larger canister filter, with UV light... a good use when adding new fish???

[Magnum Man]

I have the hardest time with maintaining a quarantine tank... you may have "MTS" as I also do, but I also have it in combination, "GBNFN" ( Gotta Buy New Fish Now ) syndrome
... wondering if running my larger canister filter, with the UV light on, for a month, after adding new fish, can at least help protect established fish during the time of adding new fish???
... mine is full of Japan Mat, so not much reduction the flow, I keep it running on an established tank, typically with the UV off... but thinking a high flow with the UV on, isn't going to cure any new fish, but should increase the level of protection to established fish... thoughts???

 

[MaloK]

Without a specific problem targeted, UV light are nearly no use in an established tank imo.

But for a QT tank, I consider it a great addition, that will actively destroy any pathogen free floating and keep the water as sterile as possible.

Edit: At the point your tanks are I would consider seriously QTing any new addition for 6 weeks... Even plants.

Think what could happen if one of the "incurables" enter your system.

 

[Fishfunn]

I have a display tank that I keep a Fluval FX UVC clarifier on 24/7. I used UV sterilizers for years, and I notice that they do keep the water clearer. Also, I noticed that UV does slow down algae growth. As for disease reduction, I haven't found that they affect anything on the fish or in the gravel, but maybe only in the water column.

Since a UV sterilizer gives me crystal-clear water, it must reduce bacteria in the water column. I love mine in my discus tank.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

UV is not so simple as one inside a canister. I got my UV for one specific purpose- to Q. newly imported Altum Angels. I had to spend a bunch of hours researching how UV works, what the important considerations are and why most units in the hobby are not worth what they cost.

While I do not agree with some of the info on the American Aquarium site. When when I used it to learn about UV I found some other information on the site that was absolutely wrong. But the UV info is excellent. It will teach you all you should know about UV before you buy.

I strongly suggest you got to the site and read, read, read. You will learn about dwell time, flow rate, light intensity etc. These all matter in terms of how any UV might function. A UV can be used to kill algaae spores, bacteria and even viruses. But doing this requires one has the proper wattage, bulb type, dwell time and flow rate.

The one ting I do know it a UV works best when it is on its ow rather than part of another piece of equipment like a filter. I ran my unit with a small internal pump with flow control and the system was independent of anything else. SInce it was on a 29 gal. Q tank I only needed a 5 watt unit. Carl, whose site this is, also sells UV equipment and because of what I learned from his site I decided to buy my unit from him.

Please go here and read: https://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/sterilization.html

 

[MaloK]

In an aquarium setup dwell time is less of a problem because multiple passes will produce the same results. But lower flow setups will have an higher effectiveness per passes.

UV-C doses of 2,000 to 40,000 µW·s/cm² are required to destroy from bacteria to viruses. And like radiation expositions are cumulative. So some organism will require multiple expositions to be damaged enough for deactivation while other will die instantly.

Unlike a drinking water setup, not succeeding 100% at the first pass is not a problem for the global effectiveness at longer term in aquariums.

 

[Rusty_Shackleford]

This is all.goos info, thanks to everyone. I currently have a nasty case of green water and am researching UV clarifiers/sterilizers. It seems like there is a major.gap in quality with these products. Really high end stuff or garbage, not much in the middle.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Dwell time does matter in a tank as does turnover rate. This refers to how long it takes for the full volume to pass though the unit. However, this does not mean that every drop of water inthe tank goes through the unit but that that the same number of gallon in the tank is what goes through the unit.

It is important that flow rate, dwell time and turnover rate are proper for the volume involved as well as the effectiveness of the unit in term of what it kills. There is a balance between these three parameters and how well a unit will do the job needed. This is much like getting the right balance in a planted tank between light, CO2 and fertilizer. And this still doesn't deal with the power and type of bulb is involved.

Like I said earlier in this thread, UV is not just as simple as passing water though ube with a bulb inside. It is not that simple.

Again read her on thr American Aquarium site: https://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/dwell-time-test.html