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FAQs on Ultraviolet Sterilizers for Freshwater
Aquarium Filtration
Related Articles: Freshwater
Filtration,
Power
Filter Impressions, A review of some popular
mechanical filtration systems by Steven Pro,
Setting up a Freshwater Aquarium,
Tips for Beginners,
Related FAQs: Freshwater
Filtration,
Biological
Filtration, Establishing Cycling, FW
Sponge Filters, FW Canister Filters,
FW Hang-on Filters,
Chemical Filtrants,
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UV TurboTwist 3x and fluval
404... FW filtr., alg. contr. - 1/24/08
Great site, very helpful! I've got a 55 gallon tank with two Aquaclear 50,
each with a small piece of foam, and then filled with carbon. A Fluval 404,
bottom two sections foam, top two Bio-max.
<Hmm... I tend to consider carbon a waste of time in freshwater tanks. Here's my
pop-quiz for you: what does carbon do that water changes don't do better?
Bzzz... Nothing! Carbon in Old School fishkeeping from back when people avoided
water changes, doing 25% per month or even less. Carbon removed the organics
from the water, stopping it go yellow. Since we now do big water changes every
week, the organics never reach a concentration where they cause problems to
freshwater fish, so the carbon is redundant.>
It's a healthy tank, with 9 Discus, from 2" to 4". Two Cory cats, a small Pleco,
and a tiretrack eel. I've added a Coralife Turbo-Twist 3x (9 watt) mostly for
green water algae.
<Green Water is not normally a problem in freshwater tanks. It's more a pond
issue. UV filters have next to now effect on things like hair algae or the
diatoms that cover the glass. Healthy plants are a far better way to deal with
algae, to be honest.>
Can I still run my Fluval at full blast? If I have to slow down the flow for the
UV, how will that affect my biological filtration?
<It's a Catch-22. If the water is pumped too quickly through a UV steriliser,
the microbes aren't all killed. But canister filters need rapid water flow to
keep the oxygen supply inside the canister adequate for the needs of the
bacteria. Realistically, I'd always favour filtration above UV; I'd sooner have
100% biological filtration capacity but only 50% UV efficiency than the other
way around. UV is undoubtedly useful in marine tanks, but in freshwater systems
it's a luxury, so there's no need to squeeze out every drop of performance from
the contraption. Regular water changes, rapid plant growth under strong
lighting, and control of nitrate and phosphate levels will have a dramatically
greater impact on fish health and algae control.>
Thanks, Joe
<Cheers, Neale.>
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Freshwater Ich and UV
Sterilizer 12/25/07
Thank you so much for being here and available. I've done many searches on
your site over the past few months an have learned an incredible amount. Now I
have a problem and would like advice.
<Okeley dokely.>
I have been back in the hobby since last April, after some years away. This time
I've been very scientific, reading and studying and actually understanding the
why as well as the what. I currently have a 10 gallon non-CO2 planted tank (set
up last May) and 10 gallon mixed reef (set up last August), both very successful
and I am setting up a 46 gallon planted tank. The big tank is my problem.
<Hmm...?>
OK, I took a chance and screwed it up. I cycled the tank with mulm from my old
tank, and the levels dropped very quickly. I stocked it with fish from one,
usually very good, LFS. Cardinals, cories, hatchet fish, pearl gouramis, cherry
barbs, 6 very expensive guppies from a breeder in California. I figured I'd
stock it very quickly and then stop, no more fish or anything, and I'd be great.
<Mulm doesn't really carry a huge amount of filter bacteria: bacteria are mostly
where there's rapid water flow, because they're super-demanding of oxygen.
Gravel from a tank with an undergravel filter is excellent, but otherwise old
sponges from a mature aquarium are best.>
A couple of the hatchet fish developed ich after about 6 days in the tank. I
noticed a spot last Wednesday, hoped against hope it would be nothing. It spread
to other fish. Last Friday morning it was apparent I had a serious emergency. I
have no way to quarantine 30 fish. I'm going to be out of town the first week of
January.
