UV sterilizer filter

[JSchmidt]

I've got a very nice UV unit. It's currently sitting in a box. UV will help with small number of particular problems: green water algae blooms that don't respond to more conventional (and less expensive) treatments and pathogens that exist in a primarily free-floating stage that are resistant to whole-tank antibiotics (e.g., mycobacteria). Otherwise, they really don't do much.

Killing every microorganism that lives in the water column really isn't a good idea, for reasons already cited.

UVs don't necessarily improve water clarity; if you really want clear water, get a HOT Magnum and run it with the micron filter.

Running a UV probably won't hurt your fish. Some people claim that fishes' immune systems might be weakened because they're not exposed to normal microorganisms, but I don't know of any hard evidence this is true.

The bottom line is that for the vast majority of aquarists, UV isn't necessary. (I say that with some hesitation, for I am a gadget-loving guy.) You won't hurt anything, most likely, by using UV, but you're probably wasting your money.

Jim

 

[geoffgarcia]

The HOT magnum + micron filter is my sole filtration device currently. I like it on my small 15g tank.

I'm just a gadget guy at heart to
I like trying a lot of different things just to see what happens!

You should have seen my 29g planted tank with a 250w metal halide pendant! *hahahah*

 

[GDominy]

Well I bought a UV sterilizer 1 week ago for a couple of reasons and I cannot be happier. definately the single most useful piece of equipment I have purchsed to date (although my Diatom filter is a VERY close second). You can check the progress here:

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=28331

In my area the water supply for the city has recently been expanded (this means there is now a lot of concrete and land under water that wasnt before). This has caused water quality issues like you wouldnt believe. I have wild Ph swings out of the tap.. Phosphate levels all over the map and all kinds of general weirdness.

Now, I know exactly what people are going to say "buy an RO unit". I would if I could.. but I rent and I can't install one in my suite. Even with 50-60% water changes I was having som fantastic angae problems (greenwater).

I also run across Ick infections from time to time. I collect loaches, loooots of loaches so this tends to be a problem once every so often (I would say 9/10 times everything is wiped out in quarantine but sometimes something sneaks through).

I recently travelled out of province for a week and when I returned my tank was so green you could only see 4" into the tank. My loaches also had an Ick infestation that could have been fatal if I had come home a day or two later.

Within 24 hours of adding the UV the algae was gone. Within 3 days the Ick was almost completely gone.

Now, this isn't to say it will work for everyone, but in my case, it did exactly what I bought it for.