Have you heard of the UV lamp or the UV germicidal lamp? Sounds very high-tech, in fact, this light has been out for a long time, as the name implies is also used to sterilize, but its role can be more than sterilization only. Today we will talk about some effects of UV lights on fish tanks and the use of methods and precautions.
1 The difference between UV lamps and germicidal lamps
In fact, there is no difference between the two, UV lamps are actually the acronym for ultraviolet lamps, the two are the same thing, the name is not the same. Aquatic UV germicidal lamps, and we usually used to disinfect sterilization, especially in some restaurants with the same, but the aquarium with additional waterproof technology, making it possible to use underwater. For convenience, we will use the name “UV lamp” below.
2 UV lamp use precautions
Since stronger UV rays are harmful to people and cannot be exposed for a long time, so UV lamps for aquarium also need to avoid shining directly to people for a long time. So in the process of use, it is usually used with the bottom filter fish tank with bottom cabinet, because there is a cabinet door can block the UV radiation. At the same time, the UV light should not be irradiated to the fish tank filter material, because it is sterilized, so if irradiated to the filter material, then the filter material is growing a lot of nitrifying bacteria will be gradually killed, then the whole nitrifying bacteria system will collapse, and directly lead to the collapse of the filtration system, and then the fish tank water will start to cloudy!
The correct way to use the UV lamp is to use a separate filter tank with no light, put only one UV lamp inside, and just let the water in the tank, through the pump and filtering effect, through the filter tank. The purpose is to let the UV light to kill the bacteria inside the water, and because the water is constantly flowing and circulating, so it can play a better sterilization effect of the entire fish tank water.
3 Does UV lamp kill nitrifying bacteria?
It is true that nitrifying bacteria will be killed by UV light, but we should remember that nitrifying bacteria are very few in the water body, they need to have attachment to grow stably, they only exist in large quantities in the biochemical filter material of fish tank, that is, those bacteria house, ceramic ring, quartz ball, so as we mentioned before, as long as the filter material is not irradiated, it will not have much effect on the nitrifying bacteria. Even if they are killed by UV light, it will not have much effect on the nitrifying bacteria system of the whole aquarium.
4 Other uses of UV lamps: eliminating green water
In fact, another important use of UV light is to deal with green water. Once the tank has signs of green water, it is difficult to deal with, although reducing the amount of feeding and light can control the green water, but once the green algae spores grow in the water, they will keep appearing, and these green algae spores are floating in the water, just as the UV light can directly deal with the bacteria and microorganisms in the water, so the same let the green water flow through the filter tank with UV light, can also quickly So, if you let the green water flow through the filter tank with UV light, you can eliminate the green water quickly. It can be said that it is the “Green Water Buster” of fish tank.
5 How long is the UV lamp on every day?
Remember, the UV light does not need to be on all the time, on the one hand, it consumes electricity, on the other hand, it is not good to sterilize the whole aquarium water, after all, the opposite is true. The main purpose is to kill some microorganisms and bacteria that are harmful to ornamental fish, and play a protective role. If the fish are healthy, and the tank water quality is also relatively good, in fact, UV light can also be opened, or open a 1-2 times a week, each time open a half hour to an hour on it.
Of course, the UV light should be used with a large tank, if the tank itself is small, then the UV light is not a good sterilization effect, small tank through fixed water changes to control the number of bacteria will be more effective.
Last but not least, UV light is only to help sterilization effect, not UV light on, the entire tank water can reach the “sterile” state.
Leave A Comment