What size UV sterilizer???

[loans_n_fishes]

I need to get a UV sterilizer for my seahorse tank. It measures 18X18X32. I want something that will control cooties, but I don't want to buy more than what I need.

What size do you recommend?

[Richard]

It really depends on flow rate as to what kind of kill rate you get. You usually want at least 3-5x thru the uv.

You are probably more interested in controlling bacteria than protozoans (like ick). Bacteria are killed more easily by uv than the larger protozoans. So I think an 8 watt would do the job but you might want to go with a 15 watt. They don't cost much more and you'll get much longer use out of the bulb. Just make sure you don't heat up the tank too much. That can be fixed with a cheap fan from walmart though.