Those who like UV sterilizers
- Thread starter Aquaph8
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ritter6788
Coral Fraud Private Eye
I'll bow out of this thread then. :xd:
Seriously though it's something I've thought about lately and interested to hear others opinions on it.
Seriously though it's something I've thought about lately and interested to hear others opinions on it.
OP
OP
Aquaph8
Love The Fish
Its been discussed many times and the people for it and people against it seem pretty even but at the same time some of the nicest tanks around use them so cant be all bad. A couple huge examples are Coppolino and M&T.
navila06
Well-Known Member
I ran one for years but recently removed it due to space needs, wish i didn't though a week after removing, my tang got ich, I have no proof that the uv sterilizer had anything to do with the ich out break. I had it hooked up in the sump, with a little 150 gph pump right back into the sump, I used a coralife 9 watt sterilizer.
oceanparadise1
The Coral Dudes
Why, explain plz :)
navila06
Well-Known Member
oceanparadise1
The Coral Dudes
over skimming can take out trace elements that most people dose anyways. and if you dont over skimmer then there is no issue. so the harm a UV can do is more then a skimmer (which a skimmer used right there really isnt a down fall)
46gReef
Well-Known Member
IMO if your going to run one, you want to run at a lower flow rate to maximize the water contact time with the bulb. Most of them are pretty user friendly so just get a slower running pump and plug it in. I liked Navila06's idea of just having and run to and from the sump.....I've used them in the past, all of my earlier systems had them although I don't use one now
o2manyfish
Valuable Member
To the original question. Start with size, bigger is better, bigger means more surface area, which allows for more contact time. Contact time is the key factor in using a UV. The more contact time the more effective the use of your UV. Flow rates should be slow as possible to create greater contact time.
There are all kinds of theories as to where to locate a UV, in front of the skimmer, before a filter sock, before carbon, etc etc.... Getting one in place is key. Where the effluent runs seems to be based on lots of hypotheses but not any data.
As for my opinions on the use of UV, I have one (didn't see that one coming did ya :) ). I have been running UV for a very long time. I have healthy corals (lots of them). I have a pod population that is out of control (recently dipped two aquacultured sized pieces from my outdoor frag tank and had over 100 dead pods in the bucket). I have 3 mandarins and a pair of dragon faced pipes that are well fed and only feed by hunting.
And finally I have an Achilles tang who is ich free 90% of the time for the past year. And keeping an Achilles Ich free is not an easy thing to do.
I have been fortunate to visit most of the wholesalers in the LAX area, and been treated to behind the scenes tours at aquariums all across the country, And all those facilities use UV extensively.
Dave B
There are all kinds of theories as to where to locate a UV, in front of the skimmer, before a filter sock, before carbon, etc etc.... Getting one in place is key. Where the effluent runs seems to be based on lots of hypotheses but not any data.
As for my opinions on the use of UV, I have one (didn't see that one coming did ya :) ). I have been running UV for a very long time. I have healthy corals (lots of them). I have a pod population that is out of control (recently dipped two aquacultured sized pieces from my outdoor frag tank and had over 100 dead pods in the bucket). I have 3 mandarins and a pair of dragon faced pipes that are well fed and only feed by hunting.
And finally I have an Achilles tang who is ich free 90% of the time for the past year. And keeping an Achilles Ich free is not an easy thing to do.
I have been fortunate to visit most of the wholesalers in the LAX area, and been treated to behind the scenes tours at aquariums all across the country, And all those facilities use UV extensively.
Dave B
Eric B
Well-Known Member
I agree with what o2manyfish said above always slow flow through and I run the exit of the UV into the skimmer inlet. Don't know if it helps running into the skimmer inlet but have seen no negatives with it either.
