"Craig Brye" wrote in message
...
What's everyone's ideas/opinions on UV Sterilizers? Does this lead to a
healthier tank, or is it a waste of time?
I've read where it might help with some forms of algae and maybe certain
stages
of fish diseases, but I would like people's experiences on this topic.

Sterilizers are very effective against floating algae (green water) and
bacteria blooms. They also keep the germ count lower. (In aquaria,
germ count is much higher than in nature.) UV sterilizers also reduce
the likelyhood of some diseases, such as Ich.

On the downside, they seem to make trace element dosing less
effective because the UV breaks open the chelators, allowing
Iron to change from Fe2+ to Fe3+ more quickly. You can compensate
for that simply by adding trace elements more frequently. A
sterilizer also acts as a heater -- a 15W sterilizer is a 15W heater. If
you are struggling to keep the temperature low enough as is, the
sterilizer will make the problem (slightly) worse. Finally, the dang
things are a pain to clean. (Time between cleanings varies with
the tank. 3 month intervals are usually recommended.)

Bulb life is between 11 and 16 months, depending on whether
you have a conventional or an electronic ballast. And replacement
bulbs are fairly expensive (but shop around -- for a G15T8, I've
seen prices vary between $15 and $70).

Correct sizing and flow rate are important, otherwise the sterilizer
won't be effective. You may find the info in this post useful:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...bigpond.net.au

Cheers,

Michi.
--
Michi Henning Ph: +61 4 1118-2700
ZeroC, Inc. http://www.zeroc.com