Does a UV sanitizer kill beneficial bacteria?
- Thread starter Carpet Man
- Start date
Carpet Man;4007446; said:
Your beneficial bacteria lives on the substrate, and your bio-media.
A UV light sanitizes the water, so it's not killing any of the bacteria that's colonized in your tank.
UV's are actually pretty useful especially with larger tanks.
UV sterilizer/clarifiers emit UV-C rays... also know as UVC radiation...
The bulb emits radiations that affects whatever passes in front of it. The stronger or more complex the organism, the longer it will take for the radiation to kill it...
This is why we suggest slow flow rates for killing parasites (more complex organisms) and faster flow rates for killing algae (very simple organisms).
UVC radiation will kill bacteria that flows through the UV light.
"Beneficial Bacteria" as we so often call it, grows on surfaces. This includes substrate and bio media, but also includes mechanical media, decor, pipes, the side walls of the tank, the side walls of the filter boxes, etc, etc, etc...
When we start a new tank, it's a good idea not to hook up a UV light right away. This is to help allow bacteria to migrate throughout the system. It will become dislodged from one area and float to another area. Once the tank is mature, the very small amoutn of bacteria that is killed while migrating through a UV light will be inconsequencial.
The bulb emits radiations that affects whatever passes in front of it. The stronger or more complex the organism, the longer it will take for the radiation to kill it...
This is why we suggest slow flow rates for killing parasites (more complex organisms) and faster flow rates for killing algae (very simple organisms).
UVC radiation will kill bacteria that flows through the UV light.
"Beneficial Bacteria" as we so often call it, grows on surfaces. This includes substrate and bio media, but also includes mechanical media, decor, pipes, the side walls of the tank, the side walls of the filter boxes, etc, etc, etc...
When we start a new tank, it's a good idea not to hook up a UV light right away. This is to help allow bacteria to migrate throughout the system. It will become dislodged from one area and float to another area. Once the tank is mature, the very small amoutn of bacteria that is killed while migrating through a UV light will be inconsequencial.
