Long ago I laughed at the UV Sterilizer. There is no way, I thought, that the tiny bit of water going through the unit could help in any way. Well, about 10 years ago I realized I was wrong. I have seen the evidence. So I started to ask "Why does it work?" and "How does it work?". The best answer I have found, though I'm not exactly certain, is that it seems to create a small amount of O3 (Ozone) which mixes into the tank water doing almost the same thing as O3 used with a skimmer.
Personally, I've never had to use a UV sterilizer continuously, though I've used it for short periods to clear up an issue, because I've found that UV radiation in sunlight does a similar thing. Practically every system I've had since 1993, when I located my first reef aquarium in an East facing window, has had at least partial exposure to sunlight.
I believe in the value of Mother Nature's way. This includes the occasional feeding of Garlic Oil but, if sunlight is not available and Garlic Oil is not working, either a UV Sterilizer or adding O3 to a skimmer are definitely the next best alternatives. One of these alternatives is pretty much guaranteed to do the job.
In my experience, this eliminates the need to attempt the hassle of full quarantine.
The typical UV Sterilizer uses a t5 fluorescent tube. I believe about 10 Watts/100 gallons of water would do the job. Flow through the unit is necessarily slow, giving the water sufficient exposure to the UV radiation.
The newer, high end LED fixtures have started to include a few UV LED's. I'm wondering,...
I'm curious to know if this may replicate sunlight such that it may eliminate the need for a UV Sterilizer.
Aloha,
Mark
Edited by Mark Peterson - November 28 2015 at 5:29pm