cleaning UV Sterilizer

[Nimboli12]

Hi,

My UV Sterilizer needs to be cleaned. How often am I supposed to clean it and do I just unplug it take it out and scrub the outside of it and or soak it in vinegar and water? I lost the directions to it so I don;t know. Does the inside need to be cleaned also?

 

[Nimboli12]

I cleaned the outside of my UV Sterilizer. Ive got it set up differently in my tank now though.

I have the sterilizer higher (w/the air nozzel above water level) but the sterilizer is up off the sand. Not sitting on the sand. Can I hide the sterilizer buy putting rocks around it as long as I don't block the light and or the front vent?

It was weird yesterday while cleaning the sterilizer, I noticed it smelled just like the ocean.

 

[Bifferwine]

You can hide it behind rocks. I'm not sure about your cleaning question, though. I've never used one.

 

[Nimboli12]

You mean you don't have a UV sterilizer? I though they were a must to filter out disease bacteria like ich and other stuff.

Other people here must have had to clean the outside of any equipment in their tanks......right?

 

[Bifferwine]

You mean you don't have a UV sterilizer? I though they were a must to filter out disease bacteria like ich and other stuff.

Other people here must have had to clean the outside of any equipment in their tanks......right?

Most people don't use a UV sterilizer. They are a completely optional piece of equipment. Some people think they do more harm than good. I have never used one. I think there are only a few people on this site that use them.

 

[Nimboli12]

omg. ll this time Ive had it. It was first suggested to me to put it in my sump. Well......My fish got ich and I put it in my tank.

So this is what Ive heard here within the past few weeks. I don't need a canaster filter. I don't need a uv Sterilizer. All my rock is live rock, I just need a good protein skimmer. The one I have now I will be updating to the Octopus one. I have good lighting, I need probably one more powerhead. (By the way I just checked my powerheads & it look like they need cleaning.

So for a 60 gal. tank that is about 13 months old is there anything else I should have that I don't now?

 

[Northstar24]

Canister filters are more of a feshwater technology. That being said, if you have one, you can run carbon or some other filter media in them if needed, but they really aren't essential for a saltwater setup. Your main source of filtration is 1-2 pounds of live rock and a good protein skimmer.

I personally do not use a UV sterilizer, I prefer to make smart stocking decisions and keep my fish well fed so they can fight ich off on its own. Besides, the UV sterilizer only kills one life stage of ich, so it really doesn't solve the problem

 

[Bifferwine]

omg. ll this time Ive had it. It was first suggested to me to put it in my sump. Well......My fish got ich and I put it in my tank.

LIFE CYCLE OF ICH:

1 : TOMONT STAGE: This is where the parasite forms a membrane while attached to the substrate and goes into its reproductive mode, this can take from 3 to 28 days depending on the temperature of the water.

2 : THERONT STAGE: This is where the newly hatched parasite is free swimming in the water and is looking for a fish to attach to. It only has between 24 to 48 hours to do so or else it will die.

3 : TROPHONT STAGE: This is the adult parasite which is attached to a fish and actively feeding and the one that we can visibly see on a fish. This stage lives from 3 to 7 days.

4 : TROPHONT FREE SWIMMING: This is where the parasite has dropped off of the fish and is free swimming within the water looking for a suitable place to attach to so that it can form itself into the Tomont or reproductive stage, which can take up to 18 hours.

The UV sterilizer can only kill the ich that is in the water flowing through it. It cannot kill the ich that is on your fish, infecting them. Very little of the life of the ich parasite (maybe one day of its life) is free-floating in the water. So there's only a small window where the UV sterilizer could pick it up, and even then, the UV sterilizer is not going to get all the water in your tank passing through it. It will miss some.

So the ich that's on your rocks, substrate and fish is safe from the UV sterilizer. That's how you still had ich even though you were using a UV sterilizer.

 

[poksal]

Canister filters are more of a feshwater technology. That being said, if you have one, you can run carbon or some other filter media in them if needed, but they really aren't essential for a saltwater setup. Your main source of filtration is 1-2 pounds of live rock and a good protein skimmer.

I personally do not use a UV sterilizer, I prefer to make smart stocking decisions and keep my fish well fed so they can fight ich off on its own. Besides, the UV sterilizer only kills one life stage of ich, so it really doesn't solve the problem

I know Northstar ment 1-2 pounds of LR per gallon... ... :Cheers:

 

[Nimboli12]

Ok. Well Im just going to take out the UV Ster. I know I have about 30 lbs of live rock in my tank now and a couple of lbs in my sump under the filter sock.

My plan is now to get another powerhead ,get back to wkly water changes and Id like to add a couple of feeder shrimp to my stock. I wish I could get a couple of other fish but I also want to build up my soft corals too. Id rather see more pretty corals than fish. Don;t want to get overstocked on fish.

Thank You everyone!

 

[Northstar24]

If you have 30 pounds of live rock in a 60 gallon tank, I'd also plan on getting some addtional rock. The good news is that since you already have live rock, the additional rock can be 'dry' rock - which is substantially cheaper than live rock. You just have to rinse it before putting it in your tank.

I would try and work some additional rock into your budget, even if it means waiting a little while longer for fish or corals, I think you'll be happier in the long run.

And yes, as I was corrected before, I meant to say 1-2 pounds of live rock per GALLON of tank volume

 

[Ted]

This is what I have on my tank. Its what works for me. I have a 45 gallon DT, over flow box rated at 600gph. 15 gallon sump/refuguim. In the sump, protein skimmer, refuguim, heater and return pump (return pump rated 712 gph, this matches my overflow because of the headloss) In the display, Two Hydor evolution 600 power heads (600gph each) one hydor nano power head (240gph) I also run a power filter why? Well because I like it. Gives me a easy way to run carbon and gives me more flow with a nice ripple on the surface of the tank. In my opinion lots of bang for the buck. Its a tetra FS3060 power filter I got at Walmart. Gives me another 300gph or so. My light is a 4 bulb T5 from aquatraders with a built in timer. The protein skimmer I got from them as well its the ps80 and works really well, easy to adjust and I get a nice dark skim. Return pump and overflow same company all have worked great. My lfs quoted me $1500 for equipment, all name brand stuff. This way I spent around $500...like I said it works for me. No reactors no uv, very simply and easy to maintain system...no filter socks either....

 

[poksal]

Yeah... how to clean out a UV-sterilizer... remove sterilizer.. open trash can.. insert sterilizer. Or sell it in a garage sale to a dooms-dayer. (the kind that expect "THEM" to get us by putting a virus in our water systems)

 

[noy]

I have a coralife turbo twist (out of water) and an AA which is immersible. The only cleaning you need to do is make sure there is no obstructions from the in/out flows. No really sure if you need to use vinegar for that - a good brush will do it. The pump that drives the water - you can clean that in vinegar like a skimmer pump.
You would never clean the internals of it. If you get oil on the UV lamp it will substantially reduce its life. The internals part where the lamp is - is watertight.
Most people run the UV unit in their sump - through the return pump (so you don't need another pump). I don't run mine anymore - i use it to cycle the water on water changes just to make sure I'm not putting pathogens into my tank. Mine is a beast - its pond size.
I really don' think you need a UV unit as part of the regular reef setup. If the UV is of any worthwhile size - you will invaribly need a chiller in the summer (real one not fans) and thats just not worth it.