Uv sterilizer good or waste of $

[DOMINATOR]

Hey guys, anyone have some true knowledge of a uv sterilizer and it's benefits for a tank....as well, how much a set up would be?

 

[carey]

Different people say different things. I don't run one but that doesnt mean i wouldnt, just in case. My LFS said its hit or miss with them and said if I do run one not to keep it going 24/7 but run it a week here and there for cleanup.

Hope that helped a little.

 

[Fishguy2727]

I wouldn't worry about one unless you are investing a lot of money in valuable fish (discus, high end plecos, etc.), especially wild caughts.

 

[DOMINATOR]

I want to add more of a prevention from ich because taking all fish out to quarantine is just impossible

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I got one to see of it'd help keep my BA and GA (14hr PP) in check and it seems to be doing the job I hoped for. I still see some but the reoccurrence is defiantly diminished and like you're thinking anything else in the water column should be getting fried as well. Don't listen to the nay sayers that pass along the myth that UV kills bacteria, it doesn't (maybe at .0000001%, maybe). I got the Mean Green Killing Machine since it's a stand alone and controls water flow past the bulb to actually do what it's supposed to, since too high a water flow defeats the purpose of the UV (ie inline canister UV fixture).

 

[Fishguy2727]

Two things have to happen for a disease to occur: 1-a pathogen is present (which is ALWAYS true, no matter the UV, quarantine routine, etc.) and 2-the fish are stressed. If you provide high quality food and water you will have very little stress and avoid most health issues completely. Unless you really do it right, cramming a sick fish into a smaller tank to bathe in meds will not remove the stress, it will just make things worse. Ich is easy. IME you may not have to do anything (except remove the stressor if one is known) and it will go away on its own. Otherwise just up the temp and add salt.