Why Use An Aquarium Or Pond UV Sterilizer - UV Sterilization Basics

Basics:

Ultra violet sterilization is one of the most effective means of controlling algae (green water) in ponds and is also effective at disease prevention in aquariums and ponds and for general water quality control in aquariums and ponds. There is a lot of new evidence as to the benefits of UV sterilization for ALL fish, and many myths have been dispelled such as UV Sterilizers destroying beneficial nitrifying bacteria, so please read on.

UVs are also useful in Reef aquaria, especially new ones where the chance of disease introduction is high and the UVs help in keeping a balanced Redox Potential is useful. As the reef aquaria ages the sterilizer can be placed on a timer or turned on and off as needed.

As for the Redox Potential, this is an often overlooked aspect of both freshwater and saltwater aquarists. The Redox Potential is basically the oxidation and reduction properties of water. This is VERY important for proper breakdown of organic waste!, especially in aquariums where the fish/invertebrates come from waters of low turbidity (African Cichlids) or tend to produce a lot of waste (Goldfish). Most experts agree that the proper Redox Potential should be -300-390 mV (less or more is not good, which is why a proper UV is excellent for this, as this is the range they tend to keep it at).

The key to success is water flow, water temperature and cleanliness of the bulb or quartz sleeve. It is important to have a flow rate that will turn over the pond or aquarium at least once or 1 times per hour for disease prevention or every three hours for green algae control (I have achieved effective disease sterilization as tested with a bacterial cloud with as little as once per two hours with a good installation in an otherwise well maintained aquarium). Example: 100 gph will service a 100 gallon pond well. The reason I mentioned such seemingly slow rates is too high a rate will not usually allow for adequate contact time with uvc radiation. Follow manufacturers recommendations for flow rate [our 15 watt model is 200-350 gph]. The other key is temperature. 60 to 85 degrees [F] has worked best for me.

Quartz sleeves help keep up a higher temperature (around 5 F in my tests) but dont allow for as good of contact with the water and are difficult to keep clean, so in my opinion the benefits are a wash. Which brings me to key # 3, keeping the bulb or quartz sleeve clean? First, you want to change the bulb every 6 months for disease prevention or once every year at the beginning of the growing season for green algae prevention. You want to clean the quartz sleeve at this time too, which is one reason for a simple model without a quartz sleeve, use just throw away the dirty bulb. [Although the temperature aspects of a quartz sleeve are worthy of note].

Back to temperature; if your water is very cold (such as a pond or even well water treatment system), I would suggest pre-heating your water before it passes through your UV Sterilizer unit, this is more effective than a quartz sleeve.

Other factors of note are water turbidity (dissolved waste particulates in the water column, poor circulation (a poor flow pattern that that has the water pickup and return too close where too much water goes unfiltered). If these factors exist you will need a larger UV Sterilizer for an effective pathogen kill.

Many arguments against UV Sterilizers in ponds is that they are not natural, but for the clarity most persons want out of their pond, this is not possible without either UV sterilization or a flow thru stream (although many persons with well planted, well shaded ponds do well with clarity). I also have read many anecdotal aquatic forum and blog posts that state that a UV Sterilizer is not that beneficial to an established aquarium as a healthy aquarium depends on beneficial bacteria typically growing on media in your filter which neutralize ammonia. Unfortunately the problem with this statement is beneficial bacteria belongs in the filter, not in the open water (and there is scientific research to back this up, one just needs to look for better sources of aquarium information and articles). Also this is great for advanced aquarists who are not adding fish and have a healthy Redox Potential, but not in the real world of average and above average aquarists that I have dealt with in the 100s of aquariums I have serviced.

How UVC Works:

All gases, liquids, and solids are made up of elements. The fundamental building blocks of elements are atoms, which in turn are made of electrons, neutrons and protons..., all held together by electronic attraction. This is referred to as polarity, the principle that positive and negative poles attract and remain bound together based upon the strength of that attraction. There are over 100 elements known in our universe. It is the elements that form compounds.

