ozonizers, UV sterilizers, or both?

[Anonymous]

Hello yet once again.

I am thinking of purchasing a UV sterilizer or Ozonizer, or maybe even a UV setrilizer/Ozonizer combo. I need something to get rid of a protozoan infestation. To be specific something to get rid of the Amyloodinium or marine velvet as it's sometimes called. The stuff has wiped out six fish and is taking no prisoners.

Should I invest in a UV sterilizer or ozonizer, or combo?
Any advice?

 

[dgasmd]

Depending on what you keep besides fish. Most people with a reef tank will advise against using either, even if you have fish! Now, I will give you a bit of my history and tell you my very biased opinion.

I have a large tank (360) and was having no problems with the fish and corals in my previous tank. After the move to this tank, everything continued to do well until I added a fish from the lfs. I bought this fish no differently than any other before (inpected it closely, stared at it for a while looking for disease or body blemishes, etc). This fish must have had very little marine velvet in it for me to see it, but enough to kill my well over $1000 fish collection!!! I was extremely angry. I waited 7 weeks without adding any fish. I then added a school of green chromis and they did well, so I started to slowly increase my fish load again and I am almost done adding fish.

I am telling you this long story so you see where I am coming from. I had a 40 watt UV filter here and after speaking with some of the people in RC thathave the largest tanks and finding they all ahd UV going, I decided to start mine. Since I have done that, I am yet to see a speck of ick or anything else in the fish. I do not quarintine my new additions by the way for a number of reasons. Another reason I keep the UV even if everything seems well is that it also kills or mutates other things that can cause coral infections. I looked at tank water under the microscope and it is a soup of bugs in it. If I had the available means, I would add another 80 watts of UV. In other words, I recommend it to anyone with fish, reef or no reef. I got a lot of lip from people with reef tanks for recommending this to others, but if it kills the good bugs that my corals need to eat to survive, all I have to say is that my corals must love cadavers because they are literally growing out of the water!!!!!!!!

Ozone is another matter entirely. I ahve never used it before, so I can't comment. The 2-3 people I know that run it only use it in moderate to small amounts for a day or two after doing large cleaning in the tank.

Good luck,
Alberto

 

[brandon4291]

I applaud your observations Alberto, I agree.

Many will be quite emotional when you mention using a UV sterilizer in a reef application. There are so many ways of employing one to deal with or prevent certain outbreaks, it doenst have to be permanent but it sure can be strategic. For example, when someone is battling an algae outbreak through manual removal and nutrient assessment, a sterilizer can be a great tool during a 2/3 week period. Sterilizers are better used to boost a system cleanly into its new nutrient/bioload design, the one that will work against algae in the future (such as better export or less fish) and they can control other outbreaks such as diatoms and cyanobacterial blooms, Ive personally used them myself to do this.

Yes I also agree there is a major if not 90-100% reduction in suspended plankton levels as well, and a perfectly designed setup would never need UV assistance. The fact remains that most captive systems are imbalanced, and a thorough aquarist will strive to create systemic balance that needs no assistance. While one works on long-term stability, a sterilizer is a handy cheat (for lack of a better term) sometimes. Many will agree that nothing beats long-term quarantine for controlling fish-destroying pathogens. If I had a grand in fish, Id have a pond sterilizer plumbed and ready to go for any emergency needs.

 

[Anonymous]

I have never used UV or ozone, and have found that if you employ the very necessary quarantine (look, P.A.'s utilize q/t religiously for a reason folks, especially those non-profit ones), along with maintaining NSW water parameters you'll never have need. This pathogens are manifesting themselves because conditions for the specimens are not ideal, simple as that. At LBAOP, UV's are generally not used, wet-dry's and GIGANTIC foam fractionators are.

Utilize proper q/t, provide these best conditions, and you'll find you have no need to worry about control parasites and other pathogens.