Lets talk about UV! Most aquarium and pond owners know that maintaining water quality is critical. The build-up of algae and cloudy water can provide an environment were harmful parasites and ‘bad’ bacteria can start to accumulate very quickly.
There are three aspects to filtering the water to help maintain your pond or aquarium’s ecosystem, mechanical, biological and chemical:
The first is mechanical where you trap the debris using a filter. This on a pond usually incorporates a UV clarifier or steriliser to help destroy contaminants.
The second, biological is the use of high surface area media as a home for beneficial bacteria to carry out the nitrogen cycle. The bacteria turns harmful waste (ammonia) into nitrite then nitrate (a non toxic form of nitrogen).
What are UV filters?
UV Clarifiers and sterilizers essentially perform the same function in both ponds and aquariums.
Ultraviolet or UV light is at the lower end of the spectrum and invisible to the naked eye. It causes damage to living things if over-exposed to its electromagnetic radiation. Of course, this is the main reason we humans need to wear suncream during hot weather.
Small organisms can be killed by exposure to UV light. When it comes to aquariums and ponds, this is extremely beneficial – helping to get rid of parasites, slow algae build-up, remove diatoms (single-cell algae) and bad bacteria to name just a few things you don’t want in your setup.
The main difference between UV clarifiers and UV sterilisers
The big difference between the two is that clarifiers have less intense light than sterilisers. This can be due to contact time through flow rate and also the distance between the light and the water passing through the unit.
That means they do less damage and normally only help get rid of bacteria and algae particularly “green water”. Sterilisers on the other hand are much more intense and can kill off various parasitic protozoans in the water.
One thing to note when using a UV steriliser is the water flow through the filter. This needs to be much slower to give more exposure to the light if you want to get rid of the parasites compared to using a UV clarifier.
The mechanics of both systems are essentially the same. The bulb is protected by a crystal sleeve and this is used in conjunction with a filter system.
Maintenance is important for both systems. The light emitted can be affected by the build-up of debris and the bulb will need to be cleaned regularly. It’s also important to note that UV bulbs have a shelf-life and must be changed every six to twelve months to remain effective.
What size UV Unit do I need for my pond?
In an aquarium, maintaining water quality is relatively easy to manage with a UV clarifier or steriliser because of the smaller size. In a pond, there may be more issues that you will need to keep on top of. There are several factors to think about:
- Aquariums usually hold lest water but have a higher turn over (flow rate). Thinks about this when choosing a unit.
- The bigger your pond, the bigger your UV system will need to be. You may need to have several filters and UV lights to be effective.
- The number of fish you have in your pond and the amount of sunlight it receives will also be a factor. For example, if you have a very sunny area it will naturally make algae propagate faster especially with a high bioload (lots of fish).
Adding more plants will help remove nutrients that, in turn, slow the growth of algae.
One thing to note about sterilisers is that they only kill off the parasites that are passing through the filter. They won’t damage any that are attached to the fish in your pond or aquarium.
If you are using medication in your pond It will sometimes require UV’s to be turned off ensure you following instructions carefully.
Find the Best Aquarium and Pond Accessories
If you are searching for everything from fish tanks and pond pumps to filters to UV clarifiers and sterilisers, check out our range at TankBred today.
If you are looking for a professional to install of maintain you aquatic equipment in the Devon area head over to sasaquatic.com