Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)
Hi,
John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.
I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.
With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.
I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.
If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.
I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.
I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.
Thank you
Darragh Sherwin
UV steriliser on new tank?
Anyway, the answer to the question.....
I do not know what UV flux that particular unit can deliver (I could google the manufacturers spec....but hey, why would I want to do that when you do that yourself
).But, YES.....wavelengths of light within the UV spectrum can either damage or inactive (there is a difference) the nitrosofying or nitrifying bacteria if the bacteria are exposed to the light.
When the bacteria are well established on a filter media, then they are not likely to be exposed to the UV light.
But in the early stages of a raw tank (ie fresh set-up), most of those bacteria will be within the water column and thus be exposed to the UV.
In some cases, the ammonia oxidation of nitrosofying bacteria may only be temporarily inactivated if certain conditions exist. In other conditions, the inactivation may be permanent and not reversible.
So, for safe betting: do not use a UV steriliser whilst a tank is in the early stages of maturation.
ian
Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.
Please Log in to join the conversation.
I would always share caution with using UV sterilisers (as well as Ozonisers). They do need care in operation, and can cause undesirable effects if the "wrong" stuff is in the water.
Anyway, the answer to the question.....
I do not know what UV flux that particular unit can deliver (I could google the manufacturers spec....but hey, why would I want to do that when you do that yourself
But, YES.....wavelengths of light within the UV spectrum can either damage or inactive (there is a difference) the nitrosofying or nitrifying bacteria if the bacteria are exposed to the light.
When the bacteria are well established on a filter media, then they are not likely to be exposed to the UV light.
But in the early stages of a raw tank (ie fresh set-up), most of those bacteria will be within the water column and thus be exposed to the UV.
In some cases, the ammonia oxidation of nitrosofying bacteria may only be temporarily inactivated if certain conditions exist. In other conditions, the inactivation may be permanent and not reversible.
So, for safe betting: do not use a UV steriliser whilst a tank is in the early stages of maturation.
ian
Good stuff Ian, thanks for this. I was concerned about it so going to leave it for a month or so...Brian
Please Log in to join the conversation.