UV and Fish Death

[skozzy]

I put my medical grade UV over the fresh water tank today to attempt to do a
tank wide bacteria wipeout, I use this method on the hospital tank, anyhow,
my Angel Fish seemed to dislike it, but I figured it was going to do it some
good incase the water was not 100% after another fish picked up something
that cuased it's tail to srink and go hard. 3 hours later and the Angel is
dead. Can the UV 6watts realy do this or was it just bad timming.

[Sue]

UV for aquaria or ponds is used outside the tank, never on the actual
livestock.
You've found out why ;o(
Sue
"skozzy" > wrote in message
...
> I put my medical grade UV over the fresh water tank today to attempt to do
a
> tank wide bacteria wipeout, I use this method on the hospital tank,
anyhow,
> my Angel Fish seemed to dislike it, but I figured it was going to do it
some
> good incase the water was not 100% after another fish picked up something
> that cuased it's tail to srink and go hard. 3 hours later and the Angel is
> dead. Can the UV 6watts realy do this or was it just bad timming.
>

[coelacanth]

"skozzy" > wrote in message
...
> I put my medical grade UV over the fresh water tank today to attempt to do
a
> tank wide bacteria wipeout, I use this method on the hospital tank,
anyhow,
> my Angel Fish seemed to dislike it, but I figured it was going to do it
some
> good incase the water was not 100% after another fish picked up something
> that cuased it's tail to srink and go hard. 3 hours later and the Angel is
> dead. Can the UV 6watts realy do this or was it just bad timming.
>

The idea is to run the water past the UV in a very thin column or
sheet and kill everything that's living it it. Exposing fish to UV
may or may not be fatal in the short term, but it can definitely
cause skin (and other) cancers.

Get a small pump and rig something where the water is pumped
in a loop, passing very close to the UV. The tricky part here is
that both glass and most plastics block significant amounts of UV.
In commercial sterilizers, they use a quartz glass window. You could
probably but such glass, but it is hideously expensive. Anyway
look for DIY UV sterilizer projects and see how others have
tackled this.

Maybe Netmax has some relevant links?

-coelacanth

[pausto]

skozzy wrote:
>
> I put my medical grade UV over the fresh water tank today to attempt to do a
> tank wide bacteria wipeout, I use this method on the hospital tank, anyhow,
> my Angel Fish seemed to dislike it, but I figured it was going to do it some
> good incase the water was not 100% after another fish picked up something
> that cuased it's tail to srink and go hard. 3 hours later and the Angel is
> dead. Can the UV 6watts realy do this or was it just bad timming.

Do a Google on [UV Hazard]. The UV lamps used for bio sterilization,
come with warnings. Exposure to self, particularly the eyes, should
not be allowed. When used in an open environment, such as at a
laboratory bio safety work station, the UV light is run during the
unoccupied hours, and turned OFF when the work station is being used.
The exposure from even a small lamp, can be large, if you get close
enough to it, for long enough. How close? For how long? I don't know.
I have enough aches and pains, I just heed the warnings.

Be careful, be safe.

Paul

[Craig Williams]

Before you try something like that on the fish put it over your bed at night
or over your head all day & see how you feel after a while. Damn!

"skozzy" > wrote in message
...
> I put my medical grade UV over the fresh water tank today to attempt to do
a
> tank wide bacteria wipeout, I use this method on the hospital tank,
anyhow,
> my Angel Fish seemed to dislike it, but I figured it was going to do it
some
> good incase the water was not 100% after another fish picked up something
> that cuased it's tail to srink and go hard. 3 hours later and the Angel is
> dead. Can the UV 6watts realy do this or was it just bad timming.
>
>
>

[NetMax]

"coelacanth" > wrote in message
m...
> "skozzy" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I put my medical grade UV over the fresh water tank today to attempt
to do
> a
> > tank wide bacteria wipeout, I use this method on the hospital tank,
> anyhow,
> > my Angel Fish seemed to dislike it, but I figured it was going to do
it
> some
> > good incase the water was not 100% after another fish picked up
something
> > that cuased it's tail to srink and go hard. 3 hours later and the
Angel is
> > dead. Can the UV 6watts realy do this or was it just bad timming.
> >
>
> The idea is to run the water past the UV in a very thin column or
> sheet and kill everything that's living it it. Exposing fish to UV
> may or may not be fatal in the short term, but it can definitely
> cause skin (and other) cancers.
>
> Get a small pump and rig something where the water is pumped
> in a loop, passing very close to the UV. The tricky part here is
> that both glass and most plastics block significant amounts of UV.
> In commercial sterilizers, they use a quartz glass window. You could
> probably but such glass, but it is hideously expensive. Anyway
> look for DIY UV sterilizer projects and see how others have
> tackled this.
>
> Maybe Netmax has some relevant links?

For DIY UV? Hmm, isn't that like DIY surgery? ;~)

Seriously, I just use a standard Laguna pond UV with the universal
adapter fittings (16W, go big or stay home). Then I throw a powerhead in
the tank and pump down through the UV and back into the tank. I
typically run it for 12 hours like this. That's what I do, but I'm a UV
newbie ;o)

NetMax

> -coelacanth
>
>