# UV Filter Question



## Rayhaan Traboulay (Jun 26, 2006)

Hey all, I bought a UV sterilizer, the "Turbo Twist" one.
First off, does having a UV filter get rid of ALL algae, both the brown kind and the green kind, or is that a myth.

I know that you are not supposed to have it on in the beginning of setting up a tank as it will kill off all the bacteria needed to kick start the tanks cycling process.

I just filled a brand new tank up and added de-chlorinator and waited a day and added "Seachem Stability" to start the cycling process. I then waited another day and added a few yellow labs to kick start the cycling process as well. ( Every day I add seachem stability as the bottle says to for 7 days, the bottle also says after 7 days, the cycle should be complete.)
So far, I have not turned on the UV Filter. I am waiting until the tank gets cloudy ( I am told this is when the peak of the cycling process is happening" and then clears up to a crystal clear visibility. I will then wait another few days and add some peacocks.

Is this the right process and method to start up a tank? Is there anything I am doing wrong or missing out on?

If I am doing it right so far.....when can I turn on the UV filter? Should I turn it on a few days after the cycle completes? Or should I wait a month?
I'm not sure the science behind the cycling process so I'm a bit confused on all this.
Also, on the seachem stability bottle it says to add some stability to the tank whenever you are doing a water change and it says to turn off the uv filter then as well. When I do a water change and add stability while the UV is turned off....how long should I wait until I turn the Uv filter back on again.

Thanks!


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

nope, not at all

you really shouldn't add fish before you tank is completely cycled

first the tank needs an ammonia spike, ~ 2-4ppm then after a while bacteria will bild up to convert the ammonia to nitrite, after the nitrites spike more bacteria will build up to convert that to nitrate

as the ammonia reaches 0ppm, add just enough to bring it back to the original reading, then once ammonia and nitrites reach 0ppm within 24 hours of adding the ammonia your tank will be cycled, test your nitrates and maybe do a water change to bring them down, and then add your fish

and the uv only kills floating algea (green water) it can't kill algea growing on the surfaces because that algea doesn't pass by the uv bulb


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## Guams (Aug 21, 2009)

While I can't comment on the use of a UV Sterilizer (no experience with them), the 7-day cycle seems a little far-fetched. Then again, I have also never used Seachem Stability.

On the other hand, there are some incredibly informational articles in the "Chemistry" section of the CF library detailing the Nitrogen Cycle (i.e. "the cycle") and a method known as "fishless cycling," which I have done. Fishless cycling is the process of adding pure ammonia to a freshly set-up tank until all ammonia and nitrItes are consumed. At that point, nitrAtes will have risen and a water change is in order. After that, you can add your full stock of fish at once instead of stair-stepping the stocking. My 10-gallon tank took me a couple of weeks to cycle using pure ammonia and only a couple additions of API Stress-Zyme.

Also, during the cycling process, my tank didn't cloud. It was fairly clear from day one, and only got clearer as the filter started picking out the crud floating around.

Hope this helps, at least a little bit.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

and stability is a waste in my opinion, there has only been one bottled product recently that i find actually helps


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## sisonek (Sep 8, 2009)

> you really shouldn't add fish before you tank is completely cycled


Correct me if I am wrong but you need to have ammonia in the tank to start the nitrogen cycle and to the best of my knowledge there are only two ways to get ammonia into the take, one you do a fishless cycle buy adding pure ammonia to your tank. See the article on fishless cycling http://cichlid-forum.com/articles/fishless_cycling.php. The other way to get ammonia into the tank is by adding fish. This is how I have always started new tanks, I set everything up put water in the tank, put dechlorinator in, I add one dose of API Stress-Zyme, I let the tank sit for about 3 days then I throw a bunch of Zebra Dinos in it and let it run for a about a month I use Zebra dinos because they are very cheap and very hardy. I do not know anything about UV synthesizers so I cannot help you there. Anyway the point that I am trying to make is that the statement about waiting until the nitrogen cycle is completed to add fish is correct only if you are doing a fishless cycle


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

As there is more than one way to skin a cat, there is more than one way to cycle an aquarium... I do not have personal experience with "bacteria in a bottle" type products but I understand exactly how they are supposed to work. I've heard quite a few people say they have worked exactly like they are advertised, and just as many say they didn't do a darn thing...

