UV Sterilizers: Are the benefits a MYTH or a REALITY?

[Lp1977]

Here is a little write up I did on UV Sterilizers if anyone is interested.

UV Sterilizers, which to choose and why?

Ever since BRS did a video on UV's and QT I have seen a lot more people talking about UV's. Naturally most purchase what BRS pushes / sells which is fine and dandy (I also love BRS) but I suggest everyone do their research. When selecting the right UV you need to determine what it is that you...

humble.fish

So a plus on UV ?

 

[Copingwithpods]

It would cause blindness

A compromise I'm willing to make

 

[Salty Lemon]

A big one helps with "management". It doesn't prevent anything, but it does clear some things up. I love the one I have and I loved the one in my last tank. I basically use mine for algae control. But having one doesn't mean you can put off tank maintenance. It is just a tool to help. If I get another tank, I'll be sure a UV sterilizer comes with it.

 

[braappn]

Running a pentair 40w on my 29 gallon and things have never looked better

 

[Badilac]

Maybe I misunderstood you when you said you cannot cycle a tank by water changes? Were you referring to transferring old water from a cycled tank to none-cycled new tank?

If bacteria can move through the water between 2 systems that are connected, why can’t they move through transferring water from one tank to the next by water changes?

My point is, bacteria does move through the water and there is enough doing so to populate surface areas and cycle a tank without adding bacteria in a bottle or live rock directly to the new tank. It doesn’t tank a lot of bacteria, they will just multiply exponentially.

I am not in any way attempting to be misleading.

Also, do you have any experience with the Lifegard Pro-Max models?

Yes Pro-MAX is the way to go. Read my thread

UV Sterilizers, which to choose and why?

Ever since BRS did a video on UV's and QT I have seen a lot more people talking about UV's. Naturally most purchase what BRS pushes / sells which is fine and dandy (I also love BRS) but I suggest everyone do their research. When selecting the right UV you need to determine what it is that you...

humble.fish

 

[scardall]

Aqua Ultraviolet
15 Watt Classic UV Sterilizer
What is the minimum flow rate for this unit?

 

[Tuffloud1]

Yes Pro-MAX is the way to go. Read my thread

UV Sterilizers, which to choose and why?

Ever since BRS did a video on UV's and QT I have seen a lot more people talking about UV's. Naturally most purchase what BRS pushes / sells which is fine and dandy (I also love BRS) but I suggest everyone do their research. When selecting the right UV you need to determine what it is that you...

humble.fish

Ha! I just got done reading your thread before you posted.

What size would you recommend for a 330 gallon system for sterilization?

 

[K7BMG]

I do not own one yet, but its on the want list for sure.
In the end I do feel they work but need to be set up properly for the intended application.

What I do not understand is that everything I have ever read and learned about UV sterilizers dictates the flow rate is of the utmost importance. The flow rate dictates the purpose of the unit and its effectiveness on that purpose.

So then why is it the manufacturers I have looked at, choose to leave out the key component for proper function?
In reality all that is needed are two plastic flow regulators. One for Bacteria, the other for Parasites. They can even be interchangeable.

I understand not providing a pump, but the regulator!
Come on guys really.

 

[Badilac]

Ha! I just got done reading your thread before you posted.

What size would you recommend for a 330 gallon system for sterilization?

That’s about what my system is and I run the 90watt. If I could redo it I would have went with the 5” housing instead of 3”

 

[Aquarist76]

I dunno. I've put a UV on every tank I've had since I started because that's what I was told to do. Definitely makes the water clearer. Anything beyond that......? Doesn't seem to be hurting anything but I don't think it's preventing any outbreaks of cyano, etc.

 

[Aquarist76]

Running a pentair 40w on my 29 gallon and things have never looked better

That's a lot of UV for a tank that size, no? I have one of those on my 160G and 210G. It's rated for up to 260G I think.

