How to mount my UV

[Nor'easter Reefer]

So im getting into the planning stages of my new tank. So heres the first question of many to run by you fine folks. My last build I went solo and had a lot of regrets, so even though i have my own thoughts, i'm going to try and bounce ideas out on here and accept insight wherever I can this go round.

I ordered a Innovative Marine 200EXT. Full kit, with the sump, pump and plumbing. The plumbing being pre-made sounds nice, so idk if i want to cut into it to add my UV, or just put a small pump in the sump near the first chamber and have it dump back into the next?

My two major thoughts are as follows:

If I put it on my return, I have to cut the pre-made plumbing I paid for (Im handy enough, this doesnt scare, not the end of the world) and I wont get that super slow flow for the stubborn stuff unless I drop my return speed way down.. Might add enough headpressure to create issues later on?

If I put it on its own little pump I can have it run real slow and really cook whatever gets sent to it, but i definitely wont get everything that enters and leaves the sump. That said, is it the cumulative effect of it running that really matters?

I have a lifegard 55w pro-max high output 3" uv sterilizer in case that sways anyone's opinion.

Thanks in advance guys and gals! Really looking forward to this tank!

 

[mmorrison55]

Do you have any kind of tank automation such as apex or hydros?I ask because of you do then having a flow meter in l9ne with your uv comes in handy to dial in the flow rate for whatever you are trying to deal with from the uv.

If not, you still can figure it out, it’s just a bit more difficult.

As for plumbing it, you can tie it in to your return for sure and thats what many people do, but having it run on a separate pump might be easier and you wouldn’t have to cut into the pre made plumbing.

I personally have two return pumps. One is a medium size Ecotech that goes straight to one of the returns of the display, and the other is a large Ecotech that feeds a manifold for my chiller, ozone, etc and then I have the uv just before the second return of my display.

You could also just run a small pump to feed the uv from a chamber in your sump, into your uv, and then dumping out into your return pump chamber.

Many ways to tackle it…

 

[allof fish]

So im getting into the planning stages of my new tank. So heres the first question of many to run by you fine folks. My last build I went solo and had a lot of regrets, so even though i have my own thoughts, i'm going to try and bounce ideas out on here and accept insight wherever I can this go round.

I ordered a Innovative Marine 200EXT. Full kit, with the sump, pump and plumbing. The plumbing being pre-made sounds nice, so idk if i want to cut into it to add my UV, or just put a small pump in the sump near the first chamber and have it dump back into the next?

My two major thoughts are as follows:

If I put it on my return, I have to cut the pre-made plumbing I paid for (Im handy enough, this doesnt scare, not the end of the world) and I wont get that super slow flow for the stubborn stuff unless I drop my return speed way down.. Might add enough headpressure to create issues later on?

If I put it on its own little pump I can have it run real slow and really cook whatever gets sent to it, but i definitely wont get everything that enters and leaves the sump. That said, is it the cumulative effect of it running that really matters?

I have a lifegard 55w pro-max high output 3" uv sterilizer in case that sways anyone's opinion.

Thanks in advance guys and gals! Really looking forward to this tank!

I’m in a similar boat. Just got my uv for tank just deciding where to put it. I would have to add extra plumbing to plumb mine in line and tanks already plumb out so I’m just gonna have a dedicated pump next to skimmer and run it thru and have output in baffle before return. That’s how I did it in my other tank. Ideally in line would be nice just make sure you can have the right flow not only for the uv but tank too. Your could add a manifold and plumb it off of that. I think a dedicated pump is easiest and still gets everything if your output is downstream in sump. How many returns do you have? If you have 2 could run 2 return and have one go thru inline with return

 

[allof fish]

Do you have any kind of tank automation such as apex or hydros?I ask because of you do then having a flow meter in l9ne with your uv comes in handy to dial in the flow rate for whatever you are trying to deal with from the uv.

If not, you still can figure it out, it’s just a bit more difficult.

As for plumbing it, you can tie it in to your return for sure and thats what many people do, but having it run on a separate pump might be easier and you wouldn’t have to cut into the pre made plumbing.

I personally have two return pumps. One is a medium size Ecotech that goes straight to one of the returns of the display, and the other is a large Ecotech that feeds a manifold for my chiller, ozone, etc and then I have the uv just before the second return of my display.

You could also just run a small pump to feed the uv from a chamber in your sump, into your uv, and then dumping out into your return pump chamber.

Many ways to tackle it…

Word for word

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

Do you have any kind of tank automation such as apex or hydros?I ask because of you do then having a flow meter in l9ne with your uv comes in handy to dial in the flow rate for whatever you are trying to deal with from the uv.

If not, you still can figure it out, it’s just a bit more difficult.

As for plumbing it, you can tie it in to your return for sure and thats what many people do, but having it run on a separate pump might be easier and you wouldn’t have to cut into the pre made plumbing.

I personally have two return pumps. One is a medium size Ecotech that goes straight to one of the returns of the display, and the other is a large Ecotech that feeds a manifold for my chiller, ozone, etc and then I have the uv just before the second return of my display.

You could also just run a small pump to feed the uv from a chamber in your sump, into your uv, and then dumