Just had a thought with UV sterilisers

[rumblesushi]

ALthough I think UV sterilisers are great, and work brilliantly, something just occured to me.

Setting up a new tank with a UV steriliser, using say an old sponge squeezed in the water or bio-spira to speed the cycle would be useless as the UV would destroy the bacteria before it colonized in the filter. ALthough the existing bacteria in the filter is safe from the UV, any free floating bacteria added from the aforementioned methods would be destroyed, right?

 

[Danh]

I dont know too much about sterilizers... except that they are spelled with a Z... But i dont think they kill that kind of bacteria....

someone may correct me.

 

[rkc772]

ALthough I think UV sterilisers are great, and work brilliantly, something just occured to me.

Setting up a new tank with a UV steriliser, using say an old sponge squeezed in the water or bio-spira to speed the cycle would be useless as the UV would destroy the bacteria before it colonized in the filter. ALthough the existing bacteria in the filter is safe from the UV, any free floating bacteria added from the aforementioned methods would be destroyed, right?

From what I was told by Marineland (Bio-Spira), if you will be using bio-spira you would need to turn off your UV sterilizer for at least 48 hours them after you can turn it back on. I have a 180 cycling and i just put the beneficial bacteria and left the uv light on. and it would be on its 4th week and my amonia is zero and my nitrite is 0.25 going towards zero. i would suggest to turn it off first for the first 2-3 days this would speed the cycling and the bactria would colonize on the gravel or filter that the tank has.

 

[LA213]

is it okay to set up the UV sterilizer and use it just to get rid of an algae bloom and take it right back off after its gone? or is it better to keep it on?

 

[metant]

ALthough I think UV sterilisers are great, and work brilliantly, something just occured to me.

Setting up a new tank with a UV steriliser, using say an old sponge squeezed in the water or bio-spira to speed the cycle would be useless as the UV would destroy the bacteria before it colonized in the filter. ALthough the existing bacteria in the filter is safe from the UV, any free floating bacteria added from the aforementioned methods would be destroyed, right?

Yes, I agree with you. It will kill all the floating bacteria. Much better to turn it on after you cycle the tank.

 

[HarleyK]

ALthough I think UV sterilisers are great, and work brilliantly, something just occured to me.

Setting up a new tank with a UV steriliser, using say an old sponge squeezed in the water or bio-spira to speed the cycle would be useless as the UV would destroy the bacteria before it colonized in the filter. ALthough the existing bacteria in the filter is safe from the UV, any free floating bacteria added from the aforementioned methods would be destroyed, right?

.

 

[redtailfool]

Agreed

 

[Dr Joe]

ALthough I think UV sterilisers are great, and work brilliantly, something just occured to me.

Setting up a new tank with a UV steriliser, using say an old sponge squeezed in the water or bio-spira to speed the cycle would be useless as the UV would destroy the bacteria before it colonized in the filter. ALthough the existing bacteria in the filter is safe from the UV, any free floating bacteria added from the aforementioned methods would be destroyed, right?

Agreed, when cycling a tank always turn off the UV and take out the carbon. Otherwise you could be trying to cycle forever.

 

[Dr Joe]

is it okay to set up the UV sterilizer and use it just to get rid of an algae bloom and take it right back off after its gone? or is it better to keep it on?

If it is an established tank leave the UV on all the time or put it on a timer for 8hrs 0n - 8hrs off if your trying to lengthen bulb life and your tank is not showing signs of heavy algae contamination.

 

[Dr Joe]

I dont know too much about sterilizers... except that they are spelled with a Z... But i dont think they kill that kind of bacteria....

someone may correct me.

That's 'cauZe 'S' makes a SSSSSSSSSSS sound

UV will kill all agae, some are just harder to kill or breed faster than the equipment can handle.

That's why the warnings about NEVER looking at the UV light or long exposure to it.

Remember they were originally called 'germicidal lamps'.

UV-C -100nm-280nm, is gericidal light. It actually deactivates the DNA of bacteria, viruses & pathogems and when they try to breed they die.