Goldfish Care Tips and Guidelines

A Free Monthly Resource For Goldfish Enthusiasts
April 2014
Issue #004

In this issue
Choosing the right pond UV sterilizer
What’s new on the Website

www.about-goldfish.com/

Choosing The Right Pond UV Sterilizer

Let's first start by sorting out some confusion.
Sterilizers are known by two names, UV sterilizers and UV clarifiers.

The difference between the two is this...UV clarifiers only remove algae that cause green water.
Some UV sterilizers can remove algae, bacteria, parasites and viruses. In other words, UV sterilizers sterilize.

To remove green water from a pond a UV clarifier will do the job. For Level 1 sterilization which kills bacteria, some viruses and removes green water, you need a sterilizer.
For higher level 2 sterilization which removes parasites and all viruses you will need a heavy duty sterilizer for any pond of a reasonable size.

This level of sterilization is usually limited to aquariums.

Sterilizers come in four variations:

1. Inline, fitted after the filter
2. Fitted internally in some filters
3. Fitted externally to some filters
4. Standalone sterilizers

What style you choose doesn't really matter, it's how effective it is that matters.

Before purchasing any UV sterilizer this is a good time to discuss what sterilizers can and can’t do as there seems to be some mis-information circulating around the Net.

1. Sterilizers will not remove algae growing on pond or tank surfaces. These types of algae don’t live in the water column so cannot be removed by passing through a UV sterilizer. The sterilizer may kill free floating spores, but any control of the algae would be very limited.

2. A sterilizer will kill beneficial nitrifying bacteria. This is partly correct. If a pond or aquarium has an established filter, the beneficial bacteria live in the filter. Any bacteria (good or bad) circulating in the water can be killed if the sterilizer is strong enough. Before a filter becomes established which takes about two weeks, it would pay not to run a sterilizer.

3. UV sterilization does not remove minerals from the water.

4. A sterilizer won’t cure fish with a bacterial, fungal or parasitical disease. If the disease detaches from the fish into the water, and the sterilizer is strong enough, the sterilizer can help control the spread of the disease.

5. Sterilizers and clarifiers don’t lower fish immunity; they probably improve it by destroying oxidizers in the water.

6. Clarifiers are only used for water clarification. Sterilizers can sterilize ponds and aquariums of bacteria, parasites and viruses but the water flow has to be much lower per lamp watt.

7. Sterilizers do not harm freshwater planted aquariums.

8. UV sterilizers don’t remove the need for partial water changes and other routine maintenance. Clear water does not automatically mean the water is in good condition.

In summary then, a UV sterilizer isn’t absolutely necessary, but it certainly cuts down on maintenance, and the benefits of having one are certainly great, especially when expensive or hard to replace goldfish are involved.

Read more...

What's New On The Website

Goldfish Pond UV Sterilizers

To fill in some of the gaps in the article above and keep the E-zine to a reasonable length, I've added a page on sterilizers.
The page details some of the more technical information such as watts per gallons per hour required depending on what the sterilizer will be used for.

Here is the link…Goldfish Pond UV Sterilizers.

Next Month’s Topic

www.about-goldfish.com/