# UV Sterilizers



## Pixelated_Pirate (May 9, 2008)

Hello everyone,

I have some questions about UV sterilizers. I Have googled them and have gotten mixed results so I thought I'd restart my research here.

What are they? What do they do? How do they work? What to look for when purchasing one? Etc. Anything and everything to do with them... maybe is there a file or forum post on this forum that has info relating to them? If so please refer me the link.  

Thanks in advance guys!


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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

UV sterilizers are generally regarded to clean the water in the tank by killing bacteria and other pathogens and are also used to clear medications from tanks as well as algal blooms ('green water').

UV sterilisers work by causing changes to the chemical structure of various substances, both organic and inorganic. In terms of pathogens and other water-borne organisms, it works by interrupting sub-cellular mechanisms, causing death or irreparable damage to them, rendering them harmless.

Generally when looking for a UV sterilizer, one has to consider the size of the tank that it will be working on, and how often it will be used. For example, I picked one up that is good for 100+ gallons, but will never go into a tank that big (well, at least for a few years). Also I plan to use it only as needed, so it will not need to be replaced (the UV bulb) as often. Some people have it on 24hrs a day, but the UV can also kill beneficial bacteria, as well as destroy helpful substances in the tank water.

I'd only recommend having one on an as-needed basis.


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## XbrandonX (Nov 22, 2007)

ameekplec. said:


> UV sterilisers work by causing changes to the chemical structure of various substances, both organic and inorganic. In terms of pathogens and other water-borne organisms, it works by interrupting sub-cellular mechanisms, causing death or irreparable damage to them, rendering them harmless.


what he said.

Basically it pumps your tank water through a sealed chamber where the water gets zapped by a strong UV lamp (contained in the chamber) and this process fries anything alive in the water colony.


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