uv sterilizer question

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
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CHRIS79

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 10, 2006
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Well had second ich outbreak took out first sign and put him in hospital tank cause I didnt want to treat a 220 again. Well it passed to others.... so I will treat tank again hopefully with success, but I think the culprate is the crazy weather hot as hell then cool and rainy:nilly: readjusted heaters to compinsate but the question is will a uv sterilizer help or would have really helped looking to get a 24W for tank tomorow already raised temp and salted.... but think I should get the uv serilizer I really dont like having problems with my tanks like this aggresion issues I can deal with everyone loves free fish LOL but seriously what you guys think about adding this thing.
 
I have been using UV lights for well over 5 years... I gained most of my practical experience with them while raising Blue Dempseys which are well known to suffer from parasitic illnesses and I used the UV lights to kill/prevent parasites...

I have been using the equation:

1 W of UV strength per 10 US gallons of tank/system volume…
10 gph flowing past through the unit for every 1W per gallon…

I have found this combination to eliminate green water, clarify water as well as eradicate parasites.

So I would suggest a 24W UV light connected inline with a canister filter that has an actual flow rate of 240 gph…

I suggest using them with a Canister filter as opposed to a pump/powerhead because… the UV uses a quartz sleeve to separate the water from the bulb. Quartz is “scratch resistant” but not “scratch proof” any particles that move through the UV unit have the potential of putting teeny tiny scratches on the quartz sleeve which over time can cause cloudiness which reduces the effectiveness of the UV light… Also… each and every particle that moves through the lamp casts a tiny shadow inside the UV unity. These shadows also reduce the effectiveness of the UV light.

Using a larger UV light will not cause any problems in any way. The only time/way a UV light can cause a problem is if used with an extremely low flow rate and allows the water passing through it to heat up to very high temps. I do not see ever having a problem like this on a large tank such as you are using (220 gal).

If you wish to oversize the UV, feel free to oversize the canister accordingly. I have found turning the tanks volume over once per hour is sufficient for parasitic eradication, but turning it over more times per hour, provided you keep the flow rate through the UV at 10 gph per W of UV strength or less, can only increase your safety.

Be cautious who you take advice from. I have read many suggestions in similar threads based on internet heresy as opposed to personal experience that has lead UV users astray. Every single UV user I have ever met/talked to who was not satisfied with the UV lights performance, either used too small of a light for their tank, or pushed water through it too quickly…

Turning the bulb on puts more wear on the bulb than considerable ongoing use. Using the UV light 12 hour on / 12 hour off may slightly elongate the life of the bulb… turning on/off more frequently than this is likely to reduce the life of the bulb…

The UV strength of the bulb wears down slowly over time and will be gone well before the bulb stops illuminating light. So just because the indicator on the UV unit shows the lamp is on, does not mean it is emitting UV rays. Manufacturers recommend changing the bulb every 9~12 months. I replace mine yearly and have not really tested stretching this as my research has confirmed their recommendation to be logical.
 
I cant say much more than NC nutcase. I have an 18 watt turbo twist hooked to an aquaclear powerhead that has the snap on filter and its doing a great job. Water clarity and everything seems a lot more pleasing to the fish. I highly recommend them. They help with algae and bacterial issues as well.
 
FWIW, I have the UV lights on my tanks running off the same timer as my tank lights, so they are on/off 12hrs day . . . from everything I've read, and from personal experience, this has proven to be effective . . .
 
CHRIS79;3254442; said:
Well had second ich outbreak took out first sign and put him in hospital tank cause I didnt want to treat a 220 again. Well it passed to others.... so I will treat tank again hopefully with success, but I think the culprate is the crazy weather hot as hell then cool and rainy:nilly: readjusted heaters to compinsate but the question is will a uv sterilizer help or would have really helped looking to get a 24W for tank tomorow already raised temp and salted.... but think I should get the uv serilizer I really dont like having problems with my tanks like this aggresion issues I can deal with everyone loves free fish LOL but seriously what you guys think about adding this thing.
Click to expand...


yes it will help

how much and are they worth the time and expense? thats the very debatable part

as was mentioned the UV will only kill what flows through it....different strengths and dwell times kill different things. Basically the bigger the critter your trying to kill the higher the dose and dwell time required to kill it.

the challenge though can be getting what you want to kill into the sterilizer

many of the thing people wish to kill with it reside in/on the fish or in/on the substrate for example and the UV will do them no harm unless they are forced through the sterilizer
 
many parasites have a free-swimming stage, either after eggs are hatched (Ich) or after they are expelled in feces (internal parasites) . . . in theory, your UV light would be able to kill them at this stage, as they would be pulled into the filter . . .

but this is why you should also keep anti-parasite medications and anti-parasite fish foods handy at all time

a UV light may not eliminate parasite problems, but it is another tool in your arsenal to fight parasites, bad water, etc. . . . I didn't get a UV until I got my EBJD, and now that I have them on both of my tanks, I definitely believe they have made a difference in overall fish health and water quality . . .
 
Thanks everybody I agree with all different experiences problem I will have is I got a 2262 so not sure about or heard of someone hooking one up to one. Also I agree problem is getting the parasites and what not to pass through the light in my situation since it has already spread. Anyhow its all about MFK overfiltration and it cant hurt to install so gonna go pick one up. Thanks everyone.
 
I understand / agree many parasites live in/on fish/substrate... yet I have ample experience that a UV light will still eradicate these parasites... including internal parasites (common to Blue Dempseys) and ick...


I would also like to add that I have raised many Blue Dempseys in tanks with UV lights... and then kept them as adults in tanks without UV lights... and therefore I feel the theory that using UV lights somehow inhibit the development of immune systems is purely speculative with no evidence to support it... but there is evidence to oppose it...
 
I am not a planted tank guy....but there is also some mention in the planted tank community that UVs degrade some of the important trace minerals/fertilizers needed by plants

I have no idea if true or not but thought I would mention it so if it applies to you that you could do some further research
 
I have UVs on my tanks, and they are heavily planted . . . can't say that I've noted any ill-effects from using UV, but it's an interesting point
 
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