Need for a UV Sterilizer? discussion

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stan450z

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
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What do you guys think about having one? I notice my water is not as crystal clear - has a slight tinge of yellow to it when looking from the side since I got rid of it many years ago despite keeping good water parameters.

Only thing I notice is that my fish arent staying alive as long as they did in the old tank but that could be a number of factors. I even used to make my own salt water back then but use Petco ocean water now for PWCs. Dont have any issues with algae or cyano like i used to.

The model was so old I they didn't have bulbs that fit it, and it was and still is affixed to my sump. I just turned the pump off so its not running.

I also heard just a bag of carbon in the sump can be just as effective in keeping crystal clear water. Any thoughts?
 
If you want clear water, using activated carbon will polish it up. UV sterilizers can accomplish things like this, especially with a bacteria bloom in the water column for example. The problem with our hobby grade UV sterilizers is that they are small and not much water passes through them. Compare this to UV sterilizers that are plumbed into home water lines. These are great due to all of the water coming into the home passes through the bulb.
This gets confusing when you then take into effect that increasing the GPH through our hobby grade units isn't always the solution due to the water needing X amount of time in exposure to the UV light to effectively kill off A,B,C, and D that is in the water 'mucking' it up to begin with.
Let us also not forget that there is also beneficial things in our water column as well. From small amounts of beneficial bacteria that assists with our nitrate cycle to pods, UV light doesn't care who or what it is...it will not survive exposure to the light.
 
yes Ive been reading a lot about carbon. :) About to get the Seachem Matrix carbon. Heard great things from the reviews and its website says for up to 250ml is good to use for 3-6 months to maintain clear water just sitting there... . I guess I just need to find the right bag for it.
 
Well, Matrix isn't activated carbon. It is a media that provides surface area for bacteria to grow on to assist with the nitrate cycle.
I always used bulkreefsupply's activated carbon.
 
I`ve used a UV sterilizer. They do pretty good for algae blooms. I never had ich so I don't know if it was the sterilizer or other preventative measures.
 
I use UV sterilizer and ever since I installed it my water is always crystal clear. So many benefits of having a UV sterilizer. I say its a no brainer and must for every tank. Very very worth.
 
purigen--clear

Disclaimer: I am not an expert and would classify myself as an advanced beginner. Don't take my advice as gospel, but I had an aquarium on and off for three decades.

Clear water is an obsession for me. As such, two months ago, I bought a UV lamp sterilizer from a reputable website. (not sure if we are to mention specific vendors) Review: does it make the water less cloudy? The jury is still out. I think so. Does it lessen algae if you water is green? Absolutely. Cloudy water is due to something in the water: fine particles, uneaten food, fine substrate, bacterial bloom, debris, fish waste, etc. What makes the water crystal clear? Regular water changes, excellent filtration, and Holy guacamole: Purigen by aqua chem. The stuff is rechargeable and yes, used as directed according to the dozens of blogs I read is entirely safe. (Make absolutely sure you follow the directions to the letter with the recharge. If you are unsure, use fresh purigen each time it is expended--ie turns dark brown. Purigen, in my experience, has made my water crystal clear. Even tap water with a filter isn't totally crystal clear. Reverse osmosis filters can make that happen but then you are removing valuable minerals, etc.
 
Purigen takes a similar approach to giving crystal clear water by removing things from the water column. Activated carbon polishes in a similar manner, they just do so in a totally different manner.
UV sterilization 'polishes' water by killing everything that comes into contact with the light. The pro is that nothing survives, the con is that good things get killed too.
 
I use the BRS RoX carbon, in their mini reactor (with phosguard), changing every 14 days. It does a great job keeping the water clear.
 
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