is this TRUE?

[danepatrick]

"For fish only tanks, a properly set up ultraviolet sterilizer will kill algal spores in the water and prevent them from gaining a toehold. For planted tanks, this is not a good solution since the UV light will also oxidize trace elements needed by the plants and will limit the plant's growth potential."
it was in an article on algae i just read. will running the sterilizer 24-7 really affect the plants this way and do that to the ferts?

 

[Mr.Geoff]

no its fine to run a UV on planted tanks. many people do it

 

[Chuckeff]

I have heard of people only using uv sterilizer when they have a problem, but leaving it hooked up all the time. Maybe running it a couple of hours a week. I have heard of what you are describing, but I have also heard that it does not cause problems running all of the time.

 

[Honda12]

I am not to sure if it affects like you read it does. But everybody I know who have UV sterilizers only use them when they have a problem. Other wise they leave them off. Or you could just use it for a couple hours a day like someone else suggested.

I don't know why it would affect the fertilizer and stuff since the UV only affects stuff that passes by the light. Anything that doesn't pass through it is unaffected.

 

[danepatrick]

well i imagine at some point in time the ferts will run through it because they aren't bing absorbed by the plants yet.
i think what i will do is just run it for about 6 hours a day. how does that sound?

 

[Honda12]

Sounds fine to me, altough I don't have one so I'm not to sure.

 

[danepatrick]

damnit honda! why don't you know these things?!?!

 

[Honda12]

Maybe I do and I just don't want to share.:lipsseale

 

[Hakon]

Plants don't like too sterile water though

 

[Mr.Geoff]

yes but its not going to be able to break down what they use. if you run it 6 hours a day then youd be fine. hell you could turn it one once or twice a week for a while let it do its thing then turn it off.