Do you need Uv Steriliser for a discus tank

[axl]

Hi,
i am currently nearly ready for putting discus into my 6ft tank and want to no, do i need uv sterliser in my tank for discus??? and if i do need them can i go without them for a while why i save up money for them.What your opinions????
cheers axl

[Merrilyn]

Hi axl. With our water quality so bad at the moment, and with some of the highly resistant strains of disease we are seeing at the moment, my answer would have to be yes.

And I would certainly get it before adding discus. The most stressful time for a fish is after being moved. The immune system of a healthy fish can fight off a lot of the nasties naturally present in an aquarium, but once stress becomes a factor, the immune system can be affected and disease can take a foothold. A UV will cut down on the number of pathogens and bacteria floating in the water.

[axl]

would 1 be enough or would i have to buy 2 for my 6ft tank and where is the best place to get a good deal. I also run two cannister filters so would i need 1 for each
cheers axl

[Davo]

axl,

You would only need one. You can buy cheap UVS and you can buy quality UVS.

A brand from Germany called de bary are highly rated. You can get them over here from about $400 for a 11w which is suitable for up to 500l. The 15w is about $600 and is suitable for 750 litres. You can also get 20w and 25w models. If these prices are too steep you can get them from a company called SeaMe.com which is in Holland. They are heaps cheaper than over here. The 11w UVS is AUS$251 and the 15w is $315. That is nearly half price and the great thing is that the shipping is free. Have a look at www.SeaMe.com Spare tubes are also half the price.

Buttnaked has bought one of these UVS (15w) from SeaMe.com.

They also stock Eheim filters for unbeliveable prices.

You can also get another brand from a company in Singapore, they are made by Coralife (turbo-twist) and are highly rated in the US. Some other guys on this site have bought them.

These two brands are both highly rated but of course you can get other brands over here but remember the old saying "You get what you pay for".

Alot of the cheaper brands only make the water crystal clear but the quality brands kill parasites as well as cleaning your water.

If you have hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of discus in your tank I would rather fork out a bit more cash for quality.

Dave.

[Proteus]

For a 6 foot tank I would strongly recommend the Pondmaster 36w unit.

I will advise of pricing in the next day or so, but it uses the same tube as some of the more expensive ones (Philips) so it will perform exactly the same.

The tube that is used is as, or more important than the brand of the housing, so if you get a cheaper one, you can always but a top grade medical rated tube (best IMO is Philips)

[axl]

So am i better off buying a cheap 15w uv and replacing it with a phillips tube if so where do i get a phillips tube from???

[Proteus]

that is if you cant afford the good ones.

at the end of the day, you get what you pay for, although this way you have the option to improve things marginally

[SLS]

Pondmaster 36w $330

[axl]

Hey,
has anyone heard of a brand called Water Works, are they any good
because i can get hold of a 15w Water works uv sterilser for about $215
cheers axl

[skoom]

The UV was the best thing i got for the tank. Crystal clear water without hassles. It's worth the money.