[BOTIA]

Hi folks I did an informal test this week. I left my turbotwist off for 5 days during this period I did not dose iron or trace and then I tested for iron each day at noon. Everyday there was very slowy decreasing amount from .2 to .1 by day 5. At the end of day 5 I dosed my pmdd minus kno3 that I use and then turned on the uv . On day 6 at 10 am I cannot get any reading of iron whatsoever.
I did the iron test 2x and then 1 x on my other tank ,and it is fine.
So possible the iron gets changed into some other untestable form by the uv or it is gone. I also noticed my Phosphate is also at 0 . However my tank is so clear I could read a book through the tank from end to the other.
Uv steri's oxidize materials so I wonder what/where happens to the iron etc.?
I also noticed while surfing the web that many people cycle their uv's off during photoperiod.
Botia

 

[plantbrain]

I've never found any evidence to suggest UV's do much to iron in a tank in practcial terms.

3 weeks is the minmum time frame and plants, rather than Fe test kits should be used.

UV's are perhaps useful for the first 24 hours after a water change, then turn them off. Cycling on/off at night makes no difference.


Regards,
Tom Barr



Never pay again for live sex! | Hot girls doing naughty stuff for free! | Chat for free!

 

[GDominy]

Constantly powering on and off won't make much difference anyway, with the exception of shortening the effective lifespan of the bulb.

I leave mine on 24/7

 

[BOTIA]

test..

Ok I'm not saying I've proved anything just this is what happened. I'm finding anytime I run my Uv for more 24 hours my test kit will not register a reading. It is hagen kit which is cheap but I am meticulous about my measuring and I have compared my results with a iron supplement of known ppm.
Maybe it is possible the iron is changed into a compound which the kit cannot work with?
I'm trying to get my trace element dosing as per instructions, dose until approx .1ppm so if I can't get a reading I'm hooped.
Btw I am running a uv mostly for my fishes health. It is a heavily stocked tank with a lot $$ of loaches (from se asia) and rainbow fish. I'dont ever want to see ich or flexibacter again. Loaches frequently come in carrying ich ,nematodes and all sorts of nasties. I do qt for a few weeks but you never know, sometime plants are carriers too.
Regards
Botia