UV sterilizer???

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tailgate1979

Guest
I got a 55gal reef tank have lost a few fish to ich in the past year. What is yall's input on them. They are pretty high, but are they worth it? Would love to see what yall say thks for the help.
 

florida joe

Well-Known Member
UV sterilizers are great at what they do. Unfortunately they do not provide a complete method of killing the ick parasite. The sheer numbers of free swimming theronts simply do not pass in front of the bulb before they find a host. Then you have contact time involved and how clean the bulb is. Not to mention another down side, the heat introduced into your tank.
 

chain

Member
A uv sterilizer may help with the free-swimming stage of ich a little; however in no way will it rid your tank of, or prevent ich. They are good for algae in the water column or green water, and they help with bad bacteria and any parasites that have a free-swimming stage in their life cycle; however as said previously they won't prevent or rid your tank of any disease or parasite entirely. They do help, but I wouldn't get one thinking you won't have a ich problem again or that you won't have to treat your fish. The only way to prevent ich from entering into your main tank is by making sure not to add it. Quarantine everything before adding it to your main tank, including live rock, sand, fish, inverts, coral, etc. All these things can contain the parasite. Even though inverts, corals, rock, and sand aren't directly infected by the parasite they can still contain it and transport it.
 
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tailgate1979

Guest
how would you quarintine coral and live rock befor you put it in the tank?
 
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