<Hatchets are very sensitive fish at the best of times, and I'd not add them to
an immature tank, no matter how "cycled" I thought it was. In any case,
whitespot shouldn't be deadly in the very short term, and adding suitable
medication should at least slow things down, even if you're able to do all the
doses required to kill the infection.>
I had a major panic attack, did some research on-line and started calling around
town. One LFS "could probably get me a UV sterilizer by next Thursday." The
other LFS had one they recommend in stock.
(I've dealt with both stores before, they're both pretty good.) After discussing
install options, I bought an inline UV sterilizer, a sump, and a pressurized CO2
setup as well. I figured since he was coming out anyway, we'd do everything I'd
been thinking about. We had it installed by 5pm last Friday.
<UV filters don't 100% kill whitespot (or any other type of waterborne
parasite). They certainly help, but wouldn't be my first line of attack.
Elevating the temperature plus adding salt, or treating with anti-Whitespot,
would be better.>
I bought some Ich treatment that he recommended, just in case, but I really
don't like dumping chemicals in the tank if I don't have to. I was hoping the
sterilizer would handle it.
<Nope.>
http://www.uskoi.com/ich-x.htm
The hatchet fish started showing multiple spots Saturday evening. The cardinals
have some spots, the gouramis have some spots. Nobody was in great discomfort.
This morning (Monday) the (VERY expensive) guppies aren't showing any spots that
I can see but the girls are hanging out on the top a lot more than they have
been since the arrived last week. :-(
<Whitespot irritates the gills, and over time leads to something akin to
suffocation.>
To recap - I bought the hatchet fish a week ago Saturday. I saw my first speck
Wed afternoon. Friday afternoon the hatchet fish had several spots and I had an
obvious problem. We installed the UV filter Friday by 5pm, and turned the flow
down on the pump as low as we could get it. There is flow but quite minimal.
(Recommended to kill parasites.)
<Sounds an odd recommendation. Most UV filters I've seen added to tanks use
normal water flow from an external filter or whatever. Is this a separate pump
just for the UV device?>
I keep the tank temp set at 78F, I noticed this morning that it's at 80F.
Possibly because I keep the room very warm. The CO2 is one during daylight
hours. I do not believe it is gassing the fish out, in fact I may turn it up a
bit when & if I solve the Ich problem. The plants are pearling nicely.
<There is a balance that needs to be struck between the CO2 the plants want and
the stress high CO2 levels cause fish. But that's unlikely the issue right now.>
I did a 15 gallon water change yesterday afternoon (Sunday). I am assuming the
spots that are showing up now are parasites that were already attached on
Friday. I am assuming that the UV filter is going to drastically reduce the
free-floating stage and I should start seeing a reduction soon. I can do another
water change this afternoon, and probably another one tomorrow. I have to pack
all my
water from town, my well is too salty for plants or fish.
<The feeding stages on the fish will need to mature and hatch before the UV
filter can do anything. Warm water speeds this up.>
But I'm worried. <huge sigh> I'm really stressing out. :-(
<Not much you can right now beyond treating the tank. I'd not hold much store by
UV alone at all, though I'm open to correction here.>
Am I on the right track here, with the UV sterilizer? When should I start
dumping chemicals, or should I at all? What chemicals? I'm freaking out this
morning because the female guppies are looking a bit too quiet. (The males are
being typical guys. <g>) What type of time-line should I expect with this
blasted parasite?
<The life cycle of whitespot is 2-3 days at tropical temperatures, so in theory
you should see improvement quite quickly.>
SueP
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Freshwater Ich and UV
Sterilizer 12/25/07
Thanks!
<You're welcome.>
OK, I'll do another water change this evening & add the meds. I understand that
salt will kill the plants? Should I turn the temp up?
<Salt at the doses required to treat Ick will not harm your plants; nor will
elevating the temperature.>
The UV sterilizer is in-line with the canister filter. Both are large enough to
handle the tank. The sterilizer suggests doing 2 tank
turnovers an hour for parasites. Higher flow will kill algae but they want the
water to spend time next to the light to kill parasites.
