Best Aquarium UV Sterilizer

The most common challenge that all aquarium owners face is keeping the water clean and safe for the fish and aquatic life in it. Failing to keep the tank clean can lead to a lot of complications for the fish and may even affect the external environment, causing potential health hazards for humans as well.

Coralife Turbo Twist	Aquatop HangOn UV Filter	Aquatop CF500UV
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Coralife Turbo-Twist UV Sterilizer is a trusted and highly used brand. A unique internal twist design exposes passing water to ultraviolet light.	Are you running a Nano tank? No problem, the Aquatop Hang-On Filter pulls double duty with the addition the internal UV light.	Looking for a canister filter with built-in UV sterilizer? AquaTop designed a powerful canister filter cabable of cleaning 500+ gallons per hour.
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Most aquariums are equipped with a sponge, hang on or canister filter to prevent the build-up of dirt and growth of algae, bad bacteria, and microorganisms. However, you know and I know this is not 100% effective in keeping the water safe! That's where you need something that packs a punch and cleans what you can't see the aquarium UV sterilizer.

What are the Best Aquarium UV Sterilizers?

Coralife Turbo-Twist UV Sterilizer

Recommended for aquariums up to 500 gallons, the Coralife Turbo-Twist UV Sterilizer is a trusted and highly used brand. A unique internal twist design exposes passing water to ultraviolet light blasting harmful algae, bacteria, and viruses with UV light. Extremely versatile, can be used in both saltwater and freshwater, plus the Turbo-Twist can be used in-line or as a hang on for smaller tanks. Great design, great product, and a trusted brand make the Coralife Turbo-Twist a perfect addition to your tank.

Aquatop Hang-On Filter with UV Sterilization

Are you running a Nano tank? No problem, the Aquatop Hang-On Filter pulls double duty with the addition the internal UV light. With the flow rate of 128 gallons per hour, the 7 watt UV light will destroy micro-organisms, algae, viruses and bacteria in your tank water. It fits snuggly over the lip of your tank and saves space by combining mechanical filtration with UV sterilization.

AquaTop CF500UV Canister Filter

Looking for a canister filter with built-in UV sterilizer? AquaTop designed a powerful canister filter cabable of cleaning 500+ gallons per hour. It's a 4+1 stage canister filter with a built in 9 watt UV sterilizer that will keep your tank water polished and clean. The <a href='https://tropicalfish.io/article/103/aquatop-cf500u... CF500UV canister filter combines two essential aquarium water cleaning needs in a powerful package.

What is an Aquarium UV Sterilizer?

Aquarium UV Sterilizers are very basic in how they work. Aquarium water passes through a container that has a UV light bulb in it, the time in the chamber kills organisms including algae, bacteria, virus, parasites, and potentially toxic insect larvae. It's like a super blast of ultraviolet light that destroys bad stuff in your tank water you can't see with your eye.

UV sterilizers have been around for a long time and used in many liquid manufacturing industries also, swimming pools, small ponds and as the technology got better and smaller you can now add one to your fish tank.

The most common pollutant of aquarium water is probably green algae. Man, green algae can be a menace, it persistent and unsightly but hard to eliminate. You can work your hands raw scraping bits of green algae with white sponges all day.

But... What if you could keep the green algae from propagating and accumulating in your tank water ahead of time? Think of all the money you will save on white sponges and hand moisturizer!
Your UV sterilizers can be used to prevent the growth of algae and treat water for bacteria, virus and other contaminants before they become a problem.

How does a UV Sterilizer Work?

UV sterilizers use Ultra Violate light to alter the DNA or cell structure of micro-organisms. It either kills them or makes them unfit to multiply, thus slowing down and even stopping their growth and propagation.

UV sterilizers are much more effective in preventing the spread of unwanted organisms by targeting only the harmful pathogens without affecting the fish or any other habitats in the tank. This is because UV sterilizers can be connected inline to your canister filter and tucked away under your fish tank cabinet. Only water passes through, not your fish, killing only the bad stuff in your water like algae, viruses, bacteria, and fungus.

Choosing the right Aquarium UV sterilizer

With so many products flooding the market every day, it is always a challenge to pick the right equipment for your needs. Similarly, with UV sterilizers, there are certain features you must note before selecting the right one for you.

1. Pick a sterilizer that suits the type of fish tank you keep. Whether it is fresh or salt water makes a minor difference, you may have solutions that connect to certain filtration systems based on the type of tank you keep.
   
   
2. UV sterilizers come in different shapes and sizes. So depending on the size of your fish tank, pick one that will fit with your existing equipment or fit neatly in your tank cabinet.
   
   
3. Choose among the three types of UV sterilizer: the quartz-lined tube type (dry bulb), the tray type or the non-quartz lined tube type (wet bulb).
   
   
4. It is also necessary to look out for the adjustable strength and flow rate to ensure that you can modify the intensity according to use and requirements. Some sterilizers allow you to slow the flow down to intensify they UV light time your tank water receives.
   

What are the benefits of using an Aquarium UV Sterilizer?

There are numerous benefits of using a UV sterilizer in a fish tank. Killing algae, bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that pollute the water is pretty nice. Of course, you will still have to to make water changes occasionally, but by having a UV sterilizer and a powerful canister filter, you will require less frequent change.

UV Sterilizer Prevents the Growth of Algae and Bacteria

As stated earlier, there are algae, bacteria, virus and other microorganisms that pollute the water. UV sterilizer cleans the aquarium water by eliminating these contaminants and preventing further infection or outbreaks.

Decreases for Water Changes ( Algae Outbreak )

When there is any bacterial or fungal outbreak, the water begins to turn green, murky and creates a dangerous environment for the fish to thrive. The water has to be changed frequently to prevent the growth of pollutants, which is often a hassle. By installing a UV sterilizer, the water is automatically cleaned, eliminating the need for frequent water bucket changes.

Can be used in any type of Fish Tank or Aquarium

Whether it is freshwater, saltwater, tropical, ponds or reef, UV sterilizers can treat them all. Different pathogens grow in different temperatures and environment, and UV sterilizers can address them in any condition. They can also be used in Koi lakes to control free-floating algae without any other manual effort.

Permanently Destroys Contaminants

A regular mechanical filter only blocks visible contaminants from mixing with the water in the tank, but with UV sterilizer, the ultraviolet light kills or weakens the microorganisms. A UV sterilizer unit prevents the growth of pathogens and keeps them from recurring too often.

Prevention versus Medication

Bacterial infections with fish is usually a secondary effect due to injury or parasitic infestation. Often we treat bacterial infections with medication to kill unwanted bacteria. The use of a UV light can help keep the fish tank water free of bacteria helping reduce and in some circumstances eliminate the use of bacterial medication in your tank.

Warning: UV sterilizers are safe for all type of fish, but they can sometimes be harmful if the fish is medicated with chelated copper medicines which can turn into poisonous ionic copper. Always read the warnings and labels of the medications you are using.

Hassle-Free Installation and Easy Maintenance

Unlike other aquarium decorations and accessories, UV sterilizers only require a one-time setup. The unit is always clean and consumes very little power. Once you install it, it does its job quietly and efficiently. The installation process is simple and low maintenance. Eventually, you will need to change the bulb, outside of that, the UV sterilizer is pretty hassle-free.

Final Thoughts

You put a lot of work in keeping your tank clean and your fish healthy. The UV sterilizer is a great addition to your existing fish tank filtration system to help fight off and kill what we can't see in the water. Cleaning your tank at the microscopic level, the UV sterilizer will work all day and night fighting off unwanted algae, bacteria, and viruses that can harm your fish and even you!