Quarantine fish in main tank using breeder and UV

[Bramzor]

People say that in theory UV should kill things like ich IF it goes through the UV (with the appropriate flow etc).
So imagine a 100W UV on a 50G tank with the correct flow, we could say this should kill all ich going through the filter right and prevent an outbreak.
But what if we have a 5G tank with an 11W UV, we could state that this should have a similar effect?

Imaging using such a small breeder / acclimation plexiglas hang-on thing in the tank modified and put together with a pump that pulls out the water from that hang-on breeder and pushing that through an 11W UV filter and back into the main tank.
This flow should be high enough to prevent ich from swimming out of the breeder making sure the only way out is through the UV filter. And slow enough so it would kill ich.

Would this be a valid method to do a "semi" or even full quarantine procedure and what would not be covered using this method?
And yes, I understand that it is a high risk procedure because if the UV filter fails, it will contaminate the entire tank anyway. If the pump fails, ich can just swim out (unless it uses some kind of overflow method)
But on the other side, it could prevent a lot of issues when otherwise, fish would just be put in the main tank without any QT procedure.

 

[ahiggins]

I wouldn’t trust it. Ich doesn’t just live in the water column but on surfaces as well for a time. No telling when cross contamination occurs.

 

[Miller535]

I just don't see it catching everything. For example if you put a fish in that has ich, and then it rubs on another fish. Which got infected by contact and not free swimming. UV would cut the potential down a lot, but would not be 100% imo

 

[Bramzor]

I just don't see it catching everything. For example if you put a fish in that has ich, and then it rubs on another fish. Which got infected by contact and not free swimming. UV would cut the potential down a lot, but would not be 100% imo

The idea is that inside the hang on breeder, there will only be 1 fish. So no contact between the fish in the tank and the fish in QT.

 

[Bramzor]

I wouldn’t trust it. Ich doesn’t just live in the water column but on surfaces as well for a time. No telling when cross contamination occurs.

As far as I can think of, the surfaces that the ich fish could reach is only the inside of the breeder / acclimation box, pipes and the UV filter itself.

 

[AcroNem]

Due to several factors, this is not an effective procedure.
First being that Cryptocaryon alone can be transmitted via aerosol transmission up to ten feet away. Something IN the same system with water directly next to it will cross contaminate.

Also UV is not exactly efficient at eradicating everything that goes through it despite what the hobby thinks, you aren't just trying to kill Cryptocaryon, there's a lot that can go right through.

Then there's the issue of parasites that live directly on the fish, and internal parasites. This will not be handled with a UV sterilizer.

I would definitely stick with a traditional strict quarantine procedure and medication schedule.

 

[EmdeReef]

DE filters are much more effective than UVs at filtering ich and controlling outbreaks. Unfortunately, IME they don’t work to eradicate ich but if you feel like running one 24/7 you can lower the outbreak so that it won’t bother your fish. However, even pool sized DE filters are a hassle to maintain.

 

[Big G]

However, even pool sized DE filters are a hassle to maintain.

Maintained a pool sized DE filter for years. What a mess. Not fun at all.