TomFromStLouis
05-12-2003, 11:22 PM
Since I have littered this forum with all kinds of questions, I thought I would post something useful with no questions included. I had green water after I inadvertantly cooked my beneficial bacteria colony. This gave algae a food source and it would not go away on its on, despite water changes and many plants. Visibility shrank to 6-8", so I resigned myself to throwing money at the problem.
I read the Krib and figured a diatom filter would work for me even though everyone seemed to think it was a pita to use. When I called to see if my lfs had one, they suggested a UV sterilizer. They claim that every marine setup should have one given the cost and risks of water problems with $75 fish. "It might clear it up in 2-3 hours" he said. Well, I was desperate, so I shelled out $$$.
Some slight improvement the next day, a big improvement the next, and after the weekend I have the clearest water I have ever seen in an aquarium. If there are no bacteria in the water, I bet it is better than Perrier for drinking! I have not tried that yet, but count me as a believer in the UV sterilizer concept*.
Just FYI
* water passes past an ultraviolet lamp which kills all water born bacteria and algae. Replace the bulb annually.
I read the Krib and figured a diatom filter would work for me even though everyone seemed to think it was a pita to use. When I called to see if my lfs had one, they suggested a UV sterilizer. They claim that every marine setup should have one given the cost and risks of water problems with $75 fish. "It might clear it up in 2-3 hours" he said. Well, I was desperate, so I shelled out $$$.
Some slight improvement the next day, a big improvement the next, and after the weekend I have the clearest water I have ever seen in an aquarium. If there are no bacteria in the water, I bet it is better than Perrier for drinking! I have not tried that yet, but count me as a believer in the UV sterilizer concept*.
Just FYI
* water passes past an ultraviolet lamp which kills all water born bacteria and algae. Replace the bulb annually.