it, even better.. I have great corraline algea growth and no menace algea!!! Hope this helps
Thanking you kindly, Kim
reefaddicted
Member
FWIW...about a month ago or so...I had an Ich outbreak in my tank. My tangs and clowns all had spots. I borrowed a UV/pump and the outbreak cleared up.
However...I have 3 cleaner shrimp and during this outbreak was the only time I ever saw my fish present themselves to be cleaned...so maybe they did it. But, I had tem before the outbreak. FWIW
However...I have 3 cleaner shrimp and during this outbreak was the only time I ever saw my fish present themselves to be cleaned...so maybe they did it. But, I had tem before the outbreak. FWIW
fshhub
Active Member
Many algaes
the spores is how it spreads, not growth. that is why I said assuming bubble would b/c...........
Any algae I have seen reproduces and such, spores.
AND
calupera reproduces and puts stuff in the water, jsut like many other plants. I know for a fact, calupera does that, many of us have seen it, it will often cloud the tank.
In both cases, you have free floating living organisms that will produce algae of some type, if they survive to do so.
as for the beneficial bacteria, it is the bacteria in the system that breaks down the nutrients in the cycle, aka natural nitrate reduction.
the spores is how it spreads, not growth. that is why I said assuming bubble would b/c...........
Any algae I have seen reproduces and such, spores.
AND
calupera reproduces and puts stuff in the water, jsut like many other plants. I know for a fact, calupera does that, many of us have seen it, it will often cloud the tank.
In both cases, you have free floating living organisms that will produce algae of some type, if they survive to do so.
as for the beneficial bacteria, it is the bacteria in the system that breaks down the nutrients in the cycle, aka natural nitrate reduction.
badkharma
Member
I've seen many established reef tanks in different LFS's/fellow hobbyists, and almost all of them run UV's 24/7. They have massive coraline growth and pod populations. No hair algae, and no disease outbreaks. There seems to be many that say they are bad and don't run them - and there also seems to be many that say they are good and use them. Rather than theories or opinions - is there anyone here that HAS used a UV on their reef and saw negative effects afterward?
viper_930
Active Member
For those of you who are worried about ick or other parasites, there is some stuff called "NO-ICK Marine". It is a solution that is added directly to the tank and kills all parasites, such as ick. It does not harm any fish, corals, or inverts and it is reef safe. I use it on my tank after three perculas died of some parasitic infection. It doesn't continually kill parasites like a UV would, but it is much cheaper. HTH
fshhub
Active Member
Originally posted by Badkharma
I've seen many established reef tanks in different LFS's/fellow hobbyists, and almost all of them run UV's 24/7. They have massive coraline growth and pod populations. No hair algae, and no disease outbreaks. There seems to be many that say they are bad and don't run them - and there also seems to be many that say they are good and use them. Rather than theories or opinions - is there anyone here that HAS used a UV on their reef and saw negative effects afterward?
well, there is your answer. we merely advised that they can do as good, if not BETTER without and use that $$ towards something else. and that they are NOT necessaryby far.
snipe
Active Member
Originally posted by RyeBread
If I do plan to run it.......it may be for my own experiments to find out what it does or doesn't do for me.
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Get a Cheap Piece of coral put it in a small seperate tank and run the uv in that tank and see what happens. If it dies then dont use it if it thrives slap it on.
If I do plan to run it.......it may be for my own experiments to find out what it does or doesn't do for me.
[/B]
Get a Cheap Piece of coral put it in a small seperate tank and run the uv in that tank and see what happens. If it dies then dont use it if it thrives slap it on.