what exactly does a UV sterilizer do??

[Lynn]

Can you tell me what all this item accomplishes??
thanks

 

[kipreefer]

A thin wall of water runs along a cylinder with a bulb that creates UV light. The UV light kills any sort of living things passing by it. Such as Marine Ich and other parasites. But the Uv light will also kill the so called "Good" forms of life such as plankton, photoplankton, and rotifers which other words would feed corals and fish. It is a double edged sword in other words. Some people swear by them, but i think they do this because they dont have the conditions right for the fish. I dont have on adn cant think of a time i have had aproblem with any sicknesses. If your aquarium is overstcoked it maybe good but if not it isnt worth it.

Hope this answers

 

[murrayjim]

"The initial thinking on reef tanks was to avoid UV, to keep plankton alive. However, with the skimmers and pumps used on aquariums the plankton population in the water column is virtually non existent. You can use a UV continuously (recommended) or just keep one at the ready, in the event of an outbreak."

 

[Lynn]

OK so if skimmers and pumps remove the plankton, then how do you feed it???
thanks Lynn

 

[murrayjim]

"A UV sterilzer and protein skimmer will both remove phytoplankton from your aquarium. Always add phytoplankton (DT's Phytoplankton) directly into your aquarium without going through the UV or the skimmer. Turning off the UV will extend the time that phytoplankton is available to the inhabitants of your reef system. Turning off the skimmer will extend the time even further. Turning off the UV or skimmer for several hours will not adversely affect your reef system."
There are also skimmers that claim to be Phytoplankton friendly, Tunze for example.

 

[davelin315]

Easiest description of a UV sterilizer is that it is a UV sterilizer. It uses ultraviolet light to sterilize your water. It kills off whatever is alive through the use of ultraviolet light. I use one on my reef and don't have any problems except remembering to replace the bulb (it's probably pretty damn useless right now as the bulb is 2+ years old).

 

[Anonymous]

I would never suggest an UltaViolet sterilizer for a reef tank. For the most part they take away from your plankton populations. To keep away sickness I would keep a stable reef coupled with cleaner shrimps and the use of vitamins and trace elements.

 

[stilmas]

I use on too, just turn it off for a few hours when feeding.

 

[Tremelle]

I used one for about a month. The one big difference I noticed while using it was that it heated up the tank by 2 degrees. That additional heat could cause a problem if your tank already has high temperatures.