Vecton Uv Steraliser

[mattlee]

i have a 240 L tank and have been thinking of adding a vecton uv box. has anyone got one or used one? are they worth the money?

 

[Attilauk]

i have a V2 300 on my Roma 240

i installed it as a last option to get rid of a Green Water Algae problem, its a piece of cake to fit and works very well. although if you aren't suffering with any problems then imo they aren't worth the money

 

[mattlee]

my tank is in the conservatory so i do get alot of light and extra heat in the summer and therefor i do get algae on the glass in my current tank which is a pain in the ######.... my roma 240 will go in the same place so would imagine i will get the same probs. just gone through a disease in the tank and was told one of these would prevent alot of diseases too by killing most bacteria..... how often do you replace the bulbs?

 

[mixmaster jay]

i use a vecton uv 25 on my 825L setup and that really does the trick

 

[mattlee]

how often do the bulbs need replacing?
would a 300 be suitable on my set up? 240L 4ft

 

[mixmaster jay]

that would be fine mate

i replace every 3/4 months as the uv only lasts at most 6 months

 

[mattlee]

cool gonna order one now, thanks

 

[Attilauk]

i replace every 3/4 months as the uv only lasts at most 6 months

really? i thought they lasted 12 months

oh well you have reminded me to order a replacement bulb

 

[mixmaster jay]

yeah 6 months per uv tube mine is ready for replace ment ive left this one 5 month and now im getting a little algea but not enough to start cleaning up frantically lol

 

[mattlee]

got a new 300 for £52 they are £75 at lfs...... bargain

do you have any tips on instalation or is it simple?

 

[mixmaster jay]

put it on your return to your tank not the filter mate

 

[rabbut]

You can replace the UV lamp every 12 months for green water algae on a pond, it needs replacing at least every 6 for disease control though... The reason being is that you only have enough light to cause green water for 6 months of the year anyway

Why did you get the UV? If it's to stop disease, are you getting the regularly. If so, you'd be better off looking at your husbandry TBH. If the disease was a one off and your care is good, you just wasted £52. If you bought it for algae that grows on the glass, you again just wasted £52... UV can only kill parasites, bacteria and algae if it basses the bulb. Algae growing on the glass cannot get near the bulb, so it will not help. The only time I would consider using UV on a home tank, is id I had consistent Green water algae and could not solve it with better husbandry. In all other home applications, UV should be avoided, as it causes complications. If you introduce fish carrying parasites to a tank that's ran UV for a long time, you end up with your current stock catching the disease, as they have no immunity left. If you indiscriminately apply UV just as a precaution, it will eventually sting you. I would only apply it during a Green Water bloom, or when I ave fish in QT, and even then, it would only be on the QT tank and when the fish were looking "off"

For retail, QT and Wholesale fish systems, UV is a great tool to help good husbandry. All too often though, home aquarists use it to mask their poor husbandry skills. It's for this reason, that most people swear at UV on a home tank, rather than swear by it. Look to improving husbandry before UV and your fish will be better off for it. In your case though, I think you have bought it to treat a problem that it cannot help with, on miss-information, rather than wanting to mask poor husbandry

All the best
Rabbut

 

[mattlee]

You can replace the UV lamp every 12 months for green water algae on a pond, it needs replacing at least every 6 for disease control though... The reason being is that you only have enough light to cause green water for 6 months of the year anyway

Why did you get the UV? If it's to stop disease, are you getting the regularly. If so, you'd be better off looking at your husbandry TBH. If the disease was a one off and your care is good, you just wasted £52. If you bought it for algae that grows on the glass, you again just wasted £52... UV can only kill parasites, bacteria and algae if it basses the bulb. Algae growing on the glass cannot get near the bulb, so it will not help. The only time I would consider using UV on a home tank, is id I had consistent Green water algae and could not solve it with better husbandry. In all other home applications, UV should be avoided, as it causes complications. If you introduce fish carrying parasites to a tank that's ran UV for a long time, you end up with your current stock catching the disease, as they have no immunity left. If you indiscriminately apply UV just as a precaution, it will eventually sting you. I would only apply it during a Green Water bloom, or when I ave fish in QT, and even then, it would only be on the QT tank and when the fish were looking "off"

For retail, QT and Wholesale fish systems, UV is a great tool to help good husbandry. All too often though, home aquarists use it to mask their poor husbandry skills. It's for this reason, that most people swear at UV on a home tank, rather than swear by it. Look to improving husbandry before UV and your fish will be better off for it. In your case though, I think you have bought it to treat a problem that it cannot help with, on miss-information, rather than wanting to mask poor husbandry

All the best
Rabbut

Hi Rabbut, it was bought as told to reduce algae and to rid any parasites in the water. i keep on top of my tank and have only ever had the 1 disease. i was told it would really help against disease and algae as it zaps them on the way back into the tank..... i have bought it now so will use it, i lost 2 fish during the disease i had and was worried i would loose them all so bought htis to help stop that.....

 

[rabbut]

lol, UV will not prevent disease, just slow it's spread. Seriously, it just weakens your fishes resistance to disease and lowers their chances of recovery if ran constantly. I would possibly hook it up and leave it off most of the time. If you get a disease, switch it on until you gets medications for it, then you'll likely need to turn it off again as UV messes up most medications. Algae being killed by UV is Bull, unless it's free floating Green Water algae. UV cannot kill algae on the glass, or even slow it's spread, as the spores do not get anywhere near the bulb.

 

[mattlee]

lol, UV will not prevent disease, just slow it's spread. Seriously, it just weakens your fishes resistance to disease and lowers their chances of recovery if ran constantly. I would possibly hook it up and leave it off most of the time. If you get a disease, switch it on until you gets medications for it, then you'll likely need to turn it off again as UV messes up most medications. Algae being killed by UV is Bull, unless it's free floating Green Water algae. UV cannot kill algae on the glass, or even slow it's spread, as the spores do not get anywhere near the bulb.

would a media like the clearmax (i think its called) by fluval be any good to help with the green algae on the tank? it is suposed to rid the water of phosphates.... doesnt algae need this to survive?