Does UV brand really matter?

[WouterDumon]

Hey,

I have a 50g Waterbox i want to close loop a UV in. I live in europe and pentair isn't available here. we do however have lots of other brands with (what looks in my eyes) big price differences for the same wattage. are there brands to avoid like JBL, Aqua medic, Jecod, Deltec. Or is it really only Pentair/Aqua UV ( aqua uv i can get but is remarkably more expensive then aqua medic)?

The main goal is preventing ich but having an oversized UV i'll hopefully reduce algea as well.

I'm looking at a 40w UV right now as that should get me around 950gph for 90,000 µw/cm².

259€ for Deltic

vs 812€ for aqua UV

I've seen so many posts about UV's and video's about pentair being the best i'm really confused if it's that big of a difference to justify a +- 500€ difference.

Thanks

 

[KrisReef]

Non-specifically, UV light is UV light that kills germs in the water. The container around the light is a shield that needs to remain water tight and not leak light, either. So basically it's a flashlight with the bulb inside with fittings to circulate the water past the light.

Research the bulb replacement costs for each, back in the day alot of them used the same germicidal bulb but now I have noticed that their are more proprietary bulbs being used. Find out if the publish the spectral output of their bulbs. If they don't, why not? Compare published spectral outputs between your target wattage (40), and that might help rule out some of these manufactures, as will replacement cost and bulb life. HTH.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hey,

I have a 50g Waterbox i want to close loop a UV in. I live in europe and pentair isn't available here. we do however have lots of other brands with (what looks in my eyes) big price differences for the same wattage. are there brands to avoid like JBL, Aqua medic, Jecod, Deltec. Or is it really only Pentair/Aqua UV ( aqua uv i can get but is remarkably more expensive then aqua medic)?

The main goal is preventing ich but having an oversized UV i'll hopefully reduce algea as well.

I'm looking at a 40w UV right now as that should get me around 950gph for 90,000 µw/cm².

259€ for Deltic

vs 812€ for aqua UV

I've seen so many posts about UV's and video's about pentair being the best i'm really confused if it's that big of a difference to justify a +- 500€ difference.

Thanks

Important to keep in mind that flow determines what the UV sterilises as it determines exposure.

UV does not kill anything, it sterilises the organism, so that it can no longer reproduce.

The more complex the organism, the higher dose that is required to sterilise it.

For Marine Ich, you need an exposure of about 280,000uw/cm2 *not* 90,000. 90,000 is for freshwater Ich which is a different parasite. In other words the flow need to be a quarter of what is quoted at 90,000. However, you need to turn over the tank volume hourly and that is how you determine the appropriate wattage.

FWIW, I run a 40W Pentair on a 90 gal system at a flow of 110 gph

 

[JNalley]

Find out if the publish the spectral output of their bulbs. If they don't, why not? Compare published spectral outputs between your target wattage (40), and that might help rule out some of these manufactures, as will replacement cost and bulb life. HTH.

Just curious, as I've never seen it, can you point me to someone who does publish spectral output rather than just stating "UVC"? I'd be interested to see how it is they're representing the spectral output. UVC is harmful to all living organisms and falls way short of the visible light spectrum. While I'm sure there is equipment out there that measures its irradiance level, I'd imagine it's super expensive since it's getting pretty close to being in X-Ray territory.

 

[KrisReef]

Just curious, as I've never seen it, can you point me to someone who does publish spectral output rather than just stating "UVC"? I'd be interested to see how it is they're representing the spectral output. UVC is harmful to all living organisms and falls way short of the visible light spectrum. While I'm sure there is equipment out there that measures its irradiance level, I'd imagine it's super expensive since it's getting pretty close to being in X-Ray territory.

Okay, there’s no reason to prefer one bulb for another,. Thanks

 

[JNalley]

Okay, there’s no reason to prefer one bulb for another,. Thanks

... I wasn't arguing with you. I asked if you had a place where you can see such data. I've never seen a UV Sterilizer company publish their Spectral Output and was curious how they measured it... Because I'm curious. Also, if they publish the results, they might point to the device they're using, and I'd be interested in seeing how it works...

Forgive me if this wasn't your intention, but your reply sounds combative, or like you took some sort of offense...

 

[ZombieEngineer]

The main difference is different brands have different output per watt. If the specified uW/cm2 is similar at a similar flow rate they will not be appreciably different to justify a higher cost other than looks and plumbing ease.

 

[KrisReef]

... I wasn't arguing with you. I asked if you had a place where you can see such data. I've never seen a UV Sterilizer company publish their Spectral Output and was curious how they measured it... Because I'm curious. Also, if they publish the results, they might point to the device they're using, and I'd be interested in seeing how it works...

Forgive me if this wasn't your intention, but your reply sounds combative, or like you took some sort of offense...

No forgiveness necessary, I’m not the brightest bulb on here and I presumed that company’s would publish the data we need, but can’t find. I am glad youasked for data, we agree more than I thought. I hope other people help fill in the knowledge gaps, I can learn if they participate.

