Spending (here, = wasting) a couple hundred dollars for a UV that has no benefit and is certainly not necessary doesn't make much sense to me either.UV Clarifier or not?
- Thread starter seangee
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Spending (here, = wasting) a couple hundred dollars for a UV that has no benefit and is certainly not necessary doesn't make much sense to me either.
AbbeysDad
Fish Gatherer
I think you can prolly get a UV Sterilizer for most small/medium tanks for around $50 (or a bit less).
@Byron, I always thought of you more as a "Fish Whisperer" rather than a Preacher! lol
Edit: Or maybe "Aquarium Whisperer".
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You're in the US, I'm in Canada and when I looked into UV a few years ago it was around $200-300 for a reliable unit here. The least expensive they have now is $135. Still a lot to pay for no reason.
AbbeysDad
Fish Gatherer
Can't imagine that a unit like this @ $38 US would cost so much more in Canada:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01824RDNC/?tag=ff0d01-20
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I just took the least expensive UV at my local aquatics store that sells at prices equal to online which is the least expensive in Canada. But it was a different unit than this one you linked, which is $67 CDN on Amazon. Still, that is a lot to pay for something you do not need, and I would rather buy a few fish.
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OP
OP
seangee
Fish Connoisseur
I used the term clarifier rather than steriliser because TBH I wouldn't expect something that cheap to be an effective steriliser. Similar price to the one abbeysdad pointed out - as usual the price you pay in GBP is roughly 1:1 to USD regardless of the actual exchange rate - so no more money wasted than on a night in the pub.
Its currently turned off while I try to restore the algae / plant balance. For those that saw my thread on reducing nitrates I currently feel I do not have enough algae. Unrelated to the UV, I recently started using an ion exchange filter to remove nitrates from the tap water (50ppm). Too early to tell what effect this has had on my floating plants but I am reluctant to thin them because they do a nice job of filtering the lights (it is a blackwater setup and the aquarium has LEDs). I don't scrape the back wall (it belongs to the fish) and some of my driftwood has algae. Typically I scrub this once a month and it grows back into a fine carpet within a month. Well right now my fish (helped by the absence of nutrients) are clearing the algae much faster than it is growing.
Much as the idea of permanently clean glass appeals I do treat the aquarium as an eco-system rather than a glass box in which to store and display fish so I have now started mixing tap water with the filtered water so the nitrates go in at 5ppm and increased my photo period from 7 to 8 hours.
Its currently turned off while I try to restore the algae / plant balance. For those that saw my thread on reducing nitrates I currently feel I do not have enough algae. Unrelated to the UV, I recently started using an ion exchange filter to remove nitrates from the tap water (50ppm). Too early to tell what effect this has had on my floating plants but I am reluctant to thin them because they do a nice job of filtering the lights (it is a blackwater setup and the aquarium has LEDs). I don't scrape the back wall (it belongs to the fish) and some of my driftwood has algae. Typically I scrub this once a month and it grows back into a fine carpet within a month. Well right now my fish (helped by the absence of nutrients) are clearing the algae much faster than it is growing.
Much as the idea of permanently clean glass appeals I do treat the aquarium as an eco-system rather than a glass box in which to store and display fish so I have now started mixing tap water with the filtered water so the nitrates go in at 5ppm and increased my photo period from 7 to 8 hours.
fozziebear
Fishaholic
increasing the light period is going to help build algal growth if you are looking for it, if you want to encourage any sort of green water conditions you can culture it, you take some fresh spinach, wash it, blend it and strain it, and mix with aquarium water about a 25 parts water to 1 part spinach juice ratio, then you let it sit in a covered container near window in a place that is not cold for 24 hours, add it to the tank and you have cultured free floating algaes and protozoa.
increasing the light period is going to help build algal growth if you are looking for it, if you want to encourage any sort of green water conditions you can culture it, you take some fresh spinach, wash it, blend it and strain it, and mix with aquarium water about a 25 parts water to 1 part spinach juice ratio, then you let it sit in a covered container near window in a place that is not cold for 24 hours, add it to the tank and you have cultured free floating algaes and protozoa.
I have never come across this before, but it is certainly not something I would recommend. Blackwater (as the OP referenced) is water tinted yellow/brown by organics such as tannins, and this is not detrimental to fish (those naturally living in such waters) and may be beneficial. There is more in the tannins from wood and leaves than mere colouring.