<Ah, that does make some sense. But my worry here would be reducing the water
flow through the canister filter. Canister filters have HUGE oxygen demands, and
slow water flow switches the highly aerobic bio-filtration bacteria into a
dormant mode, which you obviously don't want. I'd personally prefer better water
quality with less effective UV filtration than the other way around. UV is
"icing on the cake", but water quality is the essential "meat-and-potatoes" of
fishkeeping (if I can mix my metaphors!). Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Freshwater Ich and UV
Sterilizer 12/25/07
Update - I just dumped 4 tsps of Ich-X in the tank. I'll do a water change
tonight and treat again if things look worse.
<Hmm... don't do water changes while treating -- for hopefully obvious reasons,
if you suddenly dilute the concentration of medication, the medication will lose
its efficacy. So hold off water changes until your have completed the ENTIRE
course of medication, which may be multiple doses across several days.>
And I did add the filter media from the old tank as well, when I started this
one. We tested and the cycle seems to have completed
within a week. I hope the meds don't mess it up now, but I'm more worried about
the fish.
<No, modern fish medications are almost universally safe with filter bacteria.>
FWIW - the guppies look a bit better and the female Gourami was offering to lay
on her side and breed a few minutes ago.
<Very good. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Freshwater Ich and UV
Sterilizer 12/25/07
The Ich medicine bottle suggests doing a 30% water change just before every
dose. I assume it's to remove as many free-swimming parasites as possible.
Realistically, I'm not able to do the water changes that often.
<Hmm... regardless of the reason, always follow PRECISELY the instructions on
the packaging. Failure to do this can lead to a variety of problems, including
failure to adequately treat the disease.>
Today I had the water but it's taking forever and ever for my heater to get it
up to temp, so I just dumped the meds in the tank and left the new water
heating. I may use it tomorrow, but esp. after hearing your opinion, I may let
it go another day or two dosing without water changes.
<Provided you use water conditioners, there's no harm in using a mix of hot and
cold water to get the warmish water you need.>
I'll turn the flow up on the canister filter
when I change the water and can tell how hard it's moving.
<OK.>
I still have a few visible Ich spots but everybody seems comfortable and active.
Occasional flashing but not constant.
<Good. Do remember the medication stops re-infection, it has no effect on the
current (visible) generation of white spot parasites.>
The female Gourami has a ding on her side but I suspect she banged a scale when
she was being chased by the male. I'm watching it, I'm feeling rather paranoid
at the moment <wry g>, but so doesn't look in distress and it doesn't look fuzzy
or anything.
<Are these Dwarf Gouramis (Colisa lalia)? These are very commonly infected with
a viral disease that is untreatable and highly infectious. An early symptom is
small blisters on the body. Infected fish should be painlessly destroyed and
Dwarf Gouramis never, ever added to the tank unless it is autoclaved. I'm not
kidding about this... as far as I'm concerned, people shouldn't buy this species
unless they got them from a local breeder.>
Thank you so much for your help! Hope you had/have a really wonderful
Christmas!
<Thanks, Christmas was swell. All the best, Neale.>
Re: Freshwater Ich and UV
Sterilizer 12/26/07
No these are Pearl Gouramis. I didn't know that about Dwarfs, what a shame.
And I've been admiring them for months, wanting to buy a pair.
Guess I won't... :-(
<Pearl Gouramis are excellent fish; generally peaceful, long-lived (7+ years)
and hardy. Dwarf Gouramis are a total waste of time/money.>
Did a 15 gallon water change at noon today and added the third dose of meds.
Everybody looks good, the hatchet fish still have a few
spots but the visible spots are definitely clearing upon everybody else.
<Sounds good.>
One of the guppies is having babies, I hope they make it to the thick plants.
