UV Sterilizer for new reef tank?

daer119 · Jan 25, 2022

Hey everyone, my wife and I have a 25g peninsula Waterbox. We have a nano UV sterilizer in there now and was wondering if that is good or bad for a newly set up tank? it’s 4 months old. Is it killing beneficial bacteria and stuff like that? Miscellaneous info below.
I think it was around the 2nd month mark our LFS said we absolutely had to have a uv sterilizer for our tank so we got one, and then the other day another LFS said they would never run a UV sterilizer in a nano tank. So now we are wondering if the one store was just trying to sell us something instead of only trying to help us out.

Thanks for any input and/or advice!

Quietman · Jan 25, 2022

It's a good thing. UV sterilizers don't impact the beneficial bacteria much as those are not in the water column but on surfaces. It'll help with some new tank issues but of course not all. It's not a do everything device but a key component of your filtration system. I've run my 15w UV in my RSR170 for over a year and couldn't be happier. I only wish I'd have run it from day one. Would've saved my fish and corals from devastating losses due to a dino outbreak.

Glenner’sreef · Jan 25, 2022

Agreed with above comments. Beneficial bacteria, pods, parasites etc that might pass through the sterilizer are not killed but rendered “sterile”. Water clarity is a great benefit from this piece of equipment. Reefon!