 

[braappn]

That's a lot of UV for a tank that size, no? I have one of those on my 160G and 210G. It's rated for up to 260G I think.

oh ya, way oversized, but I have the room and price for all sizes is pretty similar. No disadvantage to oversizing. Future proof!

 

[K7BMG]

The research I am doing so far seems to recomend proper sizing or going larger.
They say they're useless if undersized.

Don't know if thats a sales pitch or fact, but I plan to go with a bigger unit.
I will set my unit up for algae control.

I plan on getting the largest unit I can as I have plans to add a second larger tank to my current 150G sump.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

I set up central fitration systems for aquarium stores, displays up to 1500 gallons and smaller QT systems for livestock acclimation before delivery to clients display tanks. UV works when properly used full stop. Forget the myth of killing pods and beneficial bacteria and not providing protection from disease outbreakes. It works as intended, simple to use, requires lamp changes and some need quartz sleeves cleaned. I used it over 30 years in multiple locations with the same positive results.
Stop listening to rumors and pseudo science that is bunk and discover what major aquariums, breeders, and aquaculture facilities worldwide know to be true. I personally benefitted and my customers benefitted by lower mortality rates all the through distribution system. We all got real world repeatable positive results.
Just keep holding your nose and telling yourself the dead skunk smells great. Yeah, it makes that much sense to keep making false claims about products you have never used or experienced. Now where is that dead horse meme? ;Blackeye;Happy

 

[Lowell Lemon]

In 23 years, I've never used one. So I'm only speaking from inexperience. Nonetheless, my question is about copepods. Wouldn't a UV sterilizer kill any copepods and amphipods that flow through the system? I know they're not necessarily swimming around all the time, but is it an issue?

In word no! I ran systems full of copepods and amphipods running full strength U.V. for disease control. The tanks worked quite well and we would watch the plankton community at night with a flashlight in one of my home tanks. Could have been the result of fresh live rock as well...but no one believes that fairy tale now either..sigh.

 

[Doctorgori]

Whatever you do get a good one... I had one of those modular Lifeguard units last years ....but a cheapo import unit shocked the heck outta me just recently... check those seals and stray volts

 

[KimG]

What? We are not all marine biologists here but thanks for you expert knowledge

Hi Brad. Not sure I'm an expert on the topic but thanks. If there is valuable knowledge it should be shared.
I can provide links to the scientific research behind what I stated if anyone is bored during lockdown.... I mean, if anyone is interested

 

[KimG]

Out of academical curiosity, off those of you that use UVs, have you tried disconnecting them after the problems are solved? If so, what was the result? Did the aquarium stay in a nice condition (pests gone) or did the problems returned?

Than you all

 

[Xero]

Maybe I misunderstood you when you said you cannot cycle a tank by water changes? Were you referring to transferring old water from a cycled tank to none-cycled new tank?

If bacteria can move through the water between 2 systems that are connected, why can’t they move through transferring water from one tank to the next by water changes?

It's not that it couldn't, it's that this wouldn't be a very effective way to cycle a tank, you wouldn't give this out as general advice, you'd be much better off with some cultured bacteria product (fritz, dr.tims), or cycled media, or literally anything else. There's a huge difference between water moving through a cycled system into a non-cycled one, continuously, and water stuck in a closed box.

It's like the difference between a one-time-pass type system, like your house's plumbing, and a closed system, like your fish tank's plumbing recirculating the same water over and over again. One is going to pick up very little from the system, and the other is going to pick up a whole lot from the system....to pretend there is no difference between these two things, is definitely a misleading argument. The closed system is almost like putting media in your sump for a few weeks to cycle it, then moving it over to the other tank. The one-time-pass is just like draining water from a cycled tank into another tank, once. Which would you trust to create a stronger cycle?

Of course it would reproduce, exponentially even, and heck, eventually, it'd do this anyway all by itself, but, the one with the constant influx of new bacteria from the established system is going to do it a lot faster.

