uv sterilizer question

[blazehok68]

i am thinking about installing a uv light on my 120. i know these are supposed to help with algae blooms, but will it kill my macro algae?

 

[ironeagle2006]

Nope a UV only kills what floats thru in front of it.

 

[keebler]

They are good at killing copepods, so watch out for that.

 

[sly]

UV will not harm your macro algae at all. As was said, it only kills what physically passes through the sterilizer. Normally you want about a 2x turnover rate through the UV... I've used one for years and still have a pretty good pod population.

 

[blazehok68]

so....existing hair algae in the tank will remain? will it just prevent more from coming back?

 

[sly]

It will not kill any hair algae in the tank... only spores which are in the water. They help keep algae from spreading and from disease outbreaks due to water borne bacteria in the tank.