Nobody in the tank looks particularly voracious, and historically I've had more
problems with overpopulation than with babies surviving. But these are pretty
special guppies, so I'm hoping! :-)
<Hatchet fish will eat them given the chance, but as you have lots of plants,
you might luck out. By all means confine the babies to a floating breeding trap
for a few weeks if you want.>
I turned the flow on the filter up and the guppies are surfing the current. :-)
<Ha! Sounds as if you have everything in hand. Cheers, Neale.>
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UV-H13, pump, set-up
10/12/07
I recently bought a 9 watt UV-H13 sterilizer. What type of pump do I need to
get for it? I have a 75 gallon aquarium. Help!!
Thank You
Erin
<Erin, typically these devices are connected to the *outflow* of water from a
canister filter. The idea is the canister filter removes silt from the water,
and the resulting clear water passes through the UV steriliser, where the algae
and bacteria are (hopefully) killed. If water is pumped straight from the tank
through the UV steriliser, the penetration of UV light is limited by the silt in
the water, and the algae and bacteria are less effectively killed. Hope this
helps, Neale>
Re: UV-H13 10/12/07
Can I get a canister filter at a local pet store. I, unfortunately, don't
know a lot about aquariums....I just have a love for them. I also have a local
fish store. Maybe I should try there?
<Yes, you can get external canister filters from most aquarium stores. There are
many different brands and models. The main thing is that the outflow hose on the
filter fits the UV filter you have. Typically, the hose will have either a 12 mm
or 14 mm diameter. Check the diameter of the nozzles on the UV steriliser. Then,
make sure you buy a compatible filter. Most small UV sterilisers seem to use 12
mm fittings, and that should be compatible with any small canister filter. The
last time I set one of these UV sterilisers, the procedure was very simple. All
I did was close all the taps to stop water sloshing everywhere; (over a bucket)
cut the outlet hose from the canister filter in two; insert the two free ends so
produced into the UV steriliser; and then after checking all the connections
were watertight, open up the taps and turn the filter back on. Entire process
took ten minutes, if that. I'm assuming the UV-H13 unit you have comes with taps
and seals for connecting the hoses to the nozzles. To be honest, UV sterilisers
aren't critically important in freshwater tanks, though they can be useful. If I
was advising a total newbie on the hobby, there'd be other bits of equipment I'd
have them worry about first. A canister filter is, funnily enough, a very useful
thing, and you'll probably (certainly) get more profit from that than the UV
device! Cheers, Neale>
Re: UV-H13 – 11/13/07
Well, my aquarium store suggested I get a uv sterilizer b/c I'm having a
terrible time with green water (i.e. algae). I bought a sterilizer in the past
and it totally resolved the problem. But it recently took it's last breath. We
made it for about 3 months without it. Then the algae came back.
So here we are again....I will take a second look at my new sterilizer and I
will also take it to the aquarium store with me so they can get me hooked up and
running. Thanks so much for all your advice. I appreciate you taking the time to
help me out!! Have a wonderful weekend!
<Ah, makes sense now. Yes, a UV sterilising should help with green water. Now,
did you consider simply changing the UV bulb rather than the entire unit?
Anyway, good luck! Neale>
Re: UV-H13 10/15/07
Yes, we did try just having the bulb changed but the people at the aquarium
store said that when they opened the unit up, it cracked or something.
Anyway, whatever happened, they were unable to repair it. I wasn't really happy
with the way the whole thing happened. Oh well. We got our NEW one set up and
running over the weekend! Hopefully it will do the trick. We just got it done
Sunday afternoon!!!! We shall see!
<Your retailer broke it? Bizarre. Normally, these things are designed so the UV
tube is easy to replace. That's the whole idea, because the tubes only last ~12
months. Make sure you keep the instruction sheet, and then when it's time to
replace the UV tube, you'd perhaps be safer doing it yourself. Cheers, Neale.>
UV sterilizers, New world
Cichlid Companions 8/16/07
Hi Crew,
<Hello,>
i would like to ask your opinion on the following questions.
<OK.>
1) I am living in a very hot climate (Greece) and as a result every summer my
fish suffer from excessive heat. Aerating the water and doing partial water
changes with cold water do not seem to help, as the water quickly rises to 33
degrees Celsius after every water change. As far as i am aware, hot water
increases the chances of bacterial infections.
