View Full Version : Questions about UV Sterilizers
Do UV Sterilizers really work?? I am looking at one made by Tetra that has a 5 watt UV bulb. I am afraid using one will kill the beneficial Bacteria in my aquarium? Any advice will be appreciated.
TMan
I have the Tetra 5W in my 30 gallon cichlid tank. It kills bacterial and algal bloom and diseases such as ich that free-float in the water, but anything in your filter, sand, etc is not harmed, just the free-floating stuff. It does not kill ich on an infested fish. It helps if you tend to overfeed or overload your tank, but it's not necessary if you are careful. The 5W is about the smallest unit you can get, and not good beyond around 30 gals. For SW reef I don't think it is a good idea, as it will sterilize the live nutrients your corals and inverts eat.
I may go with a unit that is a little larger than the 5 watt model.
When I add bacterial additives like stress zyme to the water are the bacteria
not free floating until they attach to the filter media and other surfaces? Seems as though the UV would kill the beneficial stuff while they are free floating in the water.
I have never used a UV sterilizer but I have read that they shouldn't be used until your bacteria colonies are established and when using something like stress zyme. I don't know what their long term affect on bacterial colonies is. :confused:
I have the Tetra 5W in my 30 gallon cichlid tank. It kills bacterial and algal bloom and diseases such as ich that free-float in the water, but anything in your filter, sand, etc is not harmed, just the free-floating stuff. It does not kill ich on an infested fish. It helps if you tend to overfeed or overload your tank, but it's not necessary if you are careful. The 5W is about the smallest unit you can get, and not good beyond around 30 gals. For SW reef I don't think it is a good idea, as it will sterilize the live nutrients your corals and inverts eat.
A tech rep at Drs. Foster and Smith told me that UV Sterilizers do not work well on tanks as small as 30 gallons. I find that very hard to believe. Do you have your tetra5W in line with a canister filter? Thanks for the help.
No, I operate it with a power head, and dump back into the tank after the water passes through the unit. A simple loop. It cleared my water of bacterial bloom in two days. I have two separate Marineland Bio-wheel power filters, not related to the UV unit at all. It is important to have a powerhead rated at a gph low enough that the UV unit can do something. The slower the flow, the better sterilized the water is. Speed is not good in this case.
My bio-filter was well established prior to my adding the UV unit. I agree that before the bio-filter is established it is best not to use it, or when adding living bacteria in the water, but it's just a click of a switch to turn it off when I have to. Another thing to consider is that it will take time to circulate all the tank's water through the UV unit even when setting my powerhead to max gph, so there are no 'emergencies' where it must be turned off immediately.
NJ Devils Fan
05-10-2006, 8:53 AM
For all that a u.v. can do, if you have the money, its a nice addition. I have a custom sealife(RIP) double helix 18 watt u.v. attached to my canister filter output which is another option for your connection. If you don' want to have the u.v. visible or don't want the powerhead but have a canister filter, attach it to the output of the filter(granted the u.v. is around the same rated gph of your filter)
My Eheim 2213 canister filter is rated at 116GPH and my plans were to install the UV sterilizer on the output side. Would 116GPH be too much flow for the
UV units you guys have mentioned? Thanks.
NJ Devils Fan
05-10-2006, 11:01 PM
Just look on big al's and see what the different suggested flow rates are for each of them.
The Tetra 5 W has maximum ghp of 100, minimum (for best sterilization) of 50 gph. You need a more powerful unit if you are going over 100 gph.
I may go with either the Coralife Turbo-Twist 3x or the 6x. I hear these are very good units. A guy at Coralife suggested the 6x-18 watt model because it will kill bacteria,algae and parasites at the GPH flow rate of my canister filter better than the 3x model.
They are good. My daughter has the 3x in her 60 gal coldwater tank. The only problem she has is that it has a small leak from the housing. She lives in another state and I gave her the unit for Christmas. She discovered the leak over there after she installed it, and does not want to remove it to return/exchange it. On the good side, it keeps her goldfish ich-free and her water crystal clear.
They are good. My daughter has the 3x in her 60 gal coldwater tank. The only problem she has is that it has a small leak from the housing. She lives in another state and I gave her the unit for Christmas. She discovered the leak over there after she installed it, and does not want to remove it to return/exchange it. On the good side, it keeps her goldfish ich-free and her water crystal clear.
Does She have it inline with a canister filter? Do you know what the flow is thru her 3x? Thans so much for the help.
