UV Sterilizer ?

[altaaffe]

I have a UV sterilizer doing nothing and was wondering if I should run it on my planted tank. I've heard stories of the pros being that it will kill algae spores, however, I've also been told that it can break down the nutrients that are being placed in the tank.

Anybody come across these theories and is it worth using it?

thanks

Al

 

[aaronnorth]

It will kill algae floating spores but it wont have anyy effect on your plants - waste of money IMO. AAlgae can be sorted without a UV though, you just have to address why you get it in the first place.

 

[TDI-line]

I had one, but have since removed it, there is no difference to my tank, maybe even a little less algae now....

 

[ceg4048]

A UV is extremely effective in combating green water algae, so it's always good to have one lying around because it works better than blackouts and water changes. They are relatively cheap too. Unfortunately their effectiveness depends on having a slow flow through the unit for maximum contact time of the water with the UV radiation. This is at odds with the high flow requirements of a planted tank so it may be better to install it in parallel.. Some folks use it for killing floating germs and critters that attack fish so it's effective in helping to prevent some diseases. Discus folks are really into it. While it may break down the chelators in some of the trace element mix this is not too much of a big deal as you'd just add trace more frequently.

Cheers,

 

[altaaffe]

Thanks all for the responses, guess I'll leave it as it is for now.