<No, these things aren't really connected. In fact, with most tropical fish,
it's the reverse: cold conditions cause infections. What too-hot water will do
is reduce the concentration of oxygen, and it is THAT which stresses the fish
and allows them to get sick more easily. Increasing the aeration in an very warm
tank helps here.>
So i was thinking of 2 ways of dealing with the problem. I) I could add a water
chiller or II) i could add a UV sterilizer to control bacterial spores.
<The first solution would work well, but would be expensive. The second solution
would not work at all. UV sterilisation helps, yes, but if the conditions are
fundamentally dangerous for the fish, the fish will get sick anyway. You can't
possibly remove all the bacteria from the water.>
As far as i know, water chillers are much more expensive than UV sterilizers.
<Yes and no. Commercial chillers are expensive. But DIY versions are not. For
these, all you need is an old fridge. The "mini-bar" kind work great. Drill a
couple of holes in the thing, and then wind a few metres of hose through it.
Connect one end to a filter pump (e.g., the outflow from a canister filter) and
stick the other end in the aquarium. A cheap and cheerful chiller! An even
cheaper solution is this: ice. Get a couple of 1- or 2-litre ice cream tubs, the
plastic kind. Clean and fill with water. Put the lid on. Freeze. When the water
gets too hot (over 30C) put one of these in the aquarium. Over the next few
hours it will thaw, drawing heat from the aquarium. When it has melted, put it
in the freezer, and replace with the other tub. Repeat as required. While not a
perfect solution, this system is very effective if the "hot season" is only a
few weeks in summer. It also has the virtue of being very cheap!>
So, taking into account the fact that i do not keep overly sensitive fish (my
100L tank is stocked with Firemouths and a Glyptoperichthys Joselimaianus), i
think that the addition of a UV sterilizer is a better investment. If you agree
on this, i would like to ask the preferred design-specifications of a UV
sterilizer appropriate for a 100 L tank. (power, high-low pressure, flow rate
etc)
<I wouldn't bother. Far far better to cool down the tank, increase evaporation
(which also cools down the tank), and increase the aeration. Alternatively,
choose species tolerant of very warm water. Discus, clown loaches, gouramis,
angelfish, Apistogramma, etc. are all fish that thrive in water around 30C. On
the other hand, avoid anything borderline tropical or subtropical, like
peppered/bronze Corydoras, danios, many barbs, some tetras, etc.>
2) Currently the tank is stocked only with a Leopard Pleco, but i am planning to
add a Firemouth soon. I was also thinking of adding a Blue Acara (Aequidens
Pulcher) and i would like to ask your opinion on the compatibility of these 2
species. From my experience adding two (or more) male Firemouths in the tank is
a pure disaster (i have tried to keep 4 of them in the same tank but they were
overly aggressive). I know that cichlids tend to be particularly aggressive
towards conspecifics, so my thought is that if i added an Acara, i could be able
to keep their aggression under control.
<I personally wouldn't mix South American and Central American cichlids. There
are certainly exceptions of course, but in general Central Americans tend to be
more territorial and a lot more aggressive than South Americans. To some degree,
this all depends on aquarium space. In a 100 litre tank, my guess is you have NO
chance of getting these fish to coexist. An adult male firemouth cichlids will
simply view the entire tank as its territory. Even in a 200 litre tank, I doubt
it would work out. Personally, I'd look for something in the "dwarf cichlid"
market if you want multiple species. This would also leave you space to add
midwater fish. On the other hand, you might try looking at some of the unusual
Anabantoidea instead of the cichlids. Climbing perch (Anabas, Ctenopoma, and
Microctenopoma) include some superb species most of which are very tolerant of
warm water because they can breathe air.>
I am looking forward to hear your comments.
Thank you in advance
Spyros
<I hope this helps, Neale>
UV filtration with 2 filters, and parasitic
FW sys. f' 7/26/07
Hello again!
