# uv sterilizers pros/cons?



## yyankeeyankeefan

has anyone used these or have an opposition about them? i would like to hear both sides and see what you guys think about it before i make a choice to buy one or not.


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## zof

Pros:
Kills baddies in the water column
Gets rid of green water (from what I've heard it kills the algae that stays suspended in the water column)

Cons:
Expensive
Bulb needs constant replacement
Uses electricity
Another piece of equipment to maintain and possible point of leakage

If you got the money go for it, otherwise they are pretty pointless at least in a freshwater setup unless their is a specific problem you are trying to correct with it. Most diseases and parasites can be prevented with a proper quarantine procedure which is better then relying on a UV light.


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## rjordan390

If you intend to run uv all the time, then you should be ok. When I was using uv, I only use it for a day or two and then took it out of the system. What I did not do was disassemble the components to air out and dry. I believe this was a mistake because I had premature failure of an o-ring and the next time I used the uv, I found most of my fish dead, the next morning. There was one survivor.


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## yyankeeyankeefan

rjordan390 said:


> If you intend to run uv all the time, then you should be ok. When I was using uv, I only use it for a day or two and then took it out of the system. What I did not do was disassemble the components to air out and dry. I believe this was a mistake because I had premature failure of an o-ring and the next time I used the uv, I found most of my fish dead, the next morning. There was one survivor.


i am so sorry  i hate to hear of fish dying. poor babies! i am still thinking of getting one but if i do i will make sure to run it all the time.


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## AbbeysDad

I think a UV Sterilizer is like one of those really optional things....like for the aquariest that has everything.
(I think a diatom filter is in a similar catagory even though you can't beat the water clarity).
IF you have a problem like green water you can't get rid of or parasite issues like ick or flukes, it becomes much more valuable. Otherwise, it's something you can have, but don't necessarily need.


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## MoneyMitch

UV lights in my opinion are talked up more then what they are. do they kill small organisms in the water? yes do they keep the water crystal clear? yes do they control green water algae? yes do they also remove essential nutrients that plants require for growth? yes

going to agree with AD here something for someone who has everything but not nescicary at all especially in a planted system.


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## funkman262

I have a UV sterilizer in my 90g but I don't keep it running all the time. As others have already said, it's great for bacterial infections and green water so I just like to know that I have it on hand for emergencies. I've only used it twice and it was for green water. It seems to happen every time I set up a tank within the first month, but the UV sterilizer clears it up within days and then it doesn't come back.


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