Protein Skimmers & UV's

[Modjit]

Hi Just wondering on my 33gal(UK) tank I have a Maxi-Skim 400 protein simmer and also an 8 Watt Vecton UV Sterilizer and I was wondering do I need both or would I get away with just the UV as I have recently bought my wife a marine tank and I was wondering if I could do without my skimmer I would put it in my wife's tank

 

[mogurnda]

The UV and skimmer are not interchangeable, really. The skimmer extracts organics in order to reduce the nutrient load. The UV, well, the UV kills stuff. I don't find them very useful unless you have a multi-tank system and don't quarantine. My vote is for buying a new skimmer for the tank.

 

[Rsquared333]

I vote for the skimmer as well. It there is one thing you don't want to skimp on it is your protien skimmer in the long run it will be much more benificial than a uv sterilizer as quarantining and good maintainence and making careful purchuses can replace a uv sterilizer but you can not make up for what a protien skimmer does.