I'm the one who recently asked about treating a 130g tank that had gone through
a nasty outbreak of Chilodonella, before reintroducing the then cured fishes. I
followed the advice I received, and treated with Malachite green/formalin for a
few days, coupled with massive water changes. I cycled the tank, and have since
successfully transferred all afflicted fishes back (and some more) and so far,
everyone is doing very well. No signs of ill-health at all. Thanks again for the
advice!
<Congrats!>
My question this time has to do with the set up itself, especially filtration.
The tank is 72 x 24 x 16 inches and filtration is provided by an Eheim Pro II
2028. I've come to realise that I'm probably under filtering: the Eheim is rated
for 277 GPH, which I hear corresponds to the flow-rate without any media in the
box. This means that in actual practice I'm probably getting my volume turned
over at most 1.5x an hour.
<Yes>
So I figured I probably should get another filter, and in any case, it certainly
can't hurt. Wouldn't you agree?
<I do>
I'm especially leaning towards the Filstar XP4, since I can get one on sale for
rather cheap. Flow rate seems a bit high to me (450GPH), but I suppose with a
spray bar turned in towards the glass, the fishes (Severums, Geophagus and jack
Dempseys) wouldn't mind the flow.
<Not at all>
Now, I also wanted to add a turbo-twist (Coralife) UV steriliser, but was
wondering what the most efficient way to set it up would be. Does it make a
difference which filter I mount the lamp on?
<In this case... not really... both will/would provide adequate circulation...
both magnetic driven pumps will be about the same mal-influenced...>
I figured the one with the higher flow rate would be preferable, since the water
would get to meet the light more often.
<Mmm... oh, I see you address this below>
So, I figured the best option would be to get the 36W model, for flow-rates
between 400 and a 1000 GPH, and mount it on the Filstar.
<Yes... these would be well-matched>
Then again, I was worried that once loaded with media, the actual performance of
the filter could fall below this.
<You are correct>
How damaging would that be in practice?
<Mmm, not enough to be overly concerned>
Would I be better off getting the lower powered lamp (18W) and reducing the
flow-rate to below 400GPH?
<Yes... IMO this would be fine>
That would put me on the higher-end of the scale and, I fear, would reduce
efficiency due to decreased exposition time.
What would you recommend I do?
<I'd go with the 18 watt unit... and hook it up to the new filter>
I'll set up the filter first, to test the actual flow rate, but should I find it
to be below 400GPH, which of the two filters should I mount the lamp on?
Ideally, I'd have one on each but, well, one's funds are never unlimited...
Thanks again for this truly wonderful service you are providing.
Best,
Eric
<Welcome! Bob Fenner>
Filtration questions; do I need a UV sterilizer?
2/16/07
Hey -
<Hola>
My name is patrick...
<Patrick>
and i...
<I...don't want to nit-pick, but please understand I have to re-type all
these improper uses of punctuation so that we can organize the queries on
our website...>
...had some questions about my filter setup.
<Go for it!>
I have a Cascade 700 and a BioWheel 350; I am starting my second 55 gallon
tank. Will those two filters together work well or should I add a
biological filter like a sponge?
<Each type of filtration has its proper place in the hobby - what is your
tank stocked with (or what will it be stocked with)? For my purposes, which
include freshwater community tanks, power filters with BioWheels have served
me well, but I do add an additional filter media called "PolyFilter" to help
keep phosphate levels in check. It's hard for me to give you a full answer
without knowing more about your setup, but generally speaking, power filters
are an easy and efficient way to keep a standard community freshwater tank
healthy. For notoriously messy fish, like goldfish or puffer fish, you can
help combat their "messiness" by adding a second power filter unit, but
under most circumstances, this isn't necessary...>
Also my local store suggested a UV sterilizer to help with preventing algae
and other harmful pathogens.
