Is UV bad on a reef tank?

[tallkooljp]

I got a 25w UV light for free, but besides killing parasites does it kill "good" bugs and critters that grow like in a refugium? Debating if I should connect it to my 125g reef. Does the group think its more of just a fish only tank thing? Any thoughts? Thanks!

[Juruense]

Just pitch it in the trash, its worthless and will do NOTHING.

[kraze3]

I dont care for them. They can kill good stuff as well as bad. Of course this depends on how much flow you have in the tank. Its possible if you have more flow than the UV can handle that some stuff will get buy good or bad.

[reefscape15]

Agreed that it has good and bad qualities, but i feel the good that you get out of it doesn't outway the bad. You'd end up stripping all of your natural food out of the tank, and just leaving dead plankton instead of live which will probably make your nitrates and amonia rise

[cloak]

Using a filter sock will do the same thing when it comes down to killing good stuff IMO. Instead of death by radiation, everything that accumulates in the sock will eventually be killed in the washing maching.
I wouldn't use one on a reef tank, but a FOWLR tank, without a doubt.

[elaw62]

there have been several TOTM on here that used UV & were incredible tanks. I believe that they were mostly concerned with single cell algae & organics tinting their water. Some use carbon & protein skimming, some use ozone, some use UV, & some use nothing. I personally believe it can be a useful tool if you have an understanding of what you're trying to achieve going in. Just my 2 cents.

[RumLad]

extremely well said elaw62.
As with most things in life, it isn't a black and white thing with UV. It is neither a cure all nor a money waster. It's benefits lie squarely on its application to each tank. For example, it will not cure hair algae by itself, but it will kill algae spores in the water. If your other husbandy and maintenance practices are in order, then the UV will help you stay on top of things.

[CSoli921]

I am on the side that think's UV sterilizer's are unneccessary. As for filter socks, I like to use polyester pillow stuff from wal-mart. It's under $3 for a huge bag, so you can throw it out every few days if you need to.

[Frick-n-Frags]

There are folks like SPS farmers that use them. For them, there is more benefit from keeping disease/coral parasites down vs nukng some useless phyto.

folks with a serious fish collection often use them too.

Me, I am from the other side: i dont want to nuke the stuff in the water. The skimmer wipes enough of that stuff out by itself.
i never have kept more than one or two fish at a time either so fish disease is also a non-issue.

[Uncle Salty 05]

You must tear apart a UV sterilizer every 30 days and clean the quartz sleeve surrouding the bulb or it will do nothing.
They are very high maintenance.

[carlso63]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14601771#post14601771 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Juruense
Just pitch it in the trash, its worthless and will do NOTHING.
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14601897#post14601897 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefscape15
You'd end up stripping all of your natural food out of the tank, and just leaving dead plankton instead of live which will probably make your nitrates and amonia rise
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14602831#post14602831 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Uncle Salty 05
You must tear apart a UV sterilizer every 30 days and clean the quartz sleeve surrouding the bulb or it will do nothing.
They are very high maintenance.

Wow... with 1 or 2 exceptions, most of the replies here are just really bad info or flat out WRONG.

To the OP:

UV is not 'bad' on a Reef Tank... it will not decimate your pod population, nor will it kill so much infauna that your ammonia and trites /trates will rise, nor is it "high maintenance" unless you feel that an occasional cleaning of a piece of equipment qualifies it as "high maintenance" (hate to see that guy's skimmer :rolleyes: ) and it certainly is not "worthless" to a savvy Reefer who knows how to use one. I have a 36w UV unit on my 225 Reef; "worthless"..? :lol:

The main benefits of UV use IN A REEF TANK are reduction in nuisance algae growth due to reduction in the level of algal spores in the water column, and increased water clarity which in turn means better light penetration and better overall PAR levels within your tank - which should lead to better coral growth vs. less clear water conditions. Use of a UV sterilizer will also help control certain protozans like Ich and a few others. As elaw62 and RumLad said, the water flow through your UV is a factor in how efficient it will work, and what undesirable things it will kill.

UV is not at all neccessary but if you run it the first thing you will notice after 24 - 48 hours is your tank water will look noticeably clearer and brighter due to less microparticulates in the water column. You should also see a lengthing of the time you can go between running an algae scraper on your glass, and your sandbed should stay whiter-looking longer.

IMO, since you already have the UV unit I would certainly run it. You won't regret it.

[jenglish]

UV's best use IMO is to break down organics prior to going into skimmer. They can increase the efficiency of your skimmer. The amount of clarifying it does to your water varies. In most tanks the amount it effects your algae is likely going to be little, but it just all depends on your setup. A standard UV filter is going to do nothing to ich, they just don't have enough power to sterilize crypto under the standard flow rates.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

They can increase the efficiency of your skimmer.

How do you know that to be true?

Oxidizers, such as ozone, can reduce the yellowness and increase the apparent clarity of seawater without increasing skimmer efficiency.