UV Sterilizer yes/no

[predator]

You are right again. I apologize for loosing my cool everybody. It's just that I have been trying all night to get that pic of the orange moon snail on these pages for like 2 hours?????? I at home throwing things around, cussing like a sailer and waking the nieghbors.

 

[ky]

Yikes. Didn't mean to get everybody all jazzed up. The only thing that I was stating as fact was about the bacteria, not that a UV steralizer was necessary. I've said from the beginning that everyone has an opinion, and a choice. Mine is to use a UV steralizer. For me it works great, everything is huge and healthy. My only point is that peole should not make statements like "you should never use a UV steralizer in a reef tank" because for many people, they work great. If you don't like them, state your reason and let people make their own decisions. Don't make your opinion sound like the results of a randomized, double-blind, multi-center trial. If you do have facts, reliable facts, state a source. In my profession, the trial and error method gets people killed and other people sued, so I must rely on facts. So to sum it up, in my opinion, UV steralizers aren't necessary, nor are they lethal, but for me and my three very healthy reef tanks, they work great.

 

[fshhub]

you guys are all right, it can and does work both ways, i just don't like them myself ,and wont use one, but they do have their benefits, as long as you provide for the detriments, but now thinking about it, we have to do the same with a non uv, instead of supplimenting, we need to quarentine and take more precautions(quarentine should still be done, imo though)
sorry about the debate, i jsut agree with sammy, i don't want one for hte reasons i stated before, and the choice is definitely up to the individual, jsut so long as they do understand(as you have said ky) that you must suppliment too
and sorry about being forward, just as was pointed out, we all have our opinions and deserve them(not only me), so sometimes it is easy to get into a debate, i just hate sales pitches even though i am in sales myself(for those who have read before, i have a couple of jobs and am considering going back into full time sales, so do not think i am lying by mentioning my carreer, i currently do both), i want the facts because i know a pitch is a pitch(no ky i am not saying you pitched, i value and respect your opinion, it is a worthy one)
PEACE ALL <img src="graemlins//angel.gif" border="0" alt="[angel]" />

 

[k.lee]

My problem with operating a UV unit, if I owned one, ios that what they kill is indiscrimanate. "Their" ultra vilolet radiation will kill planktonic animals feeding the tank as well as the parasited feeding on fishes.
I rarely, if ever hget ich or ******, or oodnium (fr only?) in a properlyu managed SW tank.
BUT, if you atre keeping prcious fish, as IO mentioned above, like ich magnets, a UV sterilizer could be a good thing.
HTH
Lee

 

[kalvoda]

Not to start things up again but yes the sun is a natural UV sterilizer...Sunlight contains prettymuch all wavelengths of ligh including the UV spectrum it also contain the Infrared spectrum...Most organisms have however evolved to incorporate some form of protection against the UV..Humans for example have melatonin in their skin...only certain bacteria and protozoan lifeforms are still susceptable to low levels of UV radiation and are naturally destroyed in the ocean but can possibly flourish in a closed ecosystem like an aquarium...I myself do not use a sterilizer and everything looks great so far..I have thought about getting one but i dont want to invest the money right now....IMO they would be a good safeguard...And in case you were wondering if my facts on UV have any merit i am majoring in Biology and genetics so yes most if not all this info should be accurate..
Justin

 

[bagofsalt]

I posted this on the other post and I just thought of putting it here...
Sterilization is the safest method of preventing and eliminating problems in an aquarium, or pond. UV will not kill a parasite on the fish, but parasites go through a free floating stage, at which point they are eliminated. Many of us reefers thought of avoiding UV, to keep plankton alive. However, with the skimmers and pumps used on aquariums the plankton population in the water column is virtually non existent. You can use a UV continuously (recommended) or just keep one at the ready, in the event of an outbreak. IMO, its just a matter of choice. I have one right now and been running it for 9 months (I already replaced the bulb 3 months ago, manufacturer recommend to replace bulb every 6 months). So far I didn't get any outbreak of ICK and my softies and corals are doing great. It also lower down thos nasty brown and red algae and for some reasons, the green ones tend to survive. I'm very happy with the results.
P.S. Water is crystal clear also.
P.S.S. I agree with the sun carrying UV. I remembered seeing a documentary on Discovery Channel regarding ocean drifting. One scientist says plantons and some good and bad single celled whatever ... survive to evolve and tend to migrate to other oceans to escape the sun's UV rays and heat. The moon has something to do too other than tides ... i forgot. The ocean keeps bad and good things balanced unless man will trash it.
Just my opinion fshhub and predator and I'm not trying a open another debate here. Peace out.
Reuben.
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[bluto]

For the record...
There ARE beneficial microfauna INSIDE the stomachs of certain fish (tangs for instance).
I'm not saying these are affected by UV (although longterm copper use will kill them off from what I understand), but I think it's important to point out that the previous poster (sorry, I forgot who) is NOT an idiot for suggesting that beneficial bacteria exist inside a fish.
Bluto

 

[bagofsalt]

Originally posted by Bluto:
<strong>For the record...
There ARE beneficial microfauna INSIDE the stomachs of certain fish (tangs for instance).
I'm not saying these are affected by UV (although longterm copper use will kill them off from what I understand), but I think it's important to point out that the previous poster (sorry, I forgot who) is NOT an idiot for suggesting that beneficial bacteria exist inside a fish.
Bluto</strong><hr></blockquote>
I strongly agree to that Bluto. <img src="graemlins//silly.gif" border="0" alt="[silly]" />
Reuben.
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[blondenaso1]

Well kalvoda, I too am a Microbiology and Cell Science Major and I would have to disagree that the sun works as a natural UV sterilizer. Yes, the amount of ultra violet radiation produced by the sun can be detrimental to some microorganisms, not to mention to us too, but a lot of the UVR is obsorbed by Ozone and dissipated by the time it reaches the earth. This amount of UVR is minimal in comparison to the concentration and amount produced by UV sterilizers. UVR from the sun kills about .00000000001% of the microorganisms in the ocean and most of these are the ones on the surface. I don't feel that this is enough to consider the sun a UV "sterilizer".
So...I would agree with Predator and fshhub...the sun is not a sterilizer. And the use of sterilizers are the choice of each individual. In the words of Boomer,"Your tank - Your Choice"

 

[ky]

Bluto
Thanks for giving me the credit of not being a total idiot about bacteria. I would hope that, after 4 years of under-grad, 2 years of graduate, 4 years of med school, 1 year of internship, 3 years of residency, and 5 years of fellowship I know at least a little about bacteria.

 

[kalvoda]

Yes blondenaso i completely agree that there is alot of difference in the level of sterilization between the sun and the UV radiators for aquariums...However i was just stating that the sun can and does sterilize and kill off microrganisms....It may not be much but it is enough to keep some organisms intact and to keep the evolutionary process going..

 

[blondenaso1]

I agree with you, it's just the word STERILIZE is very specific. Other then that your right.
KY - you a doctor? What kind? I'm hopefully headed in that dirrection, but I am only a lowely CNA now.
Fshhub - what languages do you speak?

 

[ky]

Yes. I started as a 'lowely' CNA. Someone has to do all of the work in a hospital