Are they nesseccary if you are gonna be doing a planted tank? I know they are helpful, especially if you are doing a HL tank. Can you make it without one though or is it gonna be a pain keepin all the algae away with all the light?
UV Sterilizers
- Thread starter Peanut_Power
- Start date
the algae in a planted tank is usually just a stage, you may go though it, you may not, all dpends on how many plants you got and how much fertilizer and light you have.
usually though, once the tank is well established the plants should out-compete the algae for nutrients.
oh and algae will stay in check if you replace the bulbs every 6 months to a year, its when the bulbs get older and loose there potency do they start casue problems with algae.
usually though, once the tank is well established the plants should out-compete the algae for nutrients.
oh and algae will stay in check if you replace the bulbs every 6 months to a year, its when the bulbs get older and loose there potency do they start casue problems with algae.
the one on the tank walls, driftwood and others will stay but the one in floating will be gone. basically if you have a pond and it has been green and with algea all around it, the only thing the uv will do is make it clear and no algea floating around the pond. the one established at the bottom will stay.
The best thing you can do for algea is keep your ferts in order and crank up the Co2. Keeping your Co2 at 30+ppm in a high tech tank is almost a must or your asking for problems. When you are first starting the tank up make sure you have a ton of fast growers.
There are going to be varied opinions on this based on personal experiences, however ultimately, I think that if this is something you feel is important (which, obviously you do since you posted), then why not just invest in one and see how things go. IMO you have nothing to lose, even if you decide that this particular tank may not need to have a unit ran in it, you will always have one for future endeavors, so why not?
-Emi
-Emi
How do you calculate the ppm for Co2? Do you tank the gallonage of the tank and # of bubbles per minute or something and divide them into each other? Or is there a tester?