Anyone Running a UV Sterilizer on a Nuvo 14 or 20?

[CCK_8814]

Looking for anyone who’s currently running a UV sterilizer on either the Nuvo 14 Peninsula or the Nuvo 20. I know IM makes the one sterilizer that replaces a media basket or filter sock but I’d prefer not to lose the only chamber on the 14 to it and much rather run it external somehow. Looking for ideas. Pictures and info appreciated!

 

[Zach W]

I do! I have it in the left return chamber of my IM 20 and am just using filter floss ontop so I don’t lose any mechanical filtration. I can’t say enough good things about the IM desktop UV sterilizer. I was battling dinos for the longest time and that solved my issues. I run it 24/7

 

[Zach W]

To be clearer, I removed the filter pad they include and I use the filter floss I like. You just have to cut it into a square and add a slit so the cord can get out. Works perfectly

 

[tnw50cal]

I have a Nuvo IM 20 peninsula, so it has the same sump as your 14. I use the 9 watt IM UV sterilizer in the first chamber(same reason--DINOS) and it works great. Since the dinos become waterborne at night every morning I take out the sterilizer and put the media basket in. Then put the sterilizer back in before the lights turn off. I just run filter floss and charcoal in the media basket.
I know someone makes a media basket for the second chamber and you put the filter floss on bottom then the charcoal/ GFO in the chambers above it. So you could run sterilizer in 1st chamber and media in 2nd chamber.

Here are some pictures of what I did with the 2nd/3rd chamber, notice the IM UV sterilizer is in the 1st chamber as I was at the tail end of my battle with the Dinos when the pictures were taken

 

[Zach W]

I have a Nuvo IM 20 peninsula, so it has the same sump as your 14. I use the 9 watt IM UV sterilizer in the first chamber(same reason--DINOS) and it works great. Since the dinos become waterborne at night every morning I take out the sterilizer and put the media basket in. Then put the sterilizer back in before the lights turn off. I just run filter floss and charcoal in the media basket.
I know someone makes a media basket for the second chamber and you put the filter floss on bottom then the charcoal/ GFO in the chambers above it. So you could run sterilizer in 1st chamber and media in 2nd chamber.

You could keep the UV in the first chamber and just run passive carbon/GFO in the second, that’s what I do. I don’t have any fancy media basket for my carbon, just in a baggie in the second chamber!

 

[CCK_8814]

Right now I just run a filter sock in the overflow and then the second chamber is packed with very old well established live rubble rock along with a bag of chemipure. I didn’t realize there was a piece of filter floss that can be added to the UV, that’ll likely be plenty for the 14.

 

[Zach W]

Right now I just run a filter sock in the overflow and then the second chamber is packed with very old well established live rubble rock along with a bag of chemipure. I didn’t realize there was a piece of filter floss that can be added to the UV, that’ll likely be plenty for the 14.

Yeah! This is how I’ve got mine set up

 

[45ZoaGarden]

But why? Sure some dinos go in the water column. Some do not. It’s best to identify the problem with dinos before trying to add unnecessary equipment. I had a nasty mix of 4 different species Of dinos and had to do a TON of different treatments. Uv didn’t to jack squat to be honest. And I’m running the 11 w on my 45 gallon tank. I tried a cheato reactor to outcompete the dinos and it somewhat helped. No water changes helped. But ultimately the thing that got them for me after a 1 year battle was fauna Marin Dino x. I have a tank full of very temperament stony corals and after the treatment, no harm was done. The corals were upset during the treatment but after I finished dosing, did my wc, and got my carbon reactor back online ,everything Was back to 100% within a week. The dinos have been gone ever since *knock on wood*. I would definitely identify the species of dinos before buying equipment you don’t need. And for media baskets, you’d be fine running the IM sterilizer and just use your filter floss on top of it. Media reactors for carbon and gfo are much better then the bags anyways. I have the 11w im. I don’t need it at all but I paid for it so it stays in the tank.

 

[Zach W]

But why? Sure some dinos go in the water column. Some do not. It’s best to identify the problem with dinos before trying to add unnecessary equipment. I had a nasty mix of 4 different species Of dinos and had to do a TON of different treatments. Uv didn’t to jack squat to be honest. And I’m running the 11 w on my 45 gallon tank. I tried a cheato reactor to outcompete the dinos and it somewhat helped. No water changes helped. But ultimately the thing that got them for me after a 1 year battle was fauna Marin Dino x. I have a tank full of very temperament stony corals and after the treatment, no harm was done. The corals were upset during the treatment but after I finished dosing, did my wc, and got my carbon reactor back online ,everything Was back to 100% within a week. The dinos have been gone ever since *knock on wood*. I would definitely identify the species of dinos before buying equipment you don’t need. And for media baskets, you’d be fine running the IM sterilizer and just use your filter floss on top of it. Media reactors for carbon and gfo are much better then the bags anyways. I have the 11w im. I don’t need it at all but I paid for it so it stays in the tank.

Agreed it’s a good idea to identify the problem before spending unnecessary money! I was battling dinos for months and luckily the UV wiped mine out in a matter of days

 

[45ZoaGarden]

Here’s a few pics for reference. I’m order of :beginning of outbreak,after treatment, and now.

 

[CCK_8814]

I am not using it to correct Dino’s. I just like having clear water that I hVe found isn’t achievable without a UV. I have 4 other tanks with UV’s and they are HD ultra clear. My nuvos however are not.

 

[45ZoaGarden]

I am not using it to correct Dino’s. I just like having clear water that I hVe found isn’t achievable without a UV. I have 4 other tanks with UV’s and they are HD ultra clear. My nuvos however are not.

Uv’s don’t make clear water. They kill bacteria which clears water. If you did water changes and ran a carbon reactor, that would make your water clearer.