<A UV sterilizer will not combat algae, but rather a combination of water
changes, controlling phosphates, not having excess lighting, and not feeding
too much will help with this issue. With regard to harmful pathogens, be
aware that EVERY fish tank has some level of pathogens in it, but when
regular water changes are done and the livestock is kept in stable, proper
conditions, their immune systems should be strong enough to not allow them
to succumb to the "nasties". The jury's out on the use of UV sterilizers in
general - some folks swear by them, others think they do way more harm then
good. The "general" consensus seems to be that if you keep up with regular
water changes, have good filtration, and use a quarantine tank for all new
fish acquisition (and a hospital tank for all sick fish, should the need
arise), that will suffice. Here's a nice article summarizing the use of UV
sterilizers in aquaria -
http://www.fishlore.com/uv_sterilizer.htm >
Would I need one or would my combo of filters be enough?
<Again, without knowing specifically what you intend to keep, I can't say
for certain. However, provided that you practice good husbandry on the
tank(s) in question, you will likely be OK without using a UV sterilizer.>
Patrick
<Best regards, Jorie>
FW UV use, algae impact - 12/06/06
Hi.
<Greetings to you! Michelle here.>
I understand that UV will kill free floating algae.
<Yes.>
I assume that if I have algae already growing on my rocks, the UV will
not hinder it. Would this be correct?
<This is true.>
I have Tropheus that graze, so I don't want to cut down algae growth on the
rocks.
<No need to worry.>
Thank you for your assistance.
<You are welcome. -Mich>
Use of UV Sterilizer on Molly Fry tank
Hi all,
I was thinking about using a UV Sterilizer for a Black Molly rearing tank.
My reasoning is that it would be an extra form of protection for the fry
considering how delicate & susceptible to disease they are. What do you
think? Good or bad idea?
<Would help, wouldn't hurt>
Also how is a UV Sterilizer connected?
Does it run independently or does it have to be attached to a filter or
something? Thanks.
The MollyMan
<Needs a fluid-moving source and electricity. Please see here re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/UVFAQs.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
UV sterilizer in a freshwater tank 09/13/2005
First off, I want to say that the site is unparalleled in the amount of
information available. Many heartfelt thanks to all the hard working people
at WWM for their selfless expenditure of time and energy to make this site
as awesome as it is. Without trying to be too long winded (I am Italian, I
talk with my hands and I am typing <g>) I will explain my situation and
questions. My new wife has had aquariums for about 20 years and she got me
interested in the past year or so. We are working diligently to become more
conscientious Aquarists and this site has been a big help in the past couple
of months.
<Ah, good>
Right now we have 3 tanks up and running, 2 work in progress
tanks, 1 QT/hospital tank and looking down the road to Saltwater, and it is
our 150g community tank that I have an issue with and need advice. It is an
All Glass Megaflow tank that has 2 Megaflow chambers leading to the sump.
The tank is well established, being up for about 6 months, but all the
inhabitants and the wet/dry filter were in a 125g for almost a year and all,
including water were moved into the 150g because our LFS made us a deal that
we couldn't refuse. The inhabitants are as follows: 2 African Butterfly
fish (they eat out of our hands, it's great), 9 assorted Gouramis (from True
Gouramis to Blue Paradise), 3 assorted Angels, 3 Swords, 7 Zebra and 3 Giant
Danios, 4 Tinfoil Barbs, 2 Rainbow Sharks, 1 black Ghost Knife, 2 Dojo
Loaches, 1 Peacock Eel, 1 common and 1 clown Pleco and 2 CAEs. By the way,
they all do play together very well and we have a very active, layered tank
that has received many compliments as it is the showpiece in our Living
Room. Now to the crux of the situation: We have an ongoing issue of
suspended particulate matter. To try to deal with this, we have cut back on
our feeding. We realized that we were overfeeding when we had a nitrate
reading almost off the chart and we are using Nitra-zorb in the sump along
with extra water changes (we normally do 20% every 2 weeks) to combat this.
I admit we were lazy and just used to get the water tested once in a while
at the LFS instead if having a test kit (we have a comprehensive kit now),
we had the water tested this past Saturday and that is how we found out
about the nitrate issue. The rest of the water parameters are good; PH is
7.2, Ammonia 0 and Nitrite 0. We also switched to sand as a substrate
instead of the detritus trapping gravel and are using a 100 micron pad with
a carbon pad in the drip tray of the w/d but we can't completely eliminate
the suspension. Our LFS recommended using a UV sterilizer as they think the
suspension is organic in nature and that the sterilizer would eliminate it.
