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UV Light Duration?

Happy Reefer

By Happy Reefer,
in General Reefkeeping_

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Happy Reefer Newbie

Happy Reefer

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Hi, when I first started my 2-ft reef aquarium, was told by the LFS from which I bought the UV light, that I should switch on this light no more than 6-8 hrs.

Is this true?

Coz another LFS told me that his UV light is switched on 24-hr.

Kind-off confused? :upsidedown:

So now mine is set to switch on 4hr per 24 hr cycle, just to be on the conservative side.

Will be glad to hear advice from SRC reefers.

Thanks.

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LaW Newbie

LaW

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normally pple on it 24/7

If a man could beat his own fantasy. Then to only breed in captivity. Then its pointless.

Genesis 1:20

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

|| Tank: 78" x 30" x 30" || Sump: 48" x 22" x 20" || Lights: PowerModule 10 X 80W|| Returns: 2 x HF32 ||

|| Skimmer: BubbleKing Supermarin 300 || Wavemaker: 3 x 6100 & 1 x 6200, 2 x Wavebox 6212, WavySea ||

|| FR: 2 x FR150 || NR: Sulphur Denitrator || CR: RM Custom Made 8" || KR: Deltec KM500 || TopUp: Tunze Osmolator 3155 ||

|| UV: Coralife 12X 36W || Ozonizer: Sanders C200|| Controller: GHL Profilux Plus II Ex ||

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Happy Reefer Newbie

Happy Reefer

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I was thinking whether 24/7 UV treatment, besides killing "bad" bacteria/itch, it would also kill significant no. of larval stage of desirable copepods and other microorganisms + eggs/sperms/zoocytes of corals, inverterbrates, etc.....

When you all feed phytoplankton, beside switching off the filter & skimmer for a while, do you switch off yr UV light? I strongly believe we should.

The explanation that the LFS gave as to why I should switch on the UV light for at most 8 hrs is that it would kill both good & bad bacteria (but he can't tell me what are good bacteria).

Anyway, when I first set up my tank, the UV light is not in use so as to let the nitrifying/good bacterial grow in the rocks/filter for a few weeks. I don't think many of the good bacteria are now freely circulating in the tank water. They reside in the rocks/filter/cotton, etc. Correct me if I'm wrong.

I don't think I've found the real answer why LFS recommend 8 hr UV light duration. My only concern for 24/7 UV light is that everything good (copepods....larval stage) & bad will be wiped out. The tank will be "clinically sterile", not too good for fishes, I think, just like some people would have weak stomach, whereas some have a stronger stomach to take not so clean food, depending on where they live. In future, wonder these fishes in such sterile tank can take a slight infection or they would loose their immunity. These are my thoughts and my opinions.

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Happy Reefer Newbie

Happy Reefer

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Hi Hotlemond, I agree with you and I actually posed the same question to that LFS, but eh, he did not give me a good answer so I gave up in pursuing it with the LFS.....

Hence, I'm agonising whether to switch on UV 24/7 which will wipe out all good/bad bacteria and larva... or let both good and bad thrive by keeping to current 6 hr UV duration......

Does anybody else practice short duration UV exposure or do all who read this thread keep to 24/7 duration?

Please share more. Thanks.

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Ekia Newbie

Ekia

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Hi Hotlemond, I agree with you and I actually posed the same question to that LFS, but eh, he did not give me a good answer so I gave up in pursuing it with the LFS.....

Hence, I'm agonising whether to switch on UV 24/7 which will wipe out all good/bad bacteria and larva... or let both good and bad thrive by keeping to current 6 hr UV duration......

Does anybody else practice short duration UV exposure or do all who read this thread keep to 24/7 duration?

Please share more. Thanks.

Your beneficial bacteria resides in your LRs and sandbed... how can your UV kill them? Hope that answer your questions.

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LaW Newbie

LaW

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Your beneficial bacteria resides in your LRs and sandbed... how can your UV kill them? Hope that answer your questions.

backing u up

If a man could beat his own fantasy. Then to only breed in captivity. Then its pointless.

Genesis 1:20

And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that has life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

|| Tank: 78" x 30" x 30" || Sump: 48" x 22" x 20" || Lights: PowerModule 10 X 80W|| Returns: 2 x HF32 ||

|| Skimmer: BubbleKing Supermarin 300 || Wavemaker: 3 x 6100 & 1 x 6200, 2 x Wavebox 6212, WavySea ||

|| FR: 2 x FR150 || NR: Sulphur Denitrator || CR: RM Custom Made 8" || KR: Deltec KM500 || TopUp: Tunze Osmolator 3155 ||

|| UV: Coralife 12X 36W || Ozonizer: Sanders C200|| Controller: GHL Profilux Plus II Ex ||

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shoelevy Newbie

shoelevy

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i on my UV 2hrs before lights on and shortly after lights off...a total of 10hrs

i use UV mainly in battle against floating stage of ich...which is more active in searching for a host with light...so at night, i find no pt on-ing my UV.

also, at night i dose live plankton, which i do not want to kill with UV on, so UV has to be off at night.

also, i try my best to maintain water quality and keep a healthy diet for my fish, varying what they eat occassionally with garlic supplements..in other words, the fishes are healthy enough themselves and UV is only a 2ndary measure against ich

as for turning on and off UV is very troublesome, just use a timer :)

that's how i use my UV

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