UV units destroy Micro and trace elements?

[Russ]

I just bought some discus and I'm considering using a UV unit on that tank, also to use it as a tool for GW when it rears its ugly fog in my other tanks.

Anyway, I heard (long ago) that UV units fry trace elements/Micro nutrients. Is that true? Anything else to worry about in the use of them in planted tanks?

I was going to buy a Turbo Twist 3X 9 watt. Is that a good one for a 46g (discus tank) and occasional use on a 75g for GW?

thanks,

Russ

 

[Tom Barr]

Re: UV units destroy Micro and trace elements?

Russ, most folks, you mentioned this also, use it for the rare case of GW, or diseases.

Otherwise there's little usage for it.
Some claim it destroys Fe, sorry, without a nuclear powerplants, the core of the sun(actually you'd need a larger star likely), cyclotrons etc, that might be tough to do

Fe may get precipitated, basically knocked out of the chelator/organic complex that's holding it, but it'll just end up in the gravel and eventually be used of siphoned out.

Some say it has an effect, but I've never seen any trace related issues with the use of UV to date and I've used them quite a bit over the years.

Some have measured the Fe and suggested the decline was due to the UV, but heck, measuring Fe is tricky as it is, and the Fe declibnes pretty fast if you test it over a 24 hour peroid every 4-6 hours and each 15 minutes for the frist 2 hours.

Regards,
Tom Barr
Regards,
Tom Barr

 

[Russ]

Re: UV units destroy Micro and trace elements?

Thanks, Tom.

-Russ