CYCLING TANK -- UV sterilizer or NO ???????????

[SKEET]

My tank is still in the cycle phase and I bought and installed a UV sterilizer.

Should I not use now or is it OK ????????????????????

 

[richiestang_78]

From my understanding the sterilizer will only kill off parasites and algae. I may be wrong but since the tank is just cycling there really inst a need for it at all. I would just hold off on it till the tank is cycled and there are fish in there.

 

[bman]

If you have it, and already intsalled it, use it! There is no harm in running it, even though the water is probably free of algae and parasites. If you are doing a fishless cycle, then there is no need to turn it on.

 

[malkore]

never heard a UV sterilizer affecting the cycling/bio filter...you should be fine.

 

[SKEET]

Thanks for the responses.

 

[7Enigma]

I will have to disagree with the concensus so far. I would NOT use the UV sterilizer during cycling. Any living thing that goes through that sterilizer will die, be it algae, diatoms, or BACTERIA.

It is true that the majority of the bacteria is found in the filter/substrate/and glass but the bacteria first has to get to those places to colonize. The only way this happens is by some free floating bacteria attaching to these areas. Having a UV sterilizer in use will kill any beneficial bacteria that flows through it, slowing your cycle (though to what degree is debatable). I would hold off on using it until you have cycled and added fish.

 

[greenmaji]

Free floating bacteria is a very short stage in the life and the flow thats supposed to used in UV sterilizers would cause minimal damage to the cycle as a whole.
Many old LFS's used enormus UV arrays with no effect on the bio-filtartion capasity (or the cycling of) their central trickle filter system.