uv or no uv

[metalfab]

would like to hear some pros and cons. I have the unit and I need to decide if I should plumb it in or not. I plan on a reef setup. Thanks

 

[fire911]

UV. I use one and would always recommend one.

 

[Takara]

I've had tanks with and without, I really didn't notice too much of a difference, but there could be something I wouldn't have noticed that helped.

 

[metalfab]

Does it kill good organisms if I wanted to use a fuge

 

[nichols]

I'd recommend against using UV. It kills indiscriminately.

 

[naturebatslast]

It's good for a sick fish/QT setup.

 

[nichols]

It's good for a sick fish/QT setup.

Key point. Should have said on a reef tank.

 

[frank180reef]

I have one, I only use it on the rare occasions where my fish have ick, lol saves on the life of the bulb too.....................

 

[Arthur1]

The long story short so I don't have to go in depth on this, don't bother. Unless ALL the return water is going through a UV sterilizer and the sterilizer has enough power to be able to kill parasites at your particular return flow rate its pretty much a waste. By waste I'm pertaining to not being as effective as it could be. Better off leaving it to a quarantine set up or for pond clarifying of single celled algae. HTH

 

[Dave McReeferson]

I'd recommend against using UV. It kills indiscriminately.

It's good for a sick fish/QT setup.

These two comments pretty much sum up my thoughts on this as well. I don't see any reason to include one in a reef set-up, and it kills the good just as well as it kills the bad, so there is a reason not to include one. Proper quarantine procedures negate any possible need for a UV unit on your display system IMO, and in most instances, UV is only marginally effective (if effective at all) with marine fish issues anyway.

 

[stingythingy45]

It's like a air purification system in a house.It's nice to have it,but not really needed.
Personally,I wouldn't run a UV unless I needed it.And that's only happened once a long while back when I had a green water bloom in a tank I was running hypo salinity on.

 

[metalfab]

Thanks for the info. One less plumbing obstacle for me.

 

[MikeG]

I have been running one for the past couple years and love it. Would run it again on a new system if I had one lying around, not sure if I would go out of my way to buy one though. I don't use it to try to kill parasites or anything like that. My main use is to kill free floating algae. It does a tremendous job at water clarification. I run about 12 hours a day slightly delayed from my lighting along with carbon 24/7.