UV Lights

[FishGuest5123]

Does anyone use a UV light for sterilization of water in their tanks? I have a tank that seems to have several issues going on at once and suspecting Microsporidiosis in my danios. Any experience with UV lights or suggestions?

 

[seangee]

Microsporidiosis

AFAIK microsporidia can only live within the host's cells so sterilising the tank water won't make any difference, although the spores can survive outside a host. How certain are you of the diagnosis? Any ideas of how it got into your tank. Be very careful (if the diagnosis is correct) as some species are transmittable to humans.

FWIW most UV "steralisers" are in fact UV clarifiers and will not sterilise the water in a medical sense. Yes they may well kill off some pathogens, but you have to factor in the fact that not all of the water is treated at once, so whatever you are killing may still be multiplying in the rest of the water and it is (at least theoretically) impossible to get to a 100% treatment rate.

 

[FishGuest5123]

Thank you, this is what I needed to now. I don’t have a definitive diagnosis, just whittling down. If it’s contagious to humans, that really worries me. I have lost all of my danios but 2. They have all wasted away and lost all of their muscle mass. One of the remaining 2 is going through that now. Ironically, the other one is big and fat. Some of my WC mountain minnows are beginning to look the same. A tetra was spiraling but is now in a nursery box in the same tank. Daily 75% water changes and aquarium salt seem to be helping him. I have also treated the tank with Prazi Pro as a number of fish have white stringy poop. This has always been a very healthy tank. The only thing I have added in the last several months has been some frogbit. Why is this tank declining?