Uv Lights Are They Worth It

[teaklejr]

Hi. Just was wondering if the UV lights are worth installing on my 90 gallon planted community tank? If they are worth it and do what they are suppose to then which one would you all suggest? Any help would be great. This is my first post and this forums seems to have the most activity that I have found. Will be doing a lot of reading now.
Thanks

 

[rabbut]

Supprised no UV nerds have come along yet...

to TFF

UV is something you either swear by or swear at. A UV lamp will kill any living organisum that passes though the lamp area (bar most viruses), bad or good. While they can help reduce the speed of disease outbrakes, act as a cure for other diseases and they can *act* as a preventative, IMO, a UV solves the symptoms, not the course. If a tank is properly ran, you do not need a UV unit, though I can see the advantages of running one The primary course of fish disease is stress, so if they are contantly getting ill, something is stressing them.

If you want to buy a UV unit, you will want to look at the TMC V2 range, sized according to filter outflow rate

All the best
Rabbut

 

[raptorrex]

Hi. Just was wondering if the UV lights are worth installing on my 90 gallon planted community tank? If they are worth it and do what they are suppose to then which one would you all suggest? Any help would be great. This is my first post and this forums seems to have the most activity that I have found. Will be doing a lot of reading now.
Thanks

they do wonderful work, when you have a problem. as a prophylactic, they are one of the worst you can try. see rabbut's comments.

 

[greenbottle]

as said they are very good for killing of any harmful bacteria.

UV works for a limited number of viruses when compared to the number of bacteria it will kill off. As viruses are 'non-living' (they arent dead as they have never lived) it affects they structure.

Im going to pick one up if i see one on the cheap- Ebay have them built into a internal filter for £20ish, seems worryingly cheap. I wouldnt go spending alot on a new one though.

But... as said, some people swear by them.

 

[rabbut]

Viruses would need like a room of UV units to "kill" viruses on a 200l tank, as they need very long contact times for them to go over... Bacteria and parasites are all very well handled, and UV is great for QT tanks and multi-tank systems in a LFS's and breeding set-up's, but for the home tank, IMO, they have no place

All the best
Rabbut

 

[Waka]

http/www.litewave.co.uk/litewave_led_bars.asp

not UV but LED can go under the rocks