UV Sterilizers / LEDs

[igot2gats]

Anyone use them? If so, why do you use it?

I read an article in the current issue of CORAL Mag, & it talked about ultraviolet LEDs...

In summary it stated that a research group from Ferdinand Brown Institute And the Technical Univ. of Berlin are working on a method of disinfecting water by using a less complicated way...aka by using LEDs, they can possibly disinfect saltwater so that you don't have to use a UV Sterilizer? Maybe I read it wrong..

Anyways, I always thought that if you have great, quality water, & your params are good, then there shouldn't be a need to use a UV Sterilizer for when you introduce new coral / livestock....

Thoughts?

[evilc66]

UV sterilizers aren't used very often in reefs, as it tends to kill off some of the beneficial batceria that are useful. It's not so much an issue in fish only or freshwater tanks, where they are used more frequently.

Chances are, that article is talking about using UV LEDs for germicidal applications. It won't be cheap up front, as the cost for UV-C LEDs is outrageous. They save money long term though, as UV-C PCs typically have a pretty short and expensive life.