Elements combine to form gases, liquids or solids. For example, water is made of two molecules of hydrogen and one molecule of oxygen. Carbon dioxide is one molecule of carbon and two molecules of oxygen. These and all other combinations of elements are bound together by the force of attraction or polarity at the level of the atoms. Organic compounds. The compounds of our focus are those structures that are organic in nature. Primarily it is the organic molecules that are the basis of indoor contamination. We need to understand these compounds so we know how to clean and purify the home. Organic compounds are carbon based. Life is determined by carbon based DNA and amino acid chains. Carbon is not only found in "life," but a whole range of chemicals. A number of useful organic compounds are made up of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen and traces of other elements. The most recognizable organic compound is based upon the carbon and hydrogen combination, or hydrocarbons. Plastics, petroleum products and gasoline are hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon Organic compounds tend to break down or decay faster than non-organic. The decaying process means hydrogen and carbon molecules separate. For example, if the plastic (organic) in milk bottle is left in the sun for a couple of years, much of it will decay. Skin, hair, tissue (all organic) decays more rapidly. This also shows the effectiveness in UV Sterilization in removing oil based pollutants from an aquarium

With the understanding that carbon is the building block of life (and more), we now need to look at the forces that will break down organic and carbon based contaminate molecules. In short, a photochemical process, initiated by short-wave ultraviolet can do this. Short-Wave Ultraviolet We all accept but dont understand the damaging effects of x-ray and gamma ray radiation. Why isnt visible light as destructive on human cells or bacteria as x-ray and short wave UV have been shown to be? X-ray, gamma, ultraviolet, infrared and visible light energy all fit in a category called "electromagnetic" energy. They all have the same characteristic "lazy S" energy wave, that travel at the speed of light. The light ray energy is called photons that oscillate, resulting in wave frequency. The difference in each type of wave energy is the wavelength, the distance across this wave. By definition, the shorter the distance across the wave, the more powerful the wave will be. The difference in the wavelength determines how the wave affects its surroundings. It is this wavelength difference that allows short-wave x-ray to pass through walls, while longer-wave visible light cannot pass though the same material; short-wave ultraviolet and x-ray can destroy DNA in living microorganisms and breakdown organic material while visible light will not.

Nanometers: Measuring Light Energy All light energy is measured on a "nanometer" (nm) scale. Nanometer means one-billionth of a meter. The lower end of the scale has the shortest wavelength, and the upper the longest. Cosmic, gamma, x-rays and "C" band UV are all classified short-wave energy. Visible light is at middle ground, at 400-700 NM on the scale. Infrared light is in the upper end of the spectrum, running from about 800 to 1400 NM, and radio waves are longer yet in the 1400 to 2200 NM range. Spectrograph: Charting Light Energy in Nanometers. What is Ultraviolet Light? Ultraviolet light is toward the low end of this scale, from about 100 to 400 NM, with three categories, "A," "B" and "C." UV is beyond the range of visible light and cannot be seen. We only see evidence of its presence. Short-wave UV, called "C" band (100 280 NM) is known as UVC. Most C band radiation is screened from the sun before reaching the earth by the production of ozone in the upper atmosphere. Useful UVC is entirely manmade, found in todays low-pressure UVC lamps. The most effective sterilizing range for UV is within the C bandwidth. This range is called the germicidal bandwidth. The ideal germicidal curve is considered 240 NM to 280 NM, with the most effective at 265 NM. With the initial exposure, UVC has properties that alter the cells of living tissue, particularly microbes. UVC radiation triggers the formation of peptide bonds between certain amino acids in the microbes DNA molecules. This renders bacteria, viruses and molds harmless by robbing them of the ability to reproduce. If the germ cells are exposed for longer periods, they start breaking down to the molecular level (carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen ions, etc.).

For further information, please visit ULTRAVIOLET STERILIZATION (How UV sterilization works). This article explains in depth with more links and diagrams the benefits and myths about aquarium and pond uv sterilization.

By Carl Strohmeyer

http://aquariumuvsterilizer.blogspot.com/

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College Freshman To Be - There's A Storm Approaching, Are You Ready?

Shes comin on boys, and shes comin on strong!

These were the final recorded words of Captain Billy Tyne of the Andrea Gail. On September 20, 1991 the crew of six set out for what would be the final voyage of this 75-foot fishing vessel. After thirty-nine days of moderately good luck fishing in the waters of the North Atlantic, the United States Coast Guard received the final radio transmission from the Andrea Gail. At 6:00pm on the evening of October 28, 1991, Captain Billy Tyne reported his coordinates and gave a weather report indicating 30-foot seas and wind gusts of up to 80 knots. His transmission ended with the fateful words, Shes comin on boys, and shes comin on strong! Forty days after departing from Massachusetts the Andrea Gail was pronounced lost at sea.

