UV Sterilizers - Recommended?

[andersp90]

You will never find a systemised shop, breeder or wholesaler running without UV on the systems.

???

One of my good friends, who lives a km or so from me, is the biggest cory breeder here in Denmark, with 50+ species in stock. Plus lots of other species.

I know more than a few big breeders, and they all refuse to use uv. UV = weak fish. And I can only agree.

 

[Blue2Fyre]

It will only kill algee floating around the tank.

Any algee growing on the tank´s sides wont be effected, and so will keep spreading.

But buy your UV and see if it solves anything.

Actually when I ran my UV sterilizer on my tank I had a decrease in algae growing on the rocks and the sides of my tank. When I stopped running the UV sterilizer the algae came back. It will have some affect on the algae spread since it will kill any spores in the water.

 

[andersp90]

Actually when I ran my UV sterilizer on my tank I had a decrease in algae growing on the rocks and the sides of my tank. When I stopped running the UV sterilizer the algae came back. It will have some affect on the algae spread since it will kill any spores in the water.

That is prob true, but as I said, it wont solve his problem.

 

[soulpatch]

solve no reduce yes. Reduction is worth the money IMHO

 

[andersp90]

solve no reduce yes. Reduction is worth the money IMHO

Is it?

What if you could solve the problem completely without buying any expenisve equipment?

 

[soulpatch]

Tell you what. You convince my wife to move my tank to somewhere in the house that will not see 12 hours of sunlight....

Until that happens no matter how short of a time I run tank lights, type of bulb, ect I will have algae growth. The direct sunlight will feed it.

I refuse to go live plant since I dont want the hassle and my fish woudl eat it anyway. I am switching to sand to mitigate some of the growth area for the algae.

No matter what though the direct sunlight will continue to fuel the algae growth.


I mean if you all know of something else pile it on me.

 

[andersp90]

Tell you what. You convince my wife to move my tank to somewhere in the house that will not see 12 hours of sunlight....

Until that happens no matter how short of a time I run tank lights, type of bulb, ect I will have algae growth. The direct sunlight will feed it.

I refuse to go live plant since I dont want the hassle and my fish woudl eat it anyway. I am switching to sand to mitigate some of the growth area for the algae.

No matter what though the direct sunlight will continue to fuel the algae growth.

You can reduce the amount of algee if you look at what you feed your fish, how often you feed and how much you feed them, how tall your tanks is, wich tubes you are uisng, how long they are and how many W and how often you change water.

Also, stay away from ancistrus. They are only usefull when they are small.

 

[soulpatch]

Food twice a day and all is eaten as I feed bit by bit to ensure it is used. water change weekly, understocked currently and even more so once in the 125. Pellets mainly for food with some blood worms and occasional live bait (meal worm, nightcrawler)

 

[andersp90]

Food twice a day and all is eaten as I feed bit by bit to ensure it is used. water change weekly, understocked currently and even more so once in the 125. Pellets mainly for food with some blood worms and occasional live bait (meal worm, nightcrawler)

Pellets often contain more enegry pr. gram than say a shrimp. That not a problem. Unlesh you feed the same amount of pellets as you would feed shrimp. When you feed pellets, cut it down to 1/2.

Blood worms contain large amounts phosfor. That is something the algee loves! Also, there isent much energy in them. I would stop using blood worms if I where you.

As I understand it, you feed them twice a day, offering all they can eat each time? Thats not a good idea with your tank placement in mind. Once a day is more than enough. Let them eat what then can in 5 min. Then stop (a pellet or two pr. fish should be enough depending on the pellets size).

If you have large fish and you feed alot, you should change 1/3 of the tanks water twice a week.

Now, what type of tubes do you have? "Plant" tubes or "fish" tubes? T3 or T5? How long are they and how many do you have? How tall is your tank?

Also, get an L200 (both species work very well). You will get shocked by the rate of wich they eat algee.

How many fish do you have? Wich species? How big are they?

 

[soulpatch]

Blood worms are a treat as are the other forms of live bait so no worries there.

Morning feeding is very light as the main meal is at night. The oscars plead for food with their eyes when I come downstairs. LOL.

Fish are still juvies so no need for 2 water changes a week. They are all of 3 inches long at most... I do one solid cleaning each week with gravel vacs and such. Water is then retreated for the amounts I add with appropriate chems depending on the PH level of my tap water that day...

Tank is a single 48" tube and is a fish tube. Std height for a 55 which off the top of my head is around 20" The 125 I am moving too will have 2 fixtures with a single bulb to stretch the length of the tank and to be honest I have not looked at them since I just got the tank to see what type of bulb they are. I am contemplating moving to LED anyway with the basic marineland LED lights. Not the stronger plant/live rock ones.

fish 2 oscars, 1 green terror, 2 Pimelodus blochii, and a common plec. No fish is over 3 inches.

l200 is not too common around me in any LFS Would have to be ordered in...