UV sterilizers

Its always good to learn something new, I highlighted the relevant part. A large number of aquatic diseases spend some part of their life cycle in the water. Ich being the most common. Sterilizing the water wont kill current infections but will slow if not stop the spread. A couple of cysts wont kill a fish.

ich 44.gif
 
FreshyFresh said:
\ I've even seen some hang-on-back style with small UV lamps in them. The wattage of the lamp and flow rate through the system have to be dialed in to eradicate parasites within a pass or two.
Click to expand...

Ive seen those aquastop HOB filer w/UV sterilizers online. What they have going to them is you can adjust the flow like any HOB. Ive ever seen one in person, its safe to assume its big, ugly, and loud even for all that Id consider it if the biggest bulb wasnt only 7 watts.
 
Even with ich, throphozoites can be on the gravel or plants.
Ich is a typical weakness disease, caused by stress due to poor water management, wrong biotope, overcrowding and such. Quarantine, observe the points I gave before and your fish will not get ich.
The past 3 decades having multiple tanks I've only had it 1 time, when a heater broke down.

Technical gadgets won't make up for overcrowding, poor water quality and wrong parameters.
While there are some infectious diseases, in general microscopic parasites are a symptom and not the cause themselves.
 
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UV can, with slow enough flow to work, kill only a small amount of bacteria, free swimming ich, green algae or parasite eggs. It's not an effective treatment!! It CAN help...but might also "kill" any drugs you may use (except salt). Do NOT think of UV as a "cure-all", it's not!
 
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Never asked if it was a cure all. wanted to know whats a quality one.

If anyone else is looking for one and is getting trolled :p
TMC makes quality UV sterilizers cable of level 3 sterilization and is under $200.

There are others but cost more. Aqua UV MIGHT be as good for a little less $$

Green Killing Machine and Sunsun "as-sold" is not capable of level 1 sterilization only uv "clarification". Not much good fr anything besides killing algae unless you slow down the flow a lot
 
I get that this thread is a few months old, but aqua makes a very nice uv sterilizer and parts are easily available.

Make sure that you pick an appropriately sized sterilizer capable of achieving your goal, size your pump appropriately, and get a model with a wiper if at all possible. Make sure that the model you choose has parts available as the uv light damages plastics and rubbers quite quickly. Also make sure the bulb is readily available as you will be buying and replacing it 1-2 times a year.
 
UV has its place in the hobby just like anything else. How and when it is used varies. I have a small UV unit I bought for pretreating a tank set to receive sensitive wild fish. So I had to do my homework to determine what I should do. before going further, I must say that for the most part my unit is on the shelf. Moreover I power it with a variable spedd powerhead so I can adjust the flow rate.

Here is more information than most of us want on UV. This is where i learned what I needed and why. If you do not want to read it all, scroll down to "FACTORS DETERMINING THE BEST UV STERILIZER FOR LEVEL 1 STERILIZATION: " and start there. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/UVSterilizers.html

One comment, just because the UV info is good does not mean everything on that site is also right on. Years back I had to "educate" the owner as to why he had wrong information re what kills the nitrifying bacteria and what protects them from some things. The result was he revised part of his article on the subject. Nobody, including me. knows all the answers.
 
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