Hello

[Kel's Blue Mustang]

Hi there fishy folks.

Where has everyone gone?
It's so quiet in here now.

Who's around still?

I need info on UV sterilizers.
I need to vent about tank after tank dying from our city's well water.
* Yes, it's happened not only again, but 3 more times since I last
posted about it.
I have 0 angels. Nadda, Zilch. They are no more.
My back was ruined, and my neck messed up a bit too on 1-1-10. It was
from a bad fall on the ice.
Life is very different, but could be so much worse....so I am thankful
for that.
My Rottie Rozey is almost 13 yrs old! We made a secret pact about the
number 20...but that was before she had cancer tumors and not so bad
tumors.
I had a crazy theory as to why she's doing so well past the average
lifespan of 81/2 yrs (11 is a big deal).
Her greying was delayed 5 years. No grey muzzle starting around 5...it
started after she was 10. Very odd for a Rottie. Her behavior
physically is also that of a 5 yr old younger dog. At about 11 she
started to slow down a bit.
Like not so much running, and not for so long.
Last yr she started to look old. Her eyes have clouded a bit, and now
thinks if it's worth getting up for.
Yet you ask her if she wants to play and she flies up, head down and
butt in the air ready to play!
We might have to call her a little louder now, and she doesn't always
hear the doorbell now either.
When a stranger walks past the house, or is in our neighbors
yard....she's still all business. A well trained guard to the end.
Still not chasing bunnies or squirrels. She lays in the yard and the
squirrels still come up to her. They are comfortable eating seed on
the ground right next to her.
New squirrels to the area freak out so bad, and it's kind of funny to
see 8 other squirrels looking at one like what the heck's wrong with
you, ya freak? Too cute.
It's hard when a beloved dog (or family pet) gets old and is nearing
the end. But she's a happy happy girl, and that's what counts.
Well enough talk about dogs in a fish group!
I need some answers from people who have or used a UV sterilizer.
Have a Betta Day!

[Kris]

Your well water .. you need to find out what is in it! Sounds like it may be treated? When you change the water, do you dechlorinate it? Are you treating for chlormines?

[anglerfishuk]

Hi Kel, 
Re  UV Sterilizers  they are a good thing to have  initial outlay can be  a bit pricey  depending on what size   you want.
I know there are a few versions  available this side of the pond ,  from  the inline  version  to a stand alone  internal unit  that looks like a small filter unit  or there are some  external filter units that come  with UV lights fitted.
 As Netmax would say  YMMV  on top of  the initial cost  there is also the  annual renewal of the UV bulb  to make sure it is working effectively

HTH 

Regards
Andy

[NetMax]

Adding to that - I think that some of the die-offs were from when when
the city was doing construction (Chicago?) and they double/tripled
dosed the chloramine to sanitize. The extreme weather has been
causing supply pipes to burst in cities, and their routine is to use a
lot of disinfectant when these pipes are opened to the environment.

The UV sterilizer's 'expected' effectiveness is on organic matter DNA
(it kills stuff). I would expect UV to also break down chloramines
(inevitable), but I suspect it will not be at a rate where it could be
counted on to do so quickly or effectively. For this, I would plan on
thiosodium sulfate, or active carbon filtration (specifically Centaur
carbon for chlorine and chloramines, though you may still need
something for the organic ammonium afterwards, like zeolite
filtration).

YMMV definitely

Consider using a large buffer tank with disposable fishes (or shrimps
etc). Refill your tanks from this reservoir of 'aged' water and then
refill the reservoir from your municipal supply. In basement
fishrooms, I usually see these plastic reservoir tanks along the
ceiling or top of the walls, so they can gravity feed down as needed.
If you're ambitious, keep some floating plants in the reservoirs as
another level of filtration (soak up ammonia). You can always UV
filter the reservoir (lots of turns so the UV filter is small, no or
little growing organic matter to clog lines & filters). Ta da - you
have your own high quality water supply company, as long as the male
Guppy living in there is alive & well ; )

NetMax