How did you mount your UV sterilizer?

[BZOFIQ]

My tank is 32" deep so mounting it front to back was no brainer.

 

[PhilT]

i know it won’t help the author but i got the icecap 40w in sump uv. it looks like a big reactor with its own pump feeding it and outputs back to the sump.

my maintenance guy would havre done a conventional uv at the back of the stand, but would have been a pain to change the bulb or. clean it. i have a planet 120, 48”x24”x24.

pretty tighten fit, trigger crystal 36 sump. i have a 10 gal ato reservoir on the right of the sump so couldn’t get a longer sump.

 

[Flukes]

I think horizontal is OK as long as you have enough water flow to purge out the air, right?

As discussed earlier though I guess sometimes it's hard to get sufficient water flow, in which case I would think it would be more of a problem.

IDK, I'm certainly no expert..... just looking for ideas myself.

In my case the water exits from the top fitting on the left. No air can accumulate.
I do control the power to the UV and insure the return pump is running before power is applied.
I think flow sensors are worth having if your controller supports them. Even though my Jecod return pump is rated at over 3800 gph for 1" plumbing the actual flow rate maxed out around 650 gph due to head pressure and plumbing routing. I run it at about 450 gph any time I add new life.

 

[Skippy The Meh]

I used hooks and chains to hang it. Its easy to move when i do maintenance.

Would you happen to have a picture of your setup?

That might be the answer for me.... I used plumber strap, but would be very inconvenient to unscrew it each time to do maintenance.

The idea of putting it in the way (seeing that there aren't very many good places to put it) but still being able to remove it is something I didn't think of...

Stuffed in the back top left.:)

 

[petcellar]

i know it won’t help the author but i got the icecap 40w in sump uv. it looks like a big reactor with its own pump feeding it and outputs back to the sump.

my maintenance guy would havre done a conventional uv at the back of the stand, but would have been a pain to change the bulb or. clean it. i have a planet 120, 48”x24”x24.

pretty tighten fit, trigger crystal 36 sump. i have a 10 gal ato reservoir on the right of the sump so couldn’t get a longer sump.

I had no idea this was a thing..... just a drop in UV.

I guess theoretically there could be more recirculation with this design rather than plumbing it into your return or a closed loop.... but still.... looks so much easier.

 

[petcellar]

Stuffed in the back top left.:)

Thanks for the pic!!

That looks straight forward.

The problem is that despite having aquariums for a long time I'm still not at all a talented plumber.... some of the setups here look amazing but not sure I could pull it off. I think this I could do :)

 

[Skippy The Meh]

Stuffed in the back top left.:)

Thanks for the pic!!

That looks straight forward.

The problem is that despite having aquariums for a long time I'm still not at all a talented plumber.... some of the setups here look amazing but not sure I could pull it off. I think this I could do :)

Ya its a super simple way to do it. I never intended to have this much crap stuffed in my sump so i didnt plan the tank with a manifold and hanging mechanisms and channeling to hide wires. I wish i would have. So now im stuck hanging UV’s on chains and carbon reactors over RODI reservoirs lol. If i could go back i would totally have a manifold plumbed into a second pump same size as my return pump and a separate cabinet to house everything not submersed.

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Ya its a super simple way to do it. I never intended to have this much crap stuffed in my sump so i didnt plan the tank with a manifold and hanging mechanisms and channeling to hide wires. I wish i would have. So now im stuck hanging UV’s on chains and carbon reactors over RODI reservoirs lol. If i could go back i would totally have a manifold plumbed into a second pump same size as my return pump and a separate cabinet to house everything not submersed.

Not to sound like a broken record, and its tough to see without seeing the entire plumbing run, but pointing the outlets down on the UV isnt ideal. If the UV body drains if the feed pump is off, the UV body likely isnt going to fill completely, or significantly in some cases. Waqter will always follow the lowets travel route and will enter and exit the UV.

As I said, I cant see the entire plumbing run on this, but as groos appearance, I dont think youre using the UV effectively.

 

[Skippy The Meh]

Ya its a super simple way to do it. I never intended to have this much crap stuffed in my sump so i didnt plan the tank with a manifold and hanging mechanisms and channeling to hide wires. I wish i would have. So now im stuck hanging UV’s on chains and carbon reactors over RODI reservoirs lol. If i could go back i would totally have a manifold plumbed into a second pump same size as my return pump and a separate cabinet to house everything not submersed.

Not to sound like a broken record, and its tough to see without seeing the entire plumbing run, but pointing the outlets down on the UV isnt ideal. If the UV body drains if the feed pump is off, the UV body likely isnt going to fill completely, or significantly in some cases. Waqter will always follow the lowets travel route and will enter and exit the UV.

As I said, I cant see the entire plumbing run on this, but as groos appearance, I dont think youre using the UV effectively.