Thanks for both replies, And accept my apology as I accept yours. Reef2Reef is only as good as the participant and I may have strayed! Enjoy the board!

Edit: Thanks @ZombieEngineer
I think we are getting closer!

 

[nemolovestoswim]

Hi R2R, bringing this topic up again;

Looking for a UV for my 525L tank. In my country:

AQUA ULTRAVIOLET UV Classic 57 Watt @ US$670
vs
DELTEC UV 80 Watts @ US$435

Leaning towards Deltec seems like cheaper for more watts. Anyone have experience with the above?

 

[Malcontent]

Hi R2R, bringing this topic up again;

Looking for a UV for my 525L tank. In my country:

AQUA ULTRAVIOLET UV Classic 57 Watt @ US$670
vs
DELTEC UV 80 Watts @ US$435

Leaning towards Deltec seems like cheaper for more watts. Anyone have experience with the above?

My Aqua Ultraviolet 57W ballasts burned out pretty quickly. They may have improved them since then but I doubt it since they're still potted and likely overheating. Some didn't even last a year.

 

[nemolovestoswim]

My Aqua Ultraviolet 57W ballasts burned out pretty quickly. They may have improved them since then but I doubt it since they're still potted and likely overheating. Some didn't even last a year.

Thanks for the quick response;
Sorry stupid qn from a newbie - how do I even know the ballasts were burned out as they are enclosed inside?

 

[Malcontent]

Thanks for the quick response;
Sorry stupid qn from a newbie - how do I even know the ballasts were burned out as they are enclosed inside?

New bulb didn't fix things but a new ballast did. When they were still working the ballasts felt very warm to the touch and the white plastic started turning brown over time.

25W ballast lasted longer. Maybe ~2 years.

 

[Saltyanimals]

New bulb didn't fix things but a new ballast did. When they were still working the ballasts felt very warm to the touch and the white plastic started turning brown over time.

25W ballast lasted longer. Maybe ~2 years.

Great question. How did you know the new bulb fixed anything. sorry if it comes off as a dumb question since nemo also asked a great question. All the magic seems to happen inside the enclosure so how does one generally know things are "working".

The warm touch makes sense as it's "ON" and thus generating heat. Good tip. Wouldn't have thought about that. I'm 1 year in with my Pentair UV and debating if I should replace the estimate 12-18 year bulb life, or should ride it out more since it's still "working". =)

 

[Malcontent]

Great question. How did you know the new bulb fixed anything. sorry if it comes off as a dumb question since nemo also asked a great question. All the magic seems to happen inside the enclosure so how does one generally know things are "working".

The warm touch makes sense as it's "ON" and thus generating heat. Good tip. Wouldn't have thought about that. I'm 1 year in with my Pentair UV and debating if I should replace the estimate 12-18 year bulb life, or should ride it out more since it's still "working". =)

Well, there was no light being produced. I changed bulbs and that didn't improve things so I changed ballasts and suddenly there was light again.

The bulbs will produce visible light but UV-C output will decay when they're too old. You can just replace after 12-18 months or use a UV-C meter.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Great question. How did you know the new bulb fixed anything. sorry if it comes off as a dumb question since nemo also asked a great question. All the magic seems to happen inside the enclosure so how does one generally know things are "working".

The warm touch makes sense as it's "ON" and thus generating heat. Good tip. Wouldn't have thought about that. I'm 1 year in with my Pentair UV and debating if I should replace the estimate 12-18 year bulb life, or should ride it out more since it's still "working". =)

If you're running 24/7 you should replace the UV tube every 12 months.

Just put it into your calendar.

After that time, even though it may be glowing, the UV radiation intensity will be down to 80% which is rated end of life.

 

[Saltyanimals]

If you're running 24/7 you should replace the UV tube every 12 months.

Just put it into your calendar.

After that time, even though it may be glowing, the UV radiation intensity will be down to 80% which is rated end of life.

Thinking about this a bit more on the technical side. The overall effectives of the UV whether 80% or 100% based on the bulb age would really boil down to contact time for the given flow rate for your use case. i.e. algae control or parasite management.

That also tells me perhaps that an 80% effective bulb will still do it's job if you extend the contact time. If one has a slow flow through the UV for max parasite zapping goals, then one should get more "life" out of a bulb leaning more towards the 18 month. =) My UV is not easy to get to thus adding to the effort to replace more. =)

Can you share some references to UV effective with age that came up to that 80% EoL? Thanks!

 

[gbroadbridge]

Thinking about this a bit more on the technical side. The overall effectives of the UV whether 80% or 100% based on the bulb age would really boil down to contact time for the given flow rate for your use case. i.e. algae control or parasite management.

That also tells me perhaps that an 80% effective bulb will still do it's job if you extend the contact time. If one has a slow flow through the UV for max parasite zapping goals, then one should get more "life" out of a bulb leaning more towards the 18 month. =) My UV is not easy to get to thus adding to the effort to replace more. =)

Can you share some references to UV effective with age that came up to that 80% EoL? Thanks!

Pentair SMART UV Sterilizer - Fresh by Design

Pentair SMART UV Sterilizer

freshbydesign.com.au