To Sterilize or NOT to Sterilize?

[JP 1230]

It seems that from the research I've done..... and from all past experience - I'm left hanging on the fence about UV Sterilization.....
I know that bulb wattage and flow rate are key factors in the sterilization or polishing process. I know I have (and have seen plenty of others) have great success with and without UV. I know that UV does create noticeably more clear water. I understand that anything valuable that gets fried or sterilized is re-achievable via other means.....but......

Does running a UV sterilizer actually help or slowly hurt a healthy system? It seems to me that some of the micro-bacteria and organisms ruined by UV may actually be a beneficial part of the ecosystem.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Creekview]

I don't believe in the use of UV sterilizers, have never used them. I like to run dirty water with lots of life in it.

 

[Steve L]

I never saw the need for one. I'd rather use the money for critters.

 

[DaveK]

In a reef system it's usually best to run UV only if your using it to solve a specific problem. Some of the problems UV can really help are green water from an algae bloom and bacteria blooms. UV can also help in a LFS where multiple SW tanks are filltered through a common syste. In that case very powerful UV is used to prevent diseases from passing between tanks.

Unless you have such problems, leave off the UV.

 

[CodyWarner92]

I've got great results with one. I just remember how must of a pain it was to set up and stuff. This was before before i even had a sump tho... Still it's good to have one like Dave said only if your using it to solve a specific problem.. I dont really see it being that very worth it for me anyway.. Just don't get the crap coralife one i had atleast haha..

 

[nanoreefing4fun]

One good :read:

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/45307-uv-u-me.html

 

[ziggy]

read pleanty on the subject.

Consensis is it's not worth the negative effects unless you have 2 conditions...
1) overloading the bio load with too many fish, critters etc
2) tend to overfeed

You mention UV effect on a health aquarium... I would think a healty environment does not have the 2 above conditions so it's not worth the heat, electricity, repeat maintenance etc.

 

[JP 1230]

Thanks everyone! I've always had a thought in the back of my mind (when listening to people who swear by them) that the added water clarity with UV in a reef system wasn't always necessarily a great thing.

I've had over 10 years of mostly success with never using one....so why start now. I had acquired one I was considering running in its own loop on my 100g just to experiment.