Topic: UV Sterilizer

[EmeraldEmpress]

Hey everybody, I'm back!!!  I am looking for some advice.  I have a UV sterilizer that I plumbed in-line with my canister filter (for my 75 gallon tank) when I bought it 6 years ago.  The canister filter is still running great (knock on wood), but the UV sterilizer is another story.  It's an 8 watt Aqua Ultraviolet UV sterilizer, and it seems to me like I'm always fixing something on the darn thing.  I'm pretty sure the bulb is out again, and this is at least the 4th bulb I've put in the thing.  At $40 a bulb, this is getting salty.  I've also had to replace the transformer in it (also pricey), and it really needs to be taken apart and retaped (a giant pain in the rear) at the wiper arm where it's leaking again ever so slightly.  Long story short, I'm getting frustrated.  I feel like I'm just flushing money down the toilet on the thing.  Is this how all sterilizers are?  Does anyone else have long-term experience with a sterilizer that doesn't constantly need fixed?  I originally got the sterilizer because I kept having green water with where the tank was placed in the sun (limited options for placement).  It's not as much of an issue now since the tank has been moved, but I always liked the extra "insurance" that the sterilizer gave me.  Anyone have some experience to share?

[wendyjo]

I don't have long term experience cause I gave up on mine (not in-line tho) after a few months of constantly having problems with it! 

[Cholly]

I've never used one continuously, nor recently for that matter. In fact I'm not sure if I still have one.

Some people swear by them, and use them all the time, but truly I haven't noticed much difference with freshwater except in the case of green water like you had. I did notice a difference in virulence of an ich infestation, it never seemed to get as bad and seemed to go away faster with the sterilizer.

[EmeraldEmpress]

I really like having it, but man is it a pain in the rear.  And knock on wood, I've never had ich in my tank.  I have been poking around online, but there honestly don't seem to be a lot of manufacturers of sterilizers.  Coralife makes a model that would fit perfectly, but it's apparently out of stock everywhere so I'm wondering if it's being discontinued.

[ShieldWolf]

I've used them on some tanks for various lengths of time. As you say it's nice having it as "insurrance" for the health of your tank but truly necessary. It does sound as yours is starting to become money pit so to speak. The ones Ive used were standalone & therefore didn't have to mess with the filter setup for maintenace. Good luck.