uv sterilizer or bigger aquarium guppies

[finfayce]

i have a 20 gallon long with about 20 guppies 2 plecos and 2 catfish. i face a Cascade internal filter good for 40 gallons. and i’ve been using an UV sterilizer. now the sterilizer stopped working. in the past replacing the bulb got it going but not this time.
i don’t have the means to get a bigger tank right now.
should i get another UV sterilizer or a bigger filter?

 

[Colin_T]

I wouldn't bother getting either.
A U/V steriliser is not necessary for most tanks.
If your current filter is capable of filtering the water there is no need to change it.

 

[AbbeysDad]

I'm with @Coliin_T as I've never seen a need for UV sterilizers in an aquarium, although they may help reduce/eliminate green water in an small outdoor pond where light can't be controlled.
A lot of canister filters these days come with built-in UV capability but the likelyhood is that the water passes by the bulb so fast that it makes it ineffective - more a sales gimmick than a real asset.
The real truth is that if you have cloudy water or green water, you need to resolve the issue at the root cause (over feeding, too much light, etc.) rather than externally applying a band-aid like UV light. Often the very best 'fixes' are the simplest ones.

 

[finfayce]

I'm with @Coliin_T as I've never seen a need for UV sterilizers in an aquarium, although they may help reduce/eliminate green water in an small outdoor pond where light can't be controlled.
A lot of canister filters these days come with built-in UV capability but the likelyhood is that the water passes by the bulb so fast that it makes it ineffective - more a sales gimmick than a real asset.
The real truth is that if you have cloudy water or green water, you need to resolve the issue at the root cause (over feeding, too much light, etc.) rather than externally applying a band-aid like UV light. Often the very best 'fixes' are the simplest ones.

thanks to both. i had an UV sterilizer in my turtle tank when it had green water. i thought it might have a benefit to ny guppy tank. it’s not green or cloudy but i think i have too many guppies in there and probably overfeed. is it ok to feed them once a day. i’ve been feeding twice a day.

 

[finfayce]

thanks to both. i had an UV sterilizer in my turtle tank when it had green water. i thought it might have a benefit to ny guppy tank. it’s not green or cloudy but i think i have too many guppies in there and probably overfeed. is it ok to feed them once a day. i’ve been feeding twice a day.

i admit i save baby guppies in a net container- hard to watch the bigger fish try to eat them!

 

[AbbeysDad]

is it ok to feed them once a day. i’ve been feeding twice a day.

There are many different schools of thought regarding feeding adult fish although I'd bet that most 'pet' fish are overfed.
Some believe they should feed once a day and only as much as the fish will consume in a couple of minutes. Some feed only every other day and some will withhold food one or more days a week to clean the fish out.
I think most of the fish we have are grazers and feeding small amounts 2 or 3 times a day would be fine as long as you don't overfeed.
Nearly everyone agrees that fry need to be fed several times a day to ensure good health and growth.

 

[finfayce]

There are many different schools of thought regarding feeding adult fish although I'd bet that most 'pet' fish are overfed.
Some believe they should feed once a day and only as much as the fish will consume in a couple of minutes. Some feed only every other day and some will withhold food one or more days a week to clean the fish out.
I think most of the fish we have are grazers and feeding small amounts 2 or 3 times a day would be fine as long as you don't overfeed.
Nearly everyone agrees that fry need to be fed several times a day to ensure good health and growth.

thanks. i do feed the fry more than once. anyone with guppies knows they are active beggars? hard to ignore sometimes.