steveoutlaw November 23, 2012 Share November 23, 2012 My tank has been up and running for a few months now. I'm getting ready to add a 40w UV.........do I need to add it gradually? I was thinking about getting it up and running and have the light come on for 2 hours a day for a week, and then put it up to 4 hours a day, then 6, then 8, ......etc. Is this the best way to introduce it or should I just turn it on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef November 23, 2012 Share November 23, 2012 I didnt have corals when I had mine, but i just turned it on when my water was getting that green tinge... the fish didnt care one way or another... I just dont know how corals take the extra clean water? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw November 23, 2012 Author Share November 23, 2012 My worry is that zapping all of the algea in the water will shock them. It will probably increase the light they are getting too.......no waterborne algea to block it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind November 23, 2012 Share November 23, 2012 I never stepped mine up, just turned it on full 24/7. I don't think free floating algae is a big issue in our reef tanks because the skimmers pull it out. I think algae is more of an issue with freshwater setups. Your water isn't green is it? If you have a PAR meter you could test before turning it on and see if it makes any changes to the amount of light hitting a coral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpallas November 24, 2012 Share November 24, 2012 I've always been skeptical about UV except for quarantine purposes....has anyone had some real success in using them on reefs?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw November 24, 2012 Author Share November 24, 2012 I've used one before and know that I had very clear water and I never had any sort of issues with sick fish. Now, is that attributed to the UV? Can't say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosco's Reefs November 24, 2012 Share November 24, 2012 is the is the only way to clear free-floating algae? A friend of mine has a big tank with very green water but has no UV or skimmer on it. He also uses well water, has very bad water parameters, and only a few fish, but we are working on those items as we speak. Lastly. would it help and would the fish care if we just turned off and left off the lights? Would the algae die? Thx in advance.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallreef November 24, 2012 Share November 24, 2012 free floating algae just it... its not one of those things controlled by extreme lighting but with bad water conditions can make the water look VERY green... I would think the first thing your friend should do is put a skimmer on his tank, i like UV's to clear the water after the skimmer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind November 25, 2012 Share November 25, 2012 I think the color of the water can also be changed by the food offered. It seems like when I feed nori often my tank can get a little green. Roscoe, I think if your friend ran a skimmer and used carbon it would really clear up his water. I would try that before a UV unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkey18 November 25, 2012 Share November 25, 2012 Just turn it on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveoutlaw November 25, 2012 Author Share November 25, 2012 Just turn it on! Yes ma'am! Right away ma'am! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k November 26, 2012 Share November 26, 2012 As much as I'd like to think that UV makes a difference, I've been able to see a 5000g system with more than 1000 fish with zero disease issues running without the UV being operational. I see the same systems with UV in operation and cannot see any differences between the two. I think that germicidal light does kill some things and will certainly eliminate algae from green water, but as far as whether or not it's needed on a reef tank is purely an opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flowerseller November 26, 2012 Share November 26, 2012 Steve, I use uv and have for 20 plus years. I do clean the Quartz sleeve regular, every 6 months, and replace the bulb as directed, T5 yearly to 14 months. You will have crystal clear water and will notice a difference within 24 hours. Personally, I would not be without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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