Adding green water is very different, and one should never add this to an aquarium with live fish. It is OK to promote algae in fishless container in sunlight or however, to use as a means of getting algae growing on rocks for fish to graze when the rocks are then added to the aquarium. But pouring green water in an aquarium is pollution, and you could debilitate if not destroy the biological system. After all, we work hard to avoid green water, using UV and such, and for good reason. It is not healthy for our fish.
Also, the green water is caused by unicellular algae, and this does not colonize surfaces as "normal" forms of algae which fish graze. They are very different species of algae.
fozziebear
Fishaholic
But a lot of fry will require a greenwater aquarium with infusoria would you not agree byron? adding the spinach culture just speeds up the process of gaining these unicellular algae and protozoans in an aquarium.
it is very different to want algae growing on substrate glass or rocks than to want free floating unicellular algae, both are cultured in different ways, with the main types like BBA, green hair algae, diatoms, GDA, Brown spot algae and cyanobacteria just need sunlight and nutrients, the same could also be said of unicellular algae too though
i know of breeders that use the spinach culture technique whilst breeding and to feed difficult species like freshwater clams and bamboo shrimp, im not saying it is right for all aquariums, but for it's specific use it can be quite useful, as long as you are only dosing a reasonable amount of the culture and not dumping the whole lot of the culture in you should be fine whilst fish are in the tank, i should have mentioned that in my original comment.
It is very common to see unicellular algae in a fishes natural habitat, it can provide food for fry especially, would you care to elaborate on how it is harmful for fish?
it is very different to want algae growing on substrate glass or rocks than to want free floating unicellular algae, both are cultured in different ways, with the main types like BBA, green hair algae, diatoms, GDA, Brown spot algae and cyanobacteria just need sunlight and nutrients, the same could also be said of unicellular algae too though
i know of breeders that use the spinach culture technique whilst breeding and to feed difficult species like freshwater clams and bamboo shrimp, im not saying it is right for all aquariums, but for it's specific use it can be quite useful, as long as you are only dosing a reasonable amount of the culture and not dumping the whole lot of the culture in you should be fine whilst fish are in the tank, i should have mentioned that in my original comment.
It is very common to see unicellular algae in a fishes natural habitat, it can provide food for fry especially, would you care to elaborate on how it is harmful for fish?
No, this is where I would not agree at all. No fry require a greenwater aquarium. Green water is a sign of an imbalance biologically. I will agree that this may not be directly harmful to fish in and of itself. But it is a sign of an imbalance, and while this can play out safely in the natural habitat, it can be dangerous within the confines of an aquarium. There is more to go wrong when we add something like this, as opposed to making a blackwater environment which is safe by comparison. Best avoided.
Infusoria is best cultured from dried leaves. I use dried oak leaves collected in my back garden (which is as totally free of any chemicals and pesticides as it could be) in autumn, and I keep these in my tanks for decoration but also an excellent source of infusoria and microscopic food. My 10g contains a group of pygmy cories that spawn regularly and the only food added are dried leaves every few weeks and the normal cory sinking foods. I also use this tank with the leaves to grow out my Farlowella vitatta fry. Fry in tanks with dried leaves do grow significantly faster than in tanks without the leaves, and most sources say this is the infusoria.
I cannot comment on greeen water being good, safe, or not, for shrimp and clams. I am more concerned with fish.
OP
OP
seangee
Fish Connoisseur
Not planning on adding any green water. Key words for me are balanced and eco-system. Happily 48 hrs after last water change (adding at 5ppm nitrate) and turning the lights on for longer I have a few visible spots of green on the front wall. So from here on it looks like I can get there just by adjusting the lighting period.
Back in November, I had 12 Cardinals and 5 Rummy Nose Tetra`s die. I had no idea what caused this because they had been in this tank for about 8 months. When the first couple died I started dosing the tank with Paraguard but it did not help.Then I went to a combo of Kanaplex and Furan2 which seemed to help.I am not sure of what it was but maybe Columaris. I was very concerned so I purchased a 2 stage UV sterilizer and have been running it since early January.Today the tank is healthy and I have been slowly replacing the fish.As far a the UV is concerned did I need it I can`t say one way or the other but it is there and I am not sorry I bought it.Also, none of the other fish in the tank were ever effected.
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