KathyC

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How long has the tank been set up and why are you considering getting a UV, are there any issues in the tank?

Keep in mind that UV light does not discriminate between good & bad bacteria - it kills any bacteria (and whatever else like algae or parasites) that go past the light. The flow rate of the water going through the unit is also important.
 

AR0026

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Well my water was starting to get green... And one of my fish passed away from ick, so want to make sure that the parasites die... If anything I can use sometimes... The goo that gets killed, is there anyway to put that back in?? And if so, wouldn't it be easier to replace the good bacteria then to live with the bad bacteria??? Just a thought.
 

KathyC

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A UV light may help kill any Ich parasites that swim into the intake of the UV, but it won't kill them all by any stretch.

To kill the Ich in your tank you need to remove the fish and treat them either by using the Hyposalinity method or with a copper treatment. The main tank must remain free of fish for a minimum of 6 weeks, 8 is better to truly eliminate the Ich from your tank.

Regarding the green water - how many hours per day do you run your lights and what type of lighting do you have? How often are you doing water changes & what % do you change?
 

KathyC

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The Ich won't harm the corals. You still need to get the ammonia level down though.
Can you take the fish out and treat him?

You didn't answer about your lighting schedule?
 

AR0026

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My mistake:
4c6241cb-c45b-20ca.jpg


About the clown... He's not sick at least not showing any symptoms.

And what I meant was will the uv harm the corals?? Also, I read somewhere that algae covers the zoas and they won't open up... So wouldn't the uv light kill the algae??
 

KathyC

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lol, yeah you did :)

Lighting cycle looks fine - and assuming they are not old bulbs?
Is there any direct sunlight hitting the tank?

A UV will help with green water, but so will water changes and not overfeeding (adding nutrients that make algae grow out of control). Step up your water changes and that will help with that issue and unless it looks like soup in there the zoas should be fine but keep in mind, green water will reduce the effectiveness of your lighting. That would be more dangerous to your zoas than a little algae landing on them .

How green is the water anyway??


Just because the fish looks fine that unfortunately means nothing as you can't see into his gills :(
 

AR0026

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It's a really light tint of green... Skimmer is pitting out a lot of it... Just want to make sure tank stays kristal clear... And the uv will help with that... And the bulbs are fairly new... Jut started with corals before that did only fish... So had a simple light... Also, I'm started to notice red looking algae is growing in the sand?? Is that normal??
 

AR0026

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It's been up and running for about 6months. Water is good... I tested it..

I think I'm going to give the uv a try... But how long do you thing I should run it for?? Or just leave it on all the time?

I'm going to pick one up tomorrow... Yep made up my mind... :D

What would I have to add to my tank to replenish the good bacteria???
 

KathyC

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Leave it on once you install it. Make sure you get the correct sized pump for it, if the water passes through too quickly, it will not kill what you want it to kill. There should be info in with the UV on the desired flow rate.

No need to add bacteria, you tank will eventually reach a balance and produce what bacteria it needs. Remember it will kill both good & bad, so it kind of equals out.
Just keep up with the water changes and check your parameters on a daily basis until all signs of a cycle are gone.
 

nycmat

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hey kathy, sorry to chime in. that works. the slower through the UV the more contact parasites will hit the light longer. thats what you want. my advice would also be replenish your nutrients through manual dosing through this. good luck with it. be careful about that cyano.
 

AR0026

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So, been running the UV for a few days now... The water is the clearest I have ever seen it... And all my zoas are opened. Even some that almost never opened... I keep testing my water but everything fine for now...

Thank you guys for the advise.
 

KathyC

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hey kathy, sorry to chime in. that works. the slower through the UV the more contact parasites will hit the light longer. thats what you want. my advice would also be replenish your nutrients through manual dosing through this. good luck with it. be careful about that cyano.
Thanks for chiming in Mat, I've been extremely busy the past week with near little time to come here. :kiss:

Great that the UV has cleared up the algae for you!
What is going on with the Ich?
 

AR0026

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Thanks nycmat....

KathyC,

No signs of ick on my maroon clown....

Since installing the UV, the tank almost crashed... Keep doing water changes till it got over the hump... Now the water is clear as day, my zoas are all open... Even some that haven't opened in a while... The skimmer is going crazy... I have been emptying it out ever two days... Nasty/smelly stuff...

Only feel sorry for my snails, no algea means no food for them...
Actually, I think I'm going to give them to my uncle...

Very happy so far... Hope it stays this way...

Thanks,
Antonio
 

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