<Might... a worthwhile addition in any case>
I have read the FAQs but I can't seem to get a definitive answer for my
situation. I am more inclined to use a canister filter with diatom powder
or a regular diatom filter for the water polishing as needed since we have
so many tanks up/planned and I am hoping you can clear the haze of cobwebs.
<Also a good tool... for periodic use...>
If the sterilizer is the better way to go, where is the best placement for it?
<The final item in your return line from an outside pump...>
In the sump or on the back of the tank as the drainage to the sump is
gravity and the water is only stirred up by the 2 outflow tubes.
<The back of the tank>
Additionally, what would you recommend as a good waste eater for the tank,
we can move out some of our 'children' to the other tanks to make room.
<A grouping of a species or two of Callichthyid catfishes... Larger Corydoras or
Diadema, or...>
Once again I thank you for your patience to get through this email. I hope
that everyone at WWM has a good a day as I have every day. Tom
<Thank you for sharing your experiences, enthusiasm. Bob Fenner>
UV STERILIZER and FW disease
Hi Bob. Have a problem and need a little advice as it involves more than
just changing water. :)
<Okay>
My largest tank, a 55, right now has 3 Big Spot Plec's (all around 5
inches), 1 Bristlenose at 4", 4 Cory sterbae and about 15 smaller dither
fish. (Do I need to state my readings? OK. 0,0,15. I do lots of water
changes!)
<You know you and I like those>
I keep losing the dithers with the bent spine of fish TB. Couple of Zebra
Danios, a few White Clouds, one Cardinal Tetra. I also have 6 Rosey Barbs
(2M, 4F) in there. The female Rosey have looked like they're gravid since I
got them 8 months ago. Now all the females are starting to show the bent
spine. The males both look normal and healthy.
<... not good... can be a few things... I'm fearful it's Myxosoma, not
nutritional, environmental... given the fact that the cats appear
unaffected. Are you familiar with whirling disease?>
I know I should break down the tank, put down all the fish and start over,
but frankly with my prize Big Spots in there it's just not going to happen.
In speaking with Sabrina about this she mentioned she knows of no report of
catfish getting TB. (Can you add anything to this?) So the plan is to put
down all the dithers, healthy looking or not, and add a UV Sterilizer.
<Siluiiforms can indeed "get", perish from Mycobacterial infections... but
these would be long gone by now if this were the causative agent.>
Does this seem like a good plan of attack to you? My thoughts are that the
catfish, being bottom dwelling, mud sucking scavengers have been provided
one hell of an immune system. Nature is good that way. By ridding the tank
of the reservoir of infection in the dithers and running the UV I hope to
clear the bacteria.
<Maybe... do you have any such problems with similar groups
(cypriniform/minnows) in other of your systems... using the same water?>
Right now I have two tanks running. The 55 and a 10 with my breeding
Bristlenose. I have 35 two week old fry in the 10 right now along with the
parents. So I have to do something soon. Plan is to get a 29 and/or 20 and
set up the Big Spots for a breeding attempt. Then use the 55 as the grow out
tank. Would greatly prefer not to have to break it all down and recycle, but
must have a healthy, cycled tank for all these fry. So I'm leaning towards
the Sterilizer.
<I am not such a big fan of UV's for home, even breeding systems. Not that
much to gain. If bacterial in origin, the microbes will be passed in the
system by the fishes eating other dead, dying fishes>
If you think I'm on the right track, can you recommend a brand, size. I
think the 55 is the biggest tank I'll have. Would also want it to be able to
go on a 20. The dream tank of Zebra Plecos would be next after getting the
Big Spots settled in a 29. Can't/won't even think about the Zebras until I'm
sure I'm healthy, tank wise.
Don
<If it were me, I'd spend the money on another or larger tank, another
trashcan/carboy to store pre-mixed water, or a reverse osmosis unit for
making water, and hope that if this is indeed a biological vector, that its
virulence dies out. Bob Fenner>
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