UV sterilizer

[Sam]

is it worth while getting a uv sterilizer?
can come one give me some general info about them please?

[DR.V]

of course its worth while getting them, i use UV on all my tanks
they will clean your water from bad bacteria that could make your fish sick, also helps to reduce algae growth.

[Sam]

r they easy to connect to a canister????

[Proteus]

...very easy to connect to the return line from the canister

here is some good reading on UVC's & UVS's

http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1066

http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=69

HTH

[Merrilyn]

Nice pics in your Album Sam.

UV is the way to go if you want to get serious about keeping discus. I've had no 'mystery' deaths in my tanks since installing them. So yes, I would say they are definately worth while.

As Dr.V says, they simply remove the free floating pathogens in the water by passing filtered water thru a sleeve containing an ultra violet light.

They are installed on the outlet hose of a canister filter. This is fairly easy to do, but it entails cutting the hose to fit the UV unit between the canister and the return outlet in the tank.

The globes need to be replaced frequently, so make sure you can get replacement globes

[DR.V]

how often should you replace the globe Ladyred ??

[Sam]

thanks for the info. very big help.
is it safe to install the uv while my tank is still cycling???
and how many watts should i got for my tank. 150L
the more the merrier???
and does it slow down the flow of the filter or anything like that??

[Merrilyn]

Sam, leave it off till the tank is fully cycled. You want all that free floating good bacteria to find a home, not get zapped

Most of my units are 8 watts, but on the big tank it is 16 watts.

It slows the water a little, but not much. I've had no problems.

Dr.V I think the globes should be replaced about every 6 months. This is probably a bit too soon, and you could probably get away with 10 months, but I like to be safe :P

[Sam]

thanks heaps merrilyn. ill take ur advice n wait a few weeks.
do u think a 5 watt will be good enough for my tank?? 150L.
george told me the bulbs can last 12 months??
thanks again.

[Merrilyn]

Hi Sam, from my limited understanding, the thing with UV globes, as with any fluorescent light, is that the efficiency falls over time. Yes the globe will last for 12 months, but I find they start to drop off in efficiency after 6 months. This is just from my personal experience. I am no expert in the field.

In my own case, I have a tank in the fishroom that gets far too much daylight. Green water is a big problem. It has a 16 watt unit on it. The water will be crystal clear for the first six months, sometimes longer, then slowly the green water will start to return. I replace the globe, and the water is crystal clear again. And yes, I do clean the sleeve and globe monthly.

Now, if you start with a 5 watt, that will be fine for your tank requirements now. But if you ever decide to upgrade to a larger tank, it will not be big enough. You can never have too much UV, but you can certainly have too little.

If I were you, I would consider getting an 8 watt unit, then if you upgrade, it will still service your new tank.

As I said, I am no expert on this, and if anyone has further knowledge, please feel free to share.