UV Sterilizer and Refugium

[G-Tank]

I need input on this topic. I recently got a tang and also a UV sterilizer for predicative maintenance because I know tang's are prone to ick.

Will this affect my refugium if I run it?
Reccomendations on how long to run the unit?
Do I really need it because I already have an established refugium?

Any input for the reefers out there running the UV with Fuge will be greatly appreciated. Please let me know what your thoughts are.

Thanks!

 

[MikeGilliland]

I have both. I still have a big pod population and the only time my tang gets ich is when the salinity gets above 1.026. I don't know if there's any way around it. But I also have a cleaner wrasse who helps.

 

[Factorybacking_05]

UV sterilizers don't kill ich.

 

[Ritchie]

I've read it will kill ich that's floating around in the water but not the ich that's already on the fish

 

[JOSE CASAS]

It will help a little with ich but will not fully eradicate it.

 

[BeanMachine]

I've read though that UVs are good for water born algaes, marine velvet, other types of disease, etc.

The problem with UVs is they don't discriminate between the good and the bad so whatever passes through the light will be a gonner.

Most large systems employ them so that is something to think about.

When I spoke to the rep for Emperor Aquatics, he said they would help a lot with ich if the right size and flow rate but not completely kill it all...

I think stress is the biggest part of ich reoccuring in systems, solve the the environmental problem, solve the ich.

 

[G-Tank]

Thanks for all the replies. The issue that I am having with my tang is he is not eating the nori dipped in garlic. I am feeding him pellets with garlic in it but seems like he is not gettign enough nutrition from that and starting to get a little skinny and colors are starting to dull. I just want to make sure that if ick breaks out that my tank will have some sort of backup to keep everything alive....