UV sterilizer and Iron
What is the general consensus on using a UV sterilizer in planted aquarium ?
I heard that they would tend to oxidize iron, which I assume means convert iron to a less available form. I found an significant effect in one tank that I maintain. It has a 9W UV sterilizer plumbed in-line with a 130 GPH canister filter. The relatively low flow rate assures plenty of exposure time for water flowing through the UV. Using a Hagen iron test kit, the iron concentration becomes unmeasureable within 1 day of turning on the UV. I normally dose with iron chelate sequestrene once a week or so, which is adequate to maintain measureable levels of iron over that period without the UV. So, the question is this: Are the plants being deprived of iron by the action of the UV ? A followup question might be if the same is happening to trace elements. I might add that I normally use the UV only for a few hours during and after a tank cleaning; vaccuuming gravel and wiping the inside glass. The logic being that there is a variety of algae and junk stirred up, making it a prime time to take advantage of the benefits of the UV. |
George Pontis wrote: What is the general consensus on using a UV sterilizer in planted aquarium ? I heard that they would tend to oxidize iron, which I assume means convert iron to a less available form. I found an significant effect in one tank that I maintain. It has a 9W UV sterilizer plumbed in-line with a 130 GPH canister filter. The relatively low flow rate assures plenty of exposure time for water flowing through the UV. Using a Hagen iron test kit, the iron concentration becomes unmeasureable within 1 day of turning on the UV. I normally dose with iron chelate sequestrene once a week or so, which is adequate to maintain measureable levels of iron over that period without the UV. So, the question is this: Are the plants being deprived of iron by the action of the UV ? A followup question might be if the same is happening to trace elements. I might add that I normally use the UV only for a few hours during and after a tank cleaning; vaccuuming gravel and wiping the inside glass. The logic being that there is a variety of algae and junk stirred up, making it a prime time to take advantage of the benefits of the UV. My UV lamp does seem to mess up the iron, making the water cloudy. I presume it's converting it from chelated to non-chelated form. I'd need to measure iron content before and after a 24 hour exposure. Non-chelated iron is more toxic, so I suppose if you have overdosed you tank with chelated iron and then expose it to UV light then you're creating toxic levels of non-chelated iron. Non-chelated iron doesn't stay around for too long. I've stopped using my UV lamp except in cases of suspected disease. I suppose the best time to use it is immediately after a water change and just before your weekly fertilisation. Nikki |
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