Normally, we get the question of what a UV sterilizer does in a fish tank from many people as they are new in the field. In this article, we will try to know some facts and the benefits of UV rays, and you will know its importance for your fish tank.
You may get convinced about getting the UV sterilizer, but many people can’t utilize it properly and complain about its effectiveness. Let’s get started with the facts that will tell you why you should use it and how you should use it to get the best result.
What Does A Uv Sterilizer Do In A Fish Tank?
Fishes get infected by microorganisms like any other animal, and if you are keeping them in a closed space, the disease can spread like fire. That is why you need to keep a system in your aquarium or fish pond, which effectively prevents spreading these diseases.
- If one fish, coral, or invertebrate gets affected, the infectious microorganism will soon spread through the water and infect the healthy ones. A UV sterilizer is very useful in stopping such spreading in closed fish habitat.
- When the microorganism is floating in the water, the UV rays produced by the sterilizer’s bulb kills it, leaving no residue. You don’t have to worry about other helpful organisms because it doesn’t kill algae on the rock or other things on the fish body.
- So, you will get time to treat the affected fish without worrying about the other fish’s health as the bacteria from the infected fish can’t affect others. Now, you might be wondering how it works that kill the bacteria for good and keeps the water clean.
- You will be interested in knowing that the sterilizer utilizes a germicidal fluorescent light and can deliver a particular frequency, which is around 254 nanometers. The interesting fact is that this wavelength doesn’t kill the bacteria or algae directly.
- What it does is that it penetrates the outer layer of the infectious microorganism and alters its DNA and prevents it from growing or multiplying. That is how those bacteria or algae can’t attack the healthy ones in large numbers and get irrelevant automatically.
- This is a good way to treat your pond, aquarium, or fish tank’s fresh water along with the other cleaning systems. Don’t think that this UV sanitizer alone can do all the cleaning because it can’t do that.
- People worry about these UV sanitizers because they might cause trouble to the other aquarium inhabitants. But we want to assure you that the rays won’t hurt those inhabitants and only deactivate the smallest microorganisms.
- On top of all that, you will control the flow rate so that the sterilizer can effectively target the smallest one in the process and don’t have to deal with the other more significant items in the pond or tank.
- Installing and operating a UV sterilizer is very easy, and anyone can use it without any expert advice or help. For the best results from your sterilizer, you should check out the following points or steps that will tell you the right way to use it.
How Do You Use Uv Sterilizer In A Fish Tank?
After getting the answer for what a UV sterilizer does in a fish tank, you must be wondering about the right way to use a UV sterilizer. Now, you don’t have to research the ways we have done already, and let’s see the steps below.
Step 1: Ensure that you are buying the right type of UV sterilizer for your aquarium or fish tank to kill the infectious microorganisms.
Step 2: Now, look for the bulb power where the bulb is the UV ray producer, and it is because the effectiveness of the sterilization depends on the power of the bulb.
Step 3: After that, you have to look for the water’s permeability, which can be affected by the salination, and you should work to decrease it.
Step 4: Place the UV sterilizer in an optimum position so that there are no blind spots and blind spots can be responsible for spreading the disease.
Step 5: Finally, make sure that the bulb’s uptime is maximum so that no microorganism can escape the rays and get killed before doing the damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
People ask many questions on UV sterilization of a fish tank, and let’s answer some of the most frequently asked ones below.
Is UV sterilizer safe for fish?
UV or ultraviolet rays don’t affect fish in any way, making the sterilization process using UV safe for the fish.
Should I use a UV sterilizer in the aquarium?
You should not, but you must use a UV sterilizer in your aquarium to stop microorganisms from spreading through the tank and spreading diseases.
How long should a UV sterilizer be on in an aquarium?
The answer is given by the manufacturer, which is usually 14 months, but you can keep it in service for 12 months with regular maintenance to be safe and sure of its effectiveness.
Final Thought
We hope you have your answer to what does a UV sterilizer does in a fish tank and get to know about the proper uses. We understand that some people have liked this method so much that they are not considering other things.
But we need to warn you that UV sterilization is as vital as other fish tank maintenance methods. You must not choose one replacing another and make sure that the tank is clean all the time for the maximum growth of your fish.
