UV Sterilizer

[sombunya]

UV disinfection is used by some water treatment plants to disinfect water, kill disease causing bacteria.

A neighbor around the corner has a Koi pond and the pump sends the water through one.

I was wondering if it would also kill the beneficial nitrifying bacteria as well?

[Orion]

Absolutely not because very little of the nitrifying bacteria are actually in the water, they live on the surface of anything in the water and in the filter. Good question though.

[sombunya]

That's very interesting Orion.

Regarding indoor freshwater aquariums, what criteria or conditions would dictate the need for one?

[blue_ram]

Originally Posted by sombunya

Regarding indoor freshwater aquariums, what criteria or conditions would dictate the need for one?

After researching them for a few weeks, what I found was that a UV sterilizer is very effective in clarifying water, reducing algae and in hindering the spread of bacteria, parasites and protozoan.

I would presume that all tanks could benefit, but it appears that the greatest benefit would be in planted tanks and with species which cannot tolerate typical disease treatments such as scalesless fish and invertabrae. Also to clear up tanks clouded with algae.

I have read that you do not want to run it full time all the time because it also kills some beneficial microorganisms which fish apparantly snack on through out the day.

I heard somewhere that PetSmart uses uv in their setup. This might be why PetsSmart offers 14 day unconditional warranty and why I have never gotten a sick fish from PetsMart.

[Orion]

A friend of mine told me something once about UV sterilizers and it made a lot of since. If you use one all the time, it's like putting your fish in a sterile bubble to live. They might be healthy now, however their immune system is becomes weak from NOT fighting off the bacteria/virus' on a daily basis that don't make them outwardly sick. If those fish ever stopped being in a tank with a sterilizer, the chances that they would get sick from just a relatively common virus that a normal immune system would be able to fight off no problem is much much higher. We live in a nasty, bacteria laden world, and so do the fish. If we take away the ability of their immune system to fight even the smallest infections the fish could die from almost nothing.

It's good that you don't want to run it all the time, but a sterilizer is one of those pieces of equipment IMHO that very few people actually have a need for. I do think it is cleverly marketed, however, good and regular tank maintaince can almost take care of everything that one of these can, at no extra cost. Healthy fish come from clean water. Clean water comes from regular maintaince.

[FishGeek]

Hmmm. Ya'll made me think in this thread I was learneded too

[blue_ram]

Originally Posted by Orion

A friend of mine told me something once about UV sterilizers and it made a lot of since. If you use one all the time, it's like putting your fish in a sterile bubble to live. They might be healthy now, however their immune system is becomes weak from NOT fighting off the bacteria/virus' on a daily basis that don't make them outwardly sick. If those fish ever stopped being in a tank with a sterilizer, the chances that they would get sick from just a relatively common virus that a normal immune system would be able to fight off no problem is much much higher. We live in a nasty, bacteria laden world, and so do the fish. If we take away the ability of their immune system to fight even the smallest infections the fish could die from almost nothing.

It's good that you don't want to run it all the time, but a sterilizer is one of those pieces of equipment IMHO that very few people actually have a need for. I do think it is cleverly marketed, however, good and regular tank maintaince can almost take care of everything that one of these can, at no extra cost. Healthy fish come from clean water. Clean water comes from regular maintaince.

This is an excellent point. Anything which upsets a delicate balance in an enclosed environment will eventually be harmful.

I wonder if places like Petsmart and Big Als that use UV, does the reverse happen: will store bought fish get sick from being introduced to an otherwise clean and healthy aquarium at home.

[epond83]

Well they aren't there for very long usaully, but also at mentioned earlier contact time and wattage play a role, with low flow and high wattage you will kill everything that goes through the filter, but higher flow and or lower wattage kills some but not all.

So with tthe right set up you won't have a sterile bubble but you will kill some stuff which is important when reciving fish and water from different places all the time.