Ozone Or Uv?

[Daniel Stevens]

A quick question to you all...

I am now considering further upgrading my reef system but:

Do i go Ozone through my protein skimmer OR Do i go for a UV Sterilizer in my main tank feed line???

I am unsure of the benefits and for/againsts of both these systems and would truly like some opinions and facts please!

Currently i'm running 600ltr tank with a 200 ltr sump, this is an established reef system with no real problems @ present.

Yours Sincerely

Dan.

 

[SkiFletch]

I run both as they perform two different functions. UV sterilizers counteract bacteria and parasites and make it less likely that fish will develop health issues, and it also reduces the contagiousness of fish if one does happen to contract a disease. Byproducts of using UV are decreased microfauna in a tank.

Ozone on the other hand acts to break down complex organics in an attempt to make your skimmer remove more organics and thus increase water clarity and quality. Ozone can be dangerous so you really need to impliment it carefully, but I've LOVED having done so. My water is crystal clear and much less "yellow" than it was before (which I didn't even notice until I started using Ozone )

 

[Daniel Stevens]

I run both as they perform two different functions. UV sterilizers counteract bacteria and parasites and make it less likely that fish will develop health issues, and it also reduces the contagiousness of fish if one does happen to contract a disease. Byproducts of using UV are decreased microfauna in a tank.

Ozone on the other hand acts to break down complex organics in an attempt to make your skimmer remove more organics and thus increase water clarity and quality. Ozone can be dangerous so you really need to impliment it carefully, but I've LOVED having done so. My water is crystal clear and much less "yellow" than it was before (which I didn't even notice until I started using Ozone )

AAHHH Ok.....

i am yet to purchase said items, but as you say ozone is dangerous! am i right in assuming that the instructions will give me a good indication of the amount i should be injecting into my skimmer???

Also, browsing this site i find that there are issues with the amount of water flow over a UV, currently i'm running 5000ltrs an hour!
People are having issues running 200ltrs an hour!!!
So will i need a UV the size of a small house?

Many Thanks
Dan.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yeah with UV filters you cant have the water passing through to quickly. You can go about working around this in two ways. One is to go for a larger UV unit (higher intensity UV light needs less time to to have the same effect as a smaller one).

Probably the cheaper option is to just get a small pump rated at the same recommended flow rate for whatever UV you can get and just use that seperately.

 

[Colin_T]

go for a UV unit because they are much safer and do more for the overall health of the fish. Ozone will kill if used incorrectly and not all ozone reactors come with legible instructions. You also need special hose/ tubing to deal with the ozone. Your LFS might have to order some in with the reactor.
re: the pump and UV unit. Just get a smaller pump to run on the UV (as suggested by Barney).

 

[SkiFletch]

Your own nose is a better tool than any manual on how much Ozone to dose. You'll smell it when you're dosing too much, smells kind of like a subway stop in your room. When you smell that, back it off a bit and you're set. My tank for reference is 65g with a 20g sump and about 30mg/hr is what I dose