Uv Filters

[Wanderer]

UV filters......how good are they? What sort of pathogens do they kill? I read they kill algae but I actually wish I could grow a little algae, as my garra rufa fish (who eat mostly algae in the wild) would be getting it fresh with all its bioactive ingrediants etc. The twin tanks I have came with a UV filter, which still still can be seen to glow in the dark. I'm not sure how many watts the bulb is or how long exactly it has been used for.....the lady I bought the tanks from had them for 6 months but I don't know whether it was new or not when she got it.

 

[raptorrex]

they are great for killing an algae Blum.
apart from that. there is little evidence they do anything but burn electricity, and bulbs.

"my tank has been fantastic since i got a UV". i often hear.

well so is mine, and that of many hundreds more. but we have never had a UV.

if you cant or dont want to, control the light your tank, get yourself a UV.
otherwise, use the money for something useful!

 

[dbanner]

I agree with the above. I had an "all ponds solutions EF2000+" filter with UV light. I used the UV every day for around 3 months (just because i had a UV to use), then it broke... After only 3 months!! So, I bought a replacement bulb, that was great... For a whole 7 weeks, then it broke!!

The THIRD bulb I ordered lasted a pitiful 5 weeks... After that one broke i just decided to give up on them. I ran the filter with no UV and would you believe it... Absolutely no change to my tank in anyway, by this i mean the fish' behaviour and health was the same, were feeding the same, no change in water readings over the 3 months I was running the filter without UV and no algae growth.

IMO they are a complete waste of money. Not only for the replacement bulbs that you WILL have to buy but also the added costs on your electricity bills.

As "Raptorrex" said... Save the money and get yourself something useful

 

[Wanderer]

I already have a UV filter that came with the twin tank set-up......the lady I bought it from had been using it for about 6 months and the bulb still has no problems.......The only thing is that if it only kills algae and nothing else then there wouldn't be much point to me having it on..I would actually LIKE to have some algae as it would provide my garra rufa fish with the fresh, live food that forms the main part of their diet in the wild.

But if it is good at killing other things like pathogens which may be harmful to them then I thik I'll try to replace the bulb ince it stops working. No idea what bulb it needs but we'll open it up and have a look when the time comes.

 

[dbanner]

If that's what you want to do but like I said my UV did next to nothing...