Are UV sterilizers only for saltwater aquariums ? Can they be of any benefit to freshwater tanks too ?
No, these can be used for freshwater and ponds as well.
As far as what you should expect and benefits from using one –
Algae – they will kill free-floating types (green water) and any reproductive spores, but if you have hair algae, diatoms, or cyanobacteria attached to your glass and substrate, the UV doesn’t affect them – you have to scrape the glass or siphon these out yourself
Bacteria – will kill most (good or bad – UV doesn’t discriminate!), although the bacteria needed for cycling your tank will be less affected since it attaches to surfaces.
Fungi – will kill free-floating forms and spores only
Parasites – will only affect small ones. Larger parasites, ones attached to your fish, or ones capable of controlling their movements so that they aren’t caught by the powerhead/overflow won’t be affected at all, or at best will be less affected
Medications – UV decreases the effectiveness of some types of medication, notably malachite green
Also, the effectiveness of the lamps is reduced after about 6-9 months of operation and should be replaced yearly.
That said, I’m not against using them in aquaria, although you can probably do just as much by using a quarantine tank to prevent these problems from entering your tank in the first place. But too many people who buy these don’t have a good understanding of how these work and what they do/their limitations, and are dissappointed when they don’t live up to the owner’s expectations.
Here’s a link to an article which explains how UV works, and what it will and won’t do in a little more depth: http://americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html , and a few others about the pros and cons: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/bizuvs.htm , http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1979&articleid=2855
UV sterilizers are the best way to get rid of water born algae(green water) in a freshwater tank, beside using them for sterilization.
References :
No, these can be used for freshwater and ponds as well.
As far as what you should expect and benefits from using one –
Algae – they will kill free-floating types (green water) and any reproductive spores, but if you have hair algae, diatoms, or cyanobacteria attached to your glass and substrate, the UV doesn’t affect them – you have to scrape the glass or siphon these out yourself
Bacteria – will kill most (good or bad – UV doesn’t discriminate!), although the bacteria needed for cycling your tank will be less affected since it attaches to surfaces.
Fungi – will kill free-floating forms and spores only
Parasites – will only affect small ones. Larger parasites, ones attached to your fish, or ones capable of controlling their movements so that they aren’t caught by the powerhead/overflow won’t be affected at all, or at best will be less affected
Medications – UV decreases the effectiveness of some types of medication, notably malachite green
Also, the effectiveness of the lamps is reduced after about 6-9 months of operation and should be replaced yearly.
That said, I’m not against using them in aquaria, although you can probably do just as much by using a quarantine tank to prevent these problems from entering your tank in the first place. But too many people who buy these don’t have a good understanding of how these work and what they do/their limitations, and are dissappointed when they don’t live up to the owner’s expectations.
Here’s a link to an article which explains how UV works, and what it will and won’t do in a little more depth: http://americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html , and a few others about the pros and cons: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/AqBizSubWebIndex/bizuvs.htm , http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=16&cat=1979&articleid=2855
References :
uv sterilizers are for both fresh and salt water…
they again kill paracites and spores of all kinds.
i myself dont use them, but my friend carl does and he has a whole website about the use of UVs and other aquarium equpiment.
http://americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html
i highly recommend you read this article. PS carl is an active member here so if you would like to contact him about UVs pleas feel free.
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