UV sterilisers - effective against fungi?

[njparton]

I'm having an ongoing battle against fin and body rot at the moment, I've tried several proprietry remedies, all to no avail...

I'm thinking of investing in a UV steriliser early in the New Year - I know they're successful at killing pathogens, but are they also effective against fungi?

Has anyone else bought one of these sterilisers to help cure fungus problems? If so I'd like to hear about your experiences.

 

[Cian McLiam]

UV sterilisers will kill any spores in the water but unfortunately wont be helpful against fin rot and fungus already on the fish.
They should help prevent the problem occuring but are not a guarantee, good water quality is the most important rule to prevent these infections.
With this in mind, a UV steriliser is almost overkill in most freshwater tanks because with proper maintenance the bacteria and fungus will be unable to take hold because the fishes own immune system is usually enough protection.

For marine tanks it is a wise investment and perhaps for Discus, most will not come with a pump so you will need a pump with a flow rate low enough to allow the steriliser to do its job right. The recommended flow rate is usually stated on the instructions and if you exceed this, the steriliser will not be as efficient or even useless because the pathogens are not exposed to the UV radiation for long enough.

Ken

 

[njparton]

Thanks for that.

I think I'm going to team a Vectron 8 with the outflow of my Fluval 104.

I'll let you know how I get on, but I guess I still need to find a medication that will cure the already existing infections....

 

[Cian McLiam]

Is the Fluval 104 an internal or external filter?
This is important because if the filter is internal and you take the water output from the filter out of the tank, through the UV and back into the tank, you may seriously impair the filters efficiency. I think a dedicated pump with the correct flow rate is the best way to go, even with an external filter the flow rate may not be sufficient so while you may get clearer water, the bacteria, parasites and fungi spores remain unaffected.
Either way be very careful with how you hook it all up, the filter is of the utmost importance and shouldn't be compromised.

Ken

 

[knutty]

i have to agree about the filter/pump issue. i have a custom sealife 18 watt on my 55 gallon. i tried to hook it up to my fluval 304 and did nothing but make a mess and a hassle for myself and my filter. i use a teenie tiny hagen 201 powerhead and some tubing that you get with a gravel siphon vac thingy. you can get that tubing at any hardware store for about 35 cents a foot. now a word on the UV unit...

if you have the extra cash, i am a firm believer in them. i have had NO issues whatsoever. my water is crystal clear. I think that teaming a UV with great filtration is key. remember that you are killing whatever passes through it, including algae spores and they need to be removed. my father uses a coralife 9 watt on his 55 with the same results. keep the water moving slow...very slow. the 200 series powerehads ( the smallest ones) are about perfect for this application. it also does a wonderful job killing protozoa like ich. you will still have what u have in the tank, but this will help reduce waterbourne biological material.

 

[njparton]

Thanks for the advice

The Fluval 104 is external, but I have a spare powerhead so will use that and some spare tubing as advised (if I can find room!).