Yes i totally agree. Im currently restricting flow at the output end to fill UV chamber fully. Its easy to tell when chamber is full because it puts out a ton of micro bubbles if its not restricted. Ideally long term i think i will add 1 more hook and chain to top of cabinet to bring hoses up level requiring less restriction. In theory.

 

[calimako]

https://leafgreensolutions.com/shop...4Z4geval6tMvOX05fpFG6GvttJaoFoDwjdtmGziHL9_0k

 

[BryanM]

I'm trying to plumb an Aqua 57 UV sterilizer, and I don't have a basement or dedicated fish room behind the tank. I'd rather not mount it to the side of the stand out in the open.... I think that would spoil the looks of it.

I tried to mount it underneath the tank over the sump, but it just takes up so much room in there.... will be hard to service pumps, skimmers ect in the sump.

Just looking for ideas and maybe some pictures on how y'all cram an additional piece of equipment this size into your setup.

Thanks!!

Mine is in the cabinet, lying across the sump.

 

[Chocka]

57 W Aqua UV mounted under my Cade I can pull the lamp and/or the quartz sleeve. I too cannot get enough flow due to plumbing and barbs on the Cade setup but I can get it to about 370 gph which should work for protozoa just will never get to algae would need like 900 gph

 

[PhilT]

I had no idea this was a thing..... just a drop in UV.

I guess theoretically there could be more recirculation with this design rather than plumbing it into your return or a closed loop.... but still.... looks so much easier.

yes, i first heard of late it last year. they were selling out quickly with short supplies i think. not sure if production is better now. check if there’s a notification when back in stock option

 

[jmaneyapanda]

57 W Aqua UV mounted under my Cade I can pull the lamp and/or the quartz sleeve. I too cannot get enough flow due to plumbing and barbs on the Cade setup but I can get it to about 370 gph which should work for protozoa just will never get to algae would need like 900 gph

? Im not understanding whay youre trying to imply. Algae is easy to kill with UV. If youre pumping 370 GPH through it youre DEFINITELY killing algae. The slower the flow, the more it kills.

 

[Chocka]

? Im not understanding whay youre trying to imply. Algae is easy to kill with UV. If youre pumping 370 GPH through it youre DEFINITELY killing algae. The slower the flow, the more it kills.

I was under the impression that greater flow is needed for algae due to the reproductive rates of it compared to protozoa

 

[jmaneyapanda]

I was under the impression that greater flow is needed for algae due to the reproductive rates of it compared to protozoa

Not at all. What kills with UV sterilizers is exposure. And you get exposure by either 1) wattage, or 2) dwell time (water flow through). Assuming the wattage equal, the longer the water is in the UV, the more exposure it will get, and the more likely it will be to kill organisms that are "tougher". For example, Chlorella sp. algae needs about 22,000 microwatts/cm2 to kill it. Thats not a lot, so the water can be passed through quickly to get that exposure. Whereas, something like the protozoan Cryptocaryon needs about 280,000 microwatts/cm2 to kill it. So the water would need to move through more than 10x slower through the same UV to get that exposure. Bacteria, algae, and some virus are super easy to kill meaning they dont need but a tiny bit of exposure, whereas hard celled protozoa ogften need to be blasted.

 

[Freenow54]

Another strange thing about the flow specs (this is from memory and may not be fully factual): some brands list low flow rates to kill ich and some just have one high flow rate listed to kill them all (with similar geometries). I think the aqua just had the one flow rate. But since I wanted to sterilize ich, I went with the lower flow rate listed on the other brands. Seems to be working…

low flow parasites high flow algae they call it a dose , it has to do with more than flow . The light intensity regulates it as to flow. While I am her a few talk about mounting vertically . Its not recommended because of possible air entrapment . That should be in the instructions . Which to me should come with the Filter . If not should be able to download it instead of guessing

 

[jmaneyapanda]

low flow parasites high flow algae they call it a dose , it has to do with more than flow . The light intensity regulates it as to flow. While I am her a few talk about mounting vertically . Its not recommended because of possible air entrapment . That should be in the instructions . Which to me should come with the Filter . If not should be able to download it instead of guessing

Mounting vertically is totally fine if you have water enter at the bottom and leave at the top. It forces the air out.

 

[Freenow54]

Mounting vertically is totally fine if you have water enter at the bottom and leave at the top. It forces the air out.

Makes sense however there is some reason . I will have to pull out my instructions maybe because of pump failure and draining leaving it dry with the light on .?

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Makes sense however there is some reason . I will have to pull out my instructions maybe because of pump failure and draining leaving it dry with the light on .?

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...ssic-and-Twist-Series-100724.pdf?v=1741198727
Page 12 explicitly states "Mount your Aqua Ultraviolet Sterilizer horizontally (diagram 1) or vertically on a wall or above ground as described below, on a level and firm surface. "