Uv for reef tanks
- Thread starter arawona1964
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WalkerLovesTheOcean
I love goniopora!
I like them and have one but I rarely turn it on. It's good for clearing the water and it saved me from an algae bloom, but aside from that they aren't really helpful for anything else. To get them to kill disease you need very large ones and that's normally not the case in hobbyists aquariums.
BryanM
7500 Club Member
The downside is that it can kill beneficial things as well, like phyto for example.
That said I run a large UV filter 24x7 unless I am medicating the tank.
That said I run a large UV filter 24x7 unless I am medicating the tank.
I'm a big fan of UV for 24/7 use. In general it's nice to have the peace of mind. I feel like eventually I've ended up installing one on most of the reef tanks I've cared for, for one reason or another.
There are two exceptions where I'll shut them off:
1. When cycling the system, or Dosing bacteria or other microbes that need to establish themselves.
2. I'll turn a UV off sometimes when I'm feeding algae to a tank of bivalves, but that's also because I'm turning the pump off.
Even those who don't use a UV will often acknowledge that they're important to this industry. It's not that they're needed all the time, but that there are circumstances we encounter where they can be beneficial.
There are two exceptions where I'll shut them off:
1. When cycling the system, or Dosing bacteria or other microbes that need to establish themselves.
2. I'll turn a UV off sometimes when I'm feeding algae to a tank of bivalves, but that's also because I'm turning the pump off.
Even those who don't use a UV will often acknowledge that they're important to this industry. It's not that they're needed all the time, but that there are circumstances we encounter where they can be beneficial.
Its like COVID lol. I see the benefits and Negatives . I would think if run when needed would be beneficial. I may set one up on standby just in case which is expensive since its salt water and corrosion is an issue however if it saves my Tank with short term use I would be happy. Just like everything you wont know until you need it . If your not ready then by the time you are it may be too late
Water clarity is better managed by a micron filter believe me. I use a Marineland water clarifier works great and a lot cheaper
Redemptioner
Community Member
They are pointless for most people as 98% of people set them up incorrectly, rendering them nothing more than an inefficient heater.
Unless you set it up to zap all the water returning to a tank you are basically wasting your time, add to this the fact most people buy a UV 10-50 times too small and it really is pointless running it. The other major thing most users fail to understand is the fact the uv can't be off for more than a few hours at a time or bacteria and other organics will build up on the quartz sleeve, then when the light comes back on the UV then kills off and bakes the build up onto the sleeve leaving an opaque film (often turning white) and not only cutting the effectiveness of the UV down to less than 20%, it also causes premature death of the bulbs. This is why it is important to buy a unit that is easy to remove and clean the quartz sleeve.
However, if setup correctly then they are fantastic tool and the benefits far outweigh any negatives. The so called negatives of it killing off the bacteria and algae in the water have zero impact on a reef tank.
Unless you set it up to zap all the water returning to a tank you are basically wasting your time, add to this the fact most people buy a UV 10-50 times too small and it really is pointless running it. The other major thing most users fail to understand is the fact the uv can't be off for more than a few hours at a time or bacteria and other organics will build up on the quartz sleeve, then when the light comes back on the UV then kills off and bakes the build up onto the sleeve leaving an opaque film (often turning white) and not only cutting the effectiveness of the UV down to less than 20%, it also causes premature death of the bulbs. This is why it is important to buy a unit that is easy to remove and clean the quartz sleeve.
However, if setup correctly then they are fantastic tool and the benefits far outweigh any negatives. The so called negatives of it killing off the bacteria and algae in the water have zero impact on a reef tank.
Redemptioner
Community Member
Sorry, but if you are using a bottle of "water clarifier" like you suggest, then a UV would not help in a situation where you would be reaching for a bottle of flocculant. In fact, who even uses, or would recommend, the use of a flocculant in a saltwater tank especially if you plan on keep corals.....
It is also probably worth pointing out that a micron filter will have no impact on what typically a UV is used for as you are going after dissolved organics (colour/chemical compounds/hormones) and or bacteria/parasites/algae with a UV which none of them will be captured by the micron filter (even in conjunction with a flocculant).
Too bad you did not thoroughly read the persons post . They were asking how to get rid of cloudy water not anything magical . Please try. Who said anything about a bottle of anything ? Or comparing a UV to anything . Really hard for me to be nice at this point so can I say just be quiet if you have no contribution to make other than pretend you know everything ?
Mr. Mojo Rising
10K Club member
Personally I don't get the benefit, I see comments above but it seems rather vague to me and no real clear answer.
As someone in the hobby for many years, I've beaten every kind of algae, I've overcome crashes... all on my own. I'm happy with the state of my tank, so what is the 'benefit' to someone like me, what would it do for me?
EDIT - Its a genuine discussion I don't mean to be argumentative.
As someone in the hobby for many years, I've beaten every kind of algae, I've overcome crashes... all on my own. I'm happy with the state of my tank, so what is the 'benefit' to someone like me, what would it do for me?
EDIT - Its a genuine discussion I don't mean to be argumentative.
As I have stated since I have been looking into the cost the how to , and the why listening to both sides . I have no interest in making my display algae free as to the glass with a UV or a scrubber. I enjoy having the fish eat it as I scrub it off the glass . I mean devour it. I hope I never have to fight parasites but if I do I prefer to try the UV as I am not going to go the chemical route . I am glad that your happy with your tank. I seem to have real issues with Coral
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