I have been having lots of problems with my reef tank here lately. Im really starting to get frusterated. Not only did i come home and my bubble anenomie was stuck to my freakin water circulator that i bought last week and now is dead. The water looks like hell its all green and merky. A guy at the local fish store recomended me get a uv sterilizer. But ive also been told it might kill nutrients that are good for the tank. I really dont know what to do. So for now i just turned the lights out on the tank and covered it up with a blanket. I dont know what that will do but im running out of options. So any ideas will be appreciated.
Uv sterilizer questions tank problems help?
- Thread starter bjftanker
- Start date
I don't really think a uv steriliser is the answer here.
The reason the water is green is probably an algae overgrowth, caused by too many nutrients.
Regular water changes with RO water will help.
Use of a phosphate absorber should help.
Adding some macroalgae may help.
If you give details about your setup and livestock etc. some more specific advice can be given.
The reason the water is green is probably an algae overgrowth, caused by too many nutrients.
Regular water changes with RO water will help.
Use of a phosphate absorber should help.
Adding some macroalgae may help.
If you give details about your setup and livestock etc. some more specific advice can be given.
Well first off my setup is a 65 gallon reef tank. I have a 25 gallon refugium with macroalgea in it and i leave the light on the refugium 24/7. I also have a ro system hooked up that i set up about a week ago. I tried using carbon and it seemed to clear up the water for about 2 weeks then out of the blue it got even worse. As far as live stock in the tank i have 3 clown fish,2 damsels and a small purple fish cant remember the name of it and around 45-50 lbs of live rock. As far as lighting in the tank i have a 175watt metal halide and 2 36in actenic bulbs. Hope maybe this info might help some...
gaya
Fish Addict
What kind of nutrients would the UV sterilizer kill?
Navarre
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A UV doesnt kill nutrients it kills parasties and planktonic life forms. Algae spores might get killed in the UV (not sure on this) but nutrients would not be effected, if it did then a UV would be a great nitrate reducer 
I do recommend UV's for anyone. I think they are very important in keeping a constantly healthy system.
Navarre is right it will kill pathogens which can easily be introduced if you add anything new to the tank. Remember WC corals or fish generally come from different parts of the ocean. While the inhabitants in your tank now may be immune to something a WC could bring in something new with devestating effects. This is also true for the health of any WC in a new system. The same logic does operate for CB fish but on a much smaller scale.
The UV will also kill all single cell organisms that pass through it. This does include micro algae. In order for this to be effective the algae would have to pass through the UV. It will not aid in taking the algae off your rocks or the glass, but will lessen the amount flowing through the system that puts it there.
I have not researched all types of supplements for corals this is not my expertise, but I do know that the UV does not harm any of the supplements I put in my tank, with the exception of phyto. It will not damgae pods or other small living things.
To make the UV most effective you will need to put it at the end of your filter line, so the water that passes through it will be clean. If dirt is passing through the system pathogens or algaes can hide on part of the dirt and not be effected. Clean water passing through will also equal less maintence.
I hve the Aquaclear 18w on my 44. You could go with something uch smaller is you needed. The Aquaclear is good up to 500 gallons. I am one of those over filtering people though.
Good Luck.
Navarre is right it will kill pathogens which can easily be introduced if you add anything new to the tank. Remember WC corals or fish generally come from different parts of the ocean. While the inhabitants in your tank now may be immune to something a WC could bring in something new with devestating effects. This is also true for the health of any WC in a new system. The same logic does operate for CB fish but on a much smaller scale.
The UV will also kill all single cell organisms that pass through it. This does include micro algae. In order for this to be effective the algae would have to pass through the UV. It will not aid in taking the algae off your rocks or the glass, but will lessen the amount flowing through the system that puts it there.
I have not researched all types of supplements for corals this is not my expertise, but I do know that the UV does not harm any of the supplements I put in my tank, with the exception of phyto. It will not damgae pods or other small living things.
