My 30 gallon planted tank has been running for over a decade, recently the water turned completely green to where you can’t see anything in the tank. It’s not the first time I’ve run into this issue, I dose a lot of plant nutrients and run CO2 making for a fertile environment that risks algae blooms like this. The tank is otherwise healthy. But getting rid of green water has always been a challenge, no amount of water changes or clarifying chemicals fully solves the problem. I’ve had to black out the tank in the past, water change every day, and completely cease dosing and feeding in order to solve it in the past. I always considered a more expensive UV sterilizer but never pulled the trigger because I didn’t want another large piece of equipment inside the tank. I decided to try this product, and I will never go back to my old ways of trying to solve this issue…. This little bulb was like magic. I put an old aqueon power filter on the back of the tank and positioned the bulb inside the filter box. I didn’t add any media to the filter, just used it as a method to pass water over the bulb. I turned the bulb on the 24 hour setting, and within about 5-6 days the tank went from completely opaque green to crystal clear. You have to see it to believe it. I still recommend at least one heavy water change a few days after installing which helps to speed the clarifying process up, but trust me this is the clearest I have ever seen my water get. Not only did it clear the water but it seems to have assisted in killing off any algae that existed anywhere inside the tank. The tank is now pristine and I run the bulb on an 8 hour setting. Definitely buy this bulb if you have clarity issues, you won’t regret it. But remember to be patient, it takes around a week for the UV to fully clarify the water, and could take longer with a bigger tank. You will see a difference with each passing day. Highly recommend this product.
P.S. - I’ve only had this product for about 3 weeks as of writing this so I cannot speak to the long term durability. I assume that the bulb will die at some point and this product does not offer replacement bulbs, so in buying this you are accepting that you will be throwing the full product away at some point. But for the small price of what you get, the value in the short term is 100% worth it and I will happily buy another one once the bulb reaches the end of its life.
| Color | Clear,Green |
|---|---|
| Material | Glass, Plastic |
| Finish Type | Glass |
| Light Source Type | UV |
| Shade Material | glass:glass |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Brand | TAISHAN |
| Item Weight | 5.29 ounces |
| Style | fashion |
| Voltage | 110 Volts |
| Number of Light Sources | 1 |
| Are Batteries Included | No |
| Product Dimensions | 3"L x 1"W x 1"H |
| Manufacturer | TAISHAN |
| Part Number | MINI-UV |
| Item Weight | 5.3 ounces |
| Item model number | MINI-UV |
| Finish types | Glass |
| Included Components | Controller |
| Special Features | UV Sanitizer |
| Shade Color | Blue |
| Switch Style | Push Button |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Wattage | 3 watts |
