are UV sterilizers as must have on discus tanks?

[firthy13]

hey guys,

I am new to discus and have a 4x2x2 set up with 2 ehiem 2217's.
as I have been researching this fish and their requirements in the aquarium, i have found a lot of set ups utilize uv sterilizers.

in your opinion, are these a must have?

[giorid]

No you don't need one instead spend your money on something you'll really need, a quarantine tank, reason being, if you buy healthy fish, do regular water changes with suitably treated water, keep the tank and filters clean and feed them a varied diet with quality fish food, your fish won't need a uv sterilizer, they can only get sick if these conditions aren't met, what you and your fish need is a routine. The quarantine tank is only there for you to use if something goes wrong or if you decide to buy new fish.

[ILLUSN]

they are NOT a must have, but they do help, a UV is no match or substitute for propper fish keeping.

[Nev]

I've got one sitting in a cupboard somewhere, have never plugged it in. Never had the need.

[CanadianKiwi]

My water was getting milky after 3 days of a 90% water change.
I think the UV filter killed the bacteria bloom.
My water is very clean now, fish loves it, and I had the first eggs 2 weeks after the implementation of the UV filter.

UV filters kills most bacteria (discus plague?), and even the good ones.