Cheap UV lamps on Amazon for Filter chamber

[mnpackerbacker]

Hey,

Just wondering if anyone is using one of the cheap UV "cleaning" lamps they are selling on Amazon.  

 

Reason i am asking is because I have one and I was running it on a timer, 20 minutes every 4 hours. This helped with the cloudy water bacterial blooms I was seeing when I did my water changes.

 

Then, I had a severe bacterial bloom when my shrimp died and got stuck in the rock.  My entire live rock was covered in a stringy white bacterial filament. Nothing I did would clear it up. So, I switched my UV lamp from the timer and ran it continuously for a day. The bacteria all died and was filtered out within a day. My tank is as clear as it has ever been.

 

The thing is, these cheap UV lamps come with instructions to only run at intervals (2-3 hours every 2 or 3 days) , as opposed to a continuous 24x7 cycle.  I am wondering of there is any reason, with exception to longevity of the lamp, not to run this 24x7.

 

Here is an example of the type of UV lamp i am referring to.  Actually a UV clarifier, not a true sterilizer.  I just hang it off suction cups in my back chamber.

 

 

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[Tamberav]

Was curious so looked this up, looks like it may not last long if ran 24/7. Someone said about 3 months? In this case, I would consider these 'expensive' and not cheap. 

 

Green Machine and Aqua Shield are cheap units that can be run 24/7 with yearly bulb replacements. I use a Aqua Shield in the back of my IM25g and replace the bulb during black Friday sales which cost about 20 bucks (same as the Amazon one) but no need to turn it off an on. So just a small upfront investment and bulb changes from there on.

[mcarroll]

Weird...never seen one of these.

 

+1 to Tamberav's recommendation.