It's also the very same thing we're trying to prevent with a UV quite frankly - the "bugs in a closed box effect." We're trying to create sparsity of the bad things in the water column. Where I think the confusion lies is that bacteria is already sparse in the water column, this just isn't a real, or practical concern.

My point is, bacteria does move through the water and there is enough doing so to populate surface areas and cycle a tank without adding bacteria in a bottle or live rock directly to the new tank. It doesn’t tank a lot of bacteria, they will just multiply exponentially.

I am not in any way attempting to be misleading.

it just felt like you were attempting to take my statement overly-literally just to disagree or play devil's advocate, kind of a "well technically." i have little patience for semantics games, thus my bluntness, and I feel like we're getting vastly off-topic already. I can speak with hyperbole at times, but I think my intentions were mostly clear in regards to the argument at hand, which was: In practice, UV isn't going to hurt your cycle or harm your bacteria in any significant way. I want to dispel myths here, not create more.

I actually would put the strength of my various tank's cycles up against anyone's. I feed very heavy, especially in my 60 with the NPS, I also export very heavy. My tanks, in general, can handle a lot of waste. High oxidation potential, which is yet another thing I actually think UV helps with. Possibly even a slight positive effect on ORP. That's another can of worms I'd almost rather not open right now, though I'm afraid I just did...I'll let everyone else do the research on that one first....getting tired, lol!

Also, do you have any experience with the Lifegard Pro-Max models?

I have looked into them in the past. Their higher-wattage models use the amalgam bulbs, and these can often be a little more proprietary, more expensive. Doesn't seem like the replacement cost is too bad on these in particular, but definitely a little higher than normal bulb cost, especially given after-market companies like LSE sell some of these bulbs much cheaper, parts availability is a huge factor for me...The smaller 25/40w units seem like they'd be pretty similar to AquaUV/Emperor's bulbs, although it still seems like they're doing that thing where they put a little dongle/wiring-harness on the end of them, meaning it's not truly a standard bulb. I did like that they have a ballast with a hour-counter on it, some of the nicer phillips UV ballasts have that, could even be what they used. They almost certainly aren't making ballasts for themselves, pretty much no one is. Some of them are known to scrape the dang labels off the ballast so you can't tell what it is, no kidding, but it's usually not too hard to figure out once you've seen a few of the ballast manufacturer's product guides.

At this point, I guess you can call me an AquaUV fanboy. Why? It comes down to good design and parts availability. The lifegard just isn't as an established product line, but I'd definitely be interested in feedback from people who've used them, especially with regards to the ballast and seal design, cause truthfully, that's all that makes a UV. I honestly don't know that many people using them, though. I usually buy my AquaUV's used, often broken, and fix them up on the cheap, using a combination of real and after-market parts, so I'm probably not the best guinea-pig to buy one new, haha.

 

[Xero]

Yes Pro-MAX is the way to go. Read my thread

UV Sterilizers, which to choose and why?

Ever since BRS did a video on UV's and QT I have seen a lot more people talking about UV's. Naturally most purchase what BRS pushes / sells which is fine and dandy (I also love BRS) but I suggest everyone do their research. When selecting the right UV you need to determine what it is that you...

humble.fish

I read your article, but I'm curious, did you not consider the after-market bulb/quartz manufacturers when comparing these prices? I haven't paid full-price for a name-brand bulb in forever. Did you check sites like light-exports (LSE) or etc? Truthfully, for me, the ability to get bulbs/parts on the after-market is just as important. I buy them used, i repair them with my own parts/pieces/ballasts, so comparing new prices is almost never relevant to me.

Regarding the PVC sleeves vs no sleeves: AquaUV has a lifetime warranty on the housing...of course that's if you buy them new and all that....they also claim using aftermarket bulbs voids the warranty, but, i'm pretty sure you're not allowed to exclude aftermarket parts in a warranty, so good luck having that hold up, lol....but anyway, this is straight from the manual:
Warranty Period: Housing: Limited lifetime warranty on housing against Ultraviolet degradation

I've never worried about it.