No, she has it set up like mine. I will e-mail and ask her the flow question. We are going over there for graduation this week, so I will have a chance to check it out in person. I will let you know what I find.
ejk0799
05-13-2006, 6:45 PM
We have the Coralife 3x 9 watt on our 75 gallon attached inline being run by a powerhead. I would highly recommend it.
We run the Tetratec 5 watt on our 37 gallon. I wouldn't recommend that brand as much.
ggrowney
05-13-2006, 7:47 PM
I have really cloudy water (white possibly a tint of green, hard to tell, but mostly white). I have tried lots of stuff. Currently running an extra filter. Tank is 12g. Would a UV sterilizer, kind of expensive as it is, at least get the job done of giving me some clear water (all I want is some clear water).
Tman: My daughters Coralife 3X is rted at between 100 and 200 gph. She runs it with a 200 gph power head and does a fine job (except for the leak). Of course, run at 100 gph it would kill more bad stuff.
ggrowney: Yes, what you have is bacterial bloom. It will not filter out no matter how many precipitants (Aqua-Clear, etc.) you use, or how many filters. The bacteria are simply too small to be trapped even by a 100 micron filter. Reduce feeding and remove dead plants, etc. and the bacteria will starve and die off in about two week's time. A UV sterilizer will clear them out in 3-4 days, and it won't happen again as long as you run it.
We have the Coralife 3x 9 watt on our 75 gallon attached inline being run by a powerhead. I would highly recommend it.
We run the Tetratec 5 watt on our 37 gallon. I wouldn't recommend that brand as much.
What is the GPH output of the powerhead you are running the UV unit on?
I am leaning towards either the Coralife or an AquaUV Classic 8 watt unit with a built in wiper. The only thing is I hate to crowd my 30 gallon tank by adding a powerhead. I will probably place my UV unit inline with my Eheim canister filter and pray my filters output is not reduced too much.
Thanks so much for the helpful input. Take care.
I have really cloudy water (white possibly a tint of green, hard to tell, but mostly white). I have tried lots of stuff. Currently running an extra filter. Tank is 12g. Would a UV sterilizer, kind of expensive as it is, at least get the job done of giving me some clear water (all I want is some clear water).
White water sounds like a bacterial bloom. How long has the tank been set up and do you add bacteria to your water? Too much ammonia before a tank cycles can cause a bacterial bloom which will cloud the water a white color.
If you are not already doing so have someone test your water to see how your ammonia,nitrite and nitrate levels are doing.
ggrowney
05-13-2006, 10:21 PM
White water sounds like a bacterial bloom. How long has the tank been set up and do you add bacteria to your water? Too much ammonia before a tank cycles can cause a bacterial bloom which will cloud the water a white color.
If you are not already doing so have someone test your water to see how your ammonia,nitrite and nitrate levels are doing.
I am in 5 weeks. Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate have been zero for about 10 days straight. no bacterial additives. 100% natural. Will the UV sterilizer guarantee clarity? On another post, someone said no.
On another post, someone said no.
It cleared it up for me and also in my daughter's coldwater tank. I'm not about to offer a guarantee, as I have nothing to gain by it, but I know it works. It can take several days for all the water to circulate through the device, depending on tank size, unit size, and flow rate of the powerhead or power filter running it. If you don't want the expense just cut feeding and remove all decomposing matter and the overpopulation of bacteria causing the bloom will eventually die off, giving you clear water again. The UV Sterilizer just kills it quicker, bit it's the same thing.
sd2006
07-03-2006, 10:37 PM
sorry for bumping this old thread, but....
my tank is outside, right by the entrance to our backyard. we have a canopy so there is no direct sunlight. I'm in the southwest where it has been extremely hot and humid these past few weeks.
my question is I'm thinking a uv-sterilizer is probably my best bet. A blackout might just be a band-aid for the time being. My freshwater tank has 0 ammonia/nitrites, nitrates 10ppm, 7.2pH with one marineland bio-wheel 350 power filter. Would just buying one of those uv-sterilizers (i.e., coralife turbo twist) be sufficient? What's this I hear about a powerhead? IN other words, would the uv-sterilizer be connected to the power filter? Would there be any parts needed or would the power filter and uv-sterilizer be enough?
Also, since my power filter filters 350 gph, would I need a uv-sterilizer to be filtering equivalent to 350?
lots of questions, but it's been nearly two weeks of partial water changes and this green cloud of doom is still very prevalent in my tank. Thanks in advance for any help/info.