OP
OP
Aquaph8
Love The Fish
Alright Dave I liked your answer so much now I gotta pick your brain. It's OK to run off a separate pump and leave my returns as they are then? I had the impression that I had to make everything returning to the display go through it, but didn't like the idea of lowering my flow that much through my main return. I'm looking at this unit 40 Watt (260 Gallon) Emperor Aquatics Smart UV - Bulk Reef Supply for my 225, how do you feel about this size wise?
TonsOfun
Active Member
I am a believer of sterilizers. I have been running one on my tanks throughout the years. I have a 15 watt on my 90 gal mixed reef. Slow flow is a must, and I have mine in the last chamber of my sump because I don't want any big particles going through it. I noticed the other day that I had more algae on the glass than usual, only to realize I forgot to turn back on the uv after the last water change. If you are worried about it taking out the good stuff, put it on a timer at four hour intervals. On the note of ich, honestly I cant remember the last time I had a fish get it. Couldn't say if that's because of the sterilizer or just quarantining.
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o2manyfish
Valuable Member
It is fine to run it off a different pump.
You have a 225 tank, which means at a minimum you are turning the water in the tank over in the sump 2x an hour - 450gph... or perhaps you are running something like a dart and pushing 2000gph through your sump. So if you run 300gph through the UV, and that is way slower than recommended you will still be turning over probably almost your entire system volume through the UV every hour. Thats a reasonable and effective flow rate.
Now the one real key factor is installation location. UV's do require maintenance, the quartz sleeves love to collect calcium buildup from the heat of the uv bulbs. Getting the Bulb and quartz tube out safely is critical. The quartz tubes are very fragile, and easy to break. And when they break they are nasty breaks and I somehow always get sliced.
So when making this purchase I recommend to buy an extra bulb and a sleeve to put in storage.
Also as an FYI, I don't run my UV 24/7. I have different electric rates pending time of day. So when the rates drop the UV turns on. I also have my UV hooked to my Apex, so when system volume gets warm it does turn off the UV to stop adding additional heat to the system.
I run this UV, no need to worry with build up.
Aqua Twist 25 Watt UV Sterilizer w/Optional Wiper by Aqua Ultraviolet - AquaCave.com
Just put the wiper a few times per week and your done.
Why I run UV...........not to make my water to look clear, you got your bio-load for that (LR and lots of bacteria) or Carbon reactor.
As I run a full ZEOvit system and my water is clear as can be.
All what a UV does is to kill floating organism in the water column.
As we cycle our system pretty good we don't have to worry about floating algae.
I use it as prevention for Ick even though I QT my new fish for 8 weeks.
I'm in the landscape business in Houston, part of we do is install High end koi ponds, we use a lot of UV's in the setup.
Most important is parasite diseases but part of it is also algae (floating kind) it won't kill algae that is growing on sand bed or rocks.
In most cases you don't see the difference in your tank but it always helps in a good way.
Aqua Twist 25 Watt UV Sterilizer w/Optional Wiper by Aqua Ultraviolet - AquaCave.com
Just put the wiper a few times per week and your done.
Why I run UV...........not to make my water to look clear, you got your bio-load for that (LR and lots of bacteria) or Carbon reactor.
As I run a full ZEOvit system and my water is clear as can be.
All what a UV does is to kill floating organism in the water column.
As we cycle our system pretty good we don't have to worry about floating algae.
I use it as prevention for Ick even though I QT my new fish for 8 weeks.
I'm in the landscape business in Houston, part of we do is install High end koi ponds, we use a lot of UV's in the setup.
Most important is parasite diseases but part of it is also algae (floating kind) it won't kill algae that is growing on sand bed or rocks.
In most cases you don't see the difference in your tank but it always helps in a good way.
moreef
Well-Known Member
I really like the emperor aquatics UV that you are looking at. It's almost 4ft long and is a beast compared to the smaller ones. I have the smaller 25W I got used and have in storage till we move and I get a bigger tank. With such a large UV and slow flow rate you will be happy you have it. As o2many fish said be sure it is in an easily accessible spot for maintenance.