To make the UV most effective you will need to put it at the end of your filter line, so the water that passes through it will be clean. If dirt is passing through the system pathogens or algaes can hide on part of the dirt and not be effected. Clean water passing through will also equal less maintence.
I hve the Aquaclear 18w on my 44. You could go with something uch smaller is you needed. The Aquaclear is good up to 500 gallons. I am one of those over filtering people though.
Good Luck.
Navarre
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I have a UV on my system though i dont run int unless i feel there is a problem with the tank.
Many people argue that Uvs dont work but the most common mistake made with Uvs is that the incorrect flow is used to pass the water through the UV. IF the flow is too strong then the UV doesnt have enough time to kill off the pathogens passing through the bulb.
Its very important to make sure the correct amount of flow is used in partnership with the UV steriliser.
Many people argue that Uvs dont work but the most common mistake made with Uvs is that the incorrect flow is used to pass the water through the UV. IF the flow is too strong then the UV doesnt have enough time to kill off the pathogens passing through the bulb.
Its very important to make sure the correct amount of flow is used in partnership with the UV steriliser.
gaya
Fish Addict
I've heard that b4 as well. How can you adjust flow on a regular pump?Navarre said:
Opcn
Big fish
a ball valve gaya
UV does not kill anything! it deos however destroy DNA (RNA is only temporary in ideal conditions) which makes it imposible to reproduce. and if it is powerful enought and water moves at the correct rate it will kill algea just like a pond skimmer would. it will also kill plankton which corals and anemonies eat so you are killing nutrients but the light gained from the reduction in green water is well worth it, Dont risk any chems to clear up the problem but some phosphate absorbing materia and fewwer feedings may just clear the problem right up for you.
Best of luck
UV does not kill anything! it deos however destroy DNA (RNA is only temporary in ideal conditions) which makes it imposible to reproduce. and if it is powerful enought and water moves at the correct rate it will kill algea just like a pond skimmer would. it will also kill plankton which corals and anemonies eat so you are killing nutrients but the light gained from the reduction in green water is well worth it, Dont risk any chems to clear up the problem but some phosphate absorbing materia and fewwer feedings may just clear the problem right up for you.
Best of luck
Opcn
Big fish
In a higher animal you will die when you have fragmented dna but in lower animals they can survive quite some time with there dna dammaged in a few places (99% of the dna is intact) also its only a few viruses with RNA, most fish maladies are bacteria and eukaryotic viruses cant be as adaptable as the other two.
gaya
Fish Addict
Thanks Opcn. I'm not sure what that is but i'm sure my LFS will know (hopefully).
yea it does. We play with everything in chem lab and we experimented with UV. We had a strip of UV going down the length of the lab that ranged in intensity from high to low. Took some bacteria cultured plates and placed them along the wall. The higher the intensity the fewer bacteria remained on the plate. From what i understand UV damages the cell wall and presto, death. Anything with a cell wall can be damaged by UV.
edit:Btw, while UV does destroy DNA logic tells that a damaged cell wall would cause the cell to crenate anyway.
Opcn
Big fish
No UV doesnt really damage proteins and sugars (what cell walls are made of) the way it does DNA.
Also a ball valce would be easiest to find in a hardware store, itsh a piece of pipe with a bubble in it and a ball inside of that, then a hole made right throught the ball so when its aligned properly water flows easily but when its twisted out of alignment water is slowed or stopped.
Also a ball valce would be easiest to find in a hardware store, itsh a piece of pipe with a bubble in it and a ball inside of that, then a hole made right throught the ball so when its aligned properly water flows easily but when its twisted out of alignment water is slowed or stopped.
gaya
Fish Addict
I understand what you are saying. But UV does lyse the cell wall to get to the genetic material right? If the cell wall were lysed than osmosis would cause the cell to crenate (shrink up). Do you get what I mean? Hmmm. I know that’s what happens with antibiotics so maybe I’m just confusing the two.
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