The crew of the Andrea Gail had found themselves at sea when a weather phenomenon known as a Noreaster had descended upon the North Atlantic with all its fury. Two low pressure areas merged with high pressure areas and these met up with warm air from the south, and cold air from the north, as well as moisture feeding into the storm from the Gulf Stream to create a catastrophic storm. This simultaneous occurrence of events taken individually would be far less powerful than was the result of their chance combination. In fact, had the storm been more concentrated, it might have resembled a hurricane, which would have triggered the appropriate warnings. But because the storm occurred without the typical hurricane warnings, the Andrea Gail and her crew were caught off-guard. There had never been a storm like this in recorded history. This was the Perfect Storm.

About the same time each year, near the middle of September, thousands of high school graduates set sail for a voyage of their own known as the Freshman Year. Like the crew of the Andrea Gail, these students have high hopes and big dreams about the adventure that stretches out over the horizon. They proceed with little thought of what major difficulties they might encounter, and wouldnt even dream of any sort of catastrophe. However, during their first 40 days on campus, many of them experience a Noreaster of their own, in the form of a huge transition and transformation in their own lives. Pressure to succeed meets with expectations and anticipation for the future, this merges with the excitement and new-found freedom that comes from being on your own. The simultaneous occurrence of all of this combines to bring about the possibility of a catastrophic event. In all likelihood, each of these events taken individually would be far less powerful than the result of their inevitable combination. In fact, if these events were to be more widely known, they would trigger the appropriate warnings and solutions that would give students and their families the tools necessary to weather the storm. But these warnings often come too late, or not at all.

The transition from high school to college is one of the biggest transitions you will face. In fact, it is likely the biggest transition you have confronted in your 18 years on the planet! And look around you. Have you seen any media coverage of this transition? Any special reports about the transition from high school to college? The answer to those questions is a resounding NO! Multiple books, and plenty of articles and coverage is given to the preschool years, the elementary school years, and even the transition from elementary to junior high and high school. But our society simply has no clue about what is going on during this time in your life, and if they do, they have decided that it is simply not exciting enough to talk about on the evening news. Sure, they have special reports when a frat party turns ugly or when there is some sort of tragedy on campus. Each fall, hundreds of thousands of students are taken to college and dropped off by their loved ones. The media may cover, Move in Day, but they usually mention only that most campus costs have skyrocketed and that there is not enough room in the residence halls for the number of students entering college. But for the media, the story ends there, and you are the one left trying to figure out what to do.

So what is this transition? Simply stated, a transition is a change from one form to another. Oftentimes this change is celebrated through some sort of ceremony, in the form of what we call a Rite of Passage. Graduation from high school will likely have been (or will be in the very near future) a very significant rite of passage in your own life. There is the very profound moment in your Graduation ceremony, when you are asked to take the tassel on your cap and move it to the other side. This signifies your change from a high school student to a high school graduate. Its a pretty cool thing, but did anything really happen in that moment? Did the earth shake, lightning flash, and trumpets blare? Well, not usually! Honestly, its very much like your birthday - you didnt become another year older overnight, you became a year older over the process of a year. Likewise, at graduation, you didnt become a high school graduate overnight, you have been working towards it for years. And here is an important thing to remember, graduation from high school does not make you any more prepared for what lies ahead than going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger! Put another way, even though you have graduated from high school in this wonderful, moving ceremony, you are really no different than you were two days ago. However, society has told us that when you turn 18 years old and when you graduate from high school, you are now an adult. Sounds great, right? Well, let me tell you that being an adult is not always all its cracked up to be!

According to the Department of Education, more than 1/3 of all new freshmen will drop out of college before making it to their sophomore year. In fact, fewer than half of all new freshmen will graduate from college.

Are you ready for "The Perfect Storm"? You can be -- and you MUST be.

The storm, shes comin, and shes comin on strong. You pause, take a deep breath and look out towards the horizon. Then you say: But this is the voyage I have been preparing for and looking forward to for a long time this storm is going to make the voyage that much more exciting, and that much more fulfilling. So batten down the hatch and hang on for the ride of your life, into the first 40 days of your freshman year in college! Welcome to your Freshman 40!

Nick B. Herberger, M.Ed. is the author of "The Freshman 40: everything you need to know about your first forty days in college". Nick has been working and living with college students for almost 20 years. A sought after speaker, Nick is known for his ability to connect with people of all ages through his humor, storytelling, his drama, and his ability to help people live life to the fullest. As the founder of Live Your Journey ( http://www.LiveYourJourney.com ) Nick continues to reach people worldwide through speaking, life and career coaching, and writing.

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