Will a UV Sterilizer control algae?
- Thread starter sunvalley aquarist
- Start date
It will rid the tank of free floating algae...
It will limit the algae growing on surfaces from spreading as algae spreads via a free floating stage...
In my experience a UV light will reduce the amount of algae that exists on surfaces, but will not remove algae growing on surfaces...
It will limit the algae growing on surfaces from spreading as algae spreads via a free floating stage...
In my experience a UV light will reduce the amount of algae that exists on surfaces, but will not remove algae growing on surfaces...
Not the algae that already colonized surface but the free floating one. The flow I use for algae control is within 20 to 30 times per UV-C Watt. That is, for a 5W UV-C placed in a 30gal tank, I run a pump/powerhead within 100 to 150 WPG.
I stay on the lower side of UV-C wattage as possible. I use 5W UV-C for tanks under 100gal; and 9W for my 145gal (which actually holds 120gals of water).
You still need to remove algae fixed on surfaces. Once you do that algae control via UV-C is likely easy to do. Replace the UV-C lamp (and carefully clean the quartz sleeve) every six months.
Pepetj
Santo Domingo
I stay on the lower side of UV-C wattage as possible. I use 5W UV-C for tanks under 100gal; and 9W for my 145gal (which actually holds 120gals of water).
You still need to remove algae fixed on surfaces. Once you do that algae control via UV-C is likely easy to do. Replace the UV-C lamp (and carefully clean the quartz sleeve) every six months.
Pepetj
Santo Domingo
I personally am not a fan of the UV as you are destroying the good with the bad, it only takes care of free floating particles in the water column you are better off making sure your water conditions are good increase your mechanical filtration to collect the fine free floating particles. Make sure you clean your Mechanical filtration a little more often to make sure that it stays under control. Other then that control how much light you are running in a system to not feed the algae growth.