Re: [Killietalk] UV irradiation ... WAS ... Flow thru systems

[Rjga at aol_com]

Chris -

Stony corals don't need planktonic bacteria, but probably could benefit from 
UV by lowering their exposure to planktonic microbes they don't need. On the 
other hand, many sponges thrive on bacteria.  UV is especially valuable in a 
reef tank that has fishes, and there aren't any better ways to interfere with 
fish disease transmission without damaging the inverts. Finally, UV won't change 
the total bacterial count, but merely lower planktonic microbes while use of 
the same nutrients are now shifted to the non-planktonic microbes (mostly on 
surfaces) that don't pass through the UV unit. Foods have to be used by 
something, somewhere; they cannot just sit there and not decompose. Bacteria or fungi 
(and others) will use and degrade the wastes with or without UV.   

Robert J. Goldstein, Ph.D.
Robert J. Goldstein & Associates, Inc.
Environmental Consultants
8480 Garvey Drive
Raleigh, NC 27616 USA
tel (919) 872-1174
fax (919) 872-9214
URL www.rjgaCarolina.com
e-mail rgoldstein at rjgaCarolina_com

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