I'll start with the UV light, as it's a simplier answer. For maximum efficiency, you'll want to run the water through the UV light slowly. I have personally found a flow rate of 10 gph per 1W to work efficiently for killing parasites and everything else they are capable of killing. I have a couple Turbo Twist lights that I use this 'formula' with.

If used properly, the UV light will kill anything living that passes through the UV light. Including bacteria, including algae. So if you have algae growing on a rock, the UV light will not kill this algae. But any algae that breaks off and becomes free floating and is pulled through the UV filter, will be killed. This does reduce the spread of algae.

I cannot truly explain the science behind this next part, but in my experience using a UV light does "weaken" algae that grows on surfaces in the aquarium and in turn reduces the amount of algae in the tank. I have been told that the UV light neitralizes or removes things in the water that the algae uses to thrive, but I cannot confirm this explaination.

As for bacteria, When you add the 'bacteria in a bottle' product, the bacteria is free floating and if it passes through the UV light it will be killed. Therefore the UV light shuold be turned off when such a product is added. The bacteria we rely on is primarily 'fixed' to a surface. But they can dislodge themselves and relocate. So during the cyucling process I feel the UV light shuold remain off as we want bacteria to be able to migrate to surfaces throughout the tank. This includes bacteria becoming dislodged from the fitler media and moveing out into the tank.

You will not need to add Stability after each water change. The bacteria we rely on for bio filtration is fully capable of reproducing in our aquariums to replentish itself. Seachem only suggests you add their product to increase their sales. While it is true that adding their product will "replentish" your bacteria... so will staring at your tank picking your nose... So they are not lying, they are just telling you half the story and banking on you not educating yourself on the other half.

If, stability works for you as advertised, then I think you are taking a great approach at cycling your tank. If stability fails you, then by no fault of your own, you'll be in a bit of a mess. But nothing you can't work through...

Test the tank for ammonia frequently. Since you have fish in the tank, do a water change if you find the ammonia over 1ppm. Naturally you will want to do a water change before adding your additives. Many people will suggest that doing a water change will slow down the cycling process but this is not true. When cycling with fish, any detectable ammonia level in the aquarium means the fish are producing ammonia faster than the (then current) bacterial colony can process it. Therefore when you reduce it, there will still be more ammonia in the water, therefore there is more food than the bacteria can eat, therefore the bacterial colony will have everything it needs to grow.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

it's dangerous to the fish, and damaging even if they do survive, not to mention a huge loss of money cycling with cichlids, i admit i cycled my first tank with plattys and never used fish again, but at least plattys were cheap

i would always suggest using a fishless cycle, but simply adding stability will not cycle your tank, believe me i was mislead by my lfs at first with it

sometimes you can even convince you lfs to sell you some of their bio media to jump start your tank, i know my store has tons of fully cultured bio wheels i'm sure i could convince them to spare if i ever wanted

also worth noting, when raw shrimp rot and decy they release ammonia, so you can also go to the grocery store and buy some raw shrimp and toss one in and let it rot and testt he ammonia to moniter it


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

i have used stability and when you dose daily it's hard to tell if it's really helping or just naturally happening

the only one i would put my name to is tetra, i have used it, and one dose immediately reduced ammonia and produced nitrates, and it only calls for one dose


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## Rayhaan Traboulay (Jun 26, 2006)

I bought a EMPORER filter from a guy and the biowheel on it had been on it for 2 years. If I use this filter with the cultured biowheel, do I still need to cycle my tank?


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## fox (Jun 11, 2009)

I have been using UV sterylizers for a few years now. I have not had green water since using them. Algae strives just fine everywhere else in the tanks though. I have not had any outbreaks of parasites in those tanks but have not had any in my other tanks either. I do feel they have their place as a preventative medication so to speak.


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