UV sterilizer, good or bad?
- Thread starter Antares
- Start date
Welcome to the forum! What type of fish do you have?
How big is your tank? How often do you clean your tank and do water changes? UV sterilizers do work-I use them at work but not at home. So yeah not an absolute must. Used in conjunction with top of the line dual canister filters allows units to go longer between services. I don't have those kinds of issues at home so I don't really need one I just change my water regularly.
How big is your tank? How often do you clean your tank and do water changes? UV sterilizers do work-I use them at work but not at home. So yeah not an absolute must. Used in conjunction with top of the line dual canister filters allows units to go longer between services. I don't have those kinds of issues at home so I don't really need one I just change my water regularly.
I only use one in my pond outside. It gets a lot of direct sun so without it I have solid green water. I prefer to see my fish
So in that case it is a must for me.
Inside I've never had an issue with tank water going green. Even with no plants. And my tanks get direct morning sun and indirect sun the rest of the day. So for tanks I say there isn't a need, in my case anyway.
Keep in mind the only algae it kills is free floating, not the kind that grows on glass and decor.
So in that case it is a must for me. Inside I've never had an issue with tank water going green. Even with no plants. And my tanks get direct morning sun and indirect sun the rest of the day. So for tanks I say there isn't a need, in my case anyway.
Keep in mind the only algae it kills is free floating, not the kind that grows on glass and decor.
Other than the free floating algae they help eliminate, UV sterilizers kill bacteria that flow thru them, but only those that flow thru the light at a slow enough rate to damage their organelles.
They do "not" any bacteria on the fish itself, they do not any bacteria or protozoa on the substrate of other phages that live as sessile biofilm.
They are not a substitute for a quarantine tank, they also do not kill many protozoa with a hard enough cell wall, unless those protozoa spends serious amount of time in the kill zone under a strong enough light.
They do not kill beneficial bacteria (it is sessile)
If you do not regularly clean off the crud that can build up on the inside of the unit, the unit becomes ineffective.
And the bulbs themselves become ineffective after a while, because they loose kill power, so must be regularly changed..
They do "not" any bacteria on the fish itself, they do not any bacteria or protozoa on the substrate of other phages that live as sessile biofilm.
They are not a substitute for a quarantine tank, they also do not kill many protozoa with a hard enough cell wall, unless those protozoa spends serious amount of time in the kill zone under a strong enough light.
They do not kill beneficial bacteria (it is sessile)
If you do not regularly clean off the crud that can build up on the inside of the unit, the unit becomes ineffective.
And the bulbs themselves become ineffective after a while, because they loose kill power, so must be regularly changed..
I use them on my ray tank and always will. The water is clearer and they claim to kill pathogens etc to keep water clearer and prevent diseases and outbreaks etc.
As far as I'm concerned, £100 on a decent UV is not a lot to spend as an insurance policy t protect £1000's of rays! So for these reason I will always use as a 'just in case'.
However in answer to your question, who knows whether actually needed or not.
As far as I'm concerned, £100 on a decent UV is not a lot to spend as an insurance policy t protect £1000's of rays! So for these reason I will always use as a 'just in case'.
However in answer to your question, who knows whether actually needed or not.
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There few things you should take note: if nothing wrong don't try to FIX it.
Most problems in our hobby happen when folks trying to FIX something that not there
If your fish healthy, you don't happen adding new fish because of impulsed buying without quarantine, you keep up the WC, feed right diet, no aggression that cause havoc in your tank then you just leave it alone and enjoy it.
Most problems in our hobby happen when folks trying to FIX something that not there
If your fish healthy, you don't happen adding new fish because of impulsed buying without quarantine, you keep up the WC, feed right diet, no aggression that cause havoc in your tank then you just leave it alone and enjoy it.
I bought an in-tank UV to use on one of my old tanks after an algae bloom and it cleared it up quick, so I went ahead and left it in the tank but after the bulb died for the second time, I gave up on replacing it. I haven't had a problem like that since but if I did, you bet I'd use it again; in the meantime, as long as my tank looks good and has solid parameters, I don't plan on spending the extra money.