UV Sterilizer in a Saltwater Aquarium - Are They Worth It?

Cryptocaryon Irritans, the parasite responsible for the infection that looks like your fish have been sprinkled with salt, can be controlled with the introduction of a UV Sterilizer. The life cycle of this parasite includes a stage where they become waterborne, they are known as theronts. It is at this stage where they are actively searching for a host. If you have an adequate UV sterilizer in a saltwater aquarium, these theronts will inadvertently find themselves being drawn through the a killing spectrum of UV light.

The suggested radiation intensity to combat Whitespot is 72,000 microwatt’s/sec/sq.cm

What this means is that in order for your UV to work, you will need to adhere to the minimum requirement of 1 Watt for every 10 gallons* of water to sterilize Cryptocaryons irritans. However, the larger wattage you can go the better.

Using the above criteria, the following wattage UV sterilizers have been paired with the correct aquarium volume.

Aquarium size – 50 gallons – 5W UV sterilizer – 100 gph pump
Aquarium size – 90 gallons – 9W UV sterilizer – 180 gph pump
Aquarium size – 180 gallons – 18W UV sterilizer – 300 gph pump
Aquarium size – 360 gallons – 36W UV sterilizer – 550 gph pump

In a reef tank, you want to pass the volume of the aquarium through the UV 1 to 2 times an hour.
In a fish only setup, you want to pass the volume of the aquarium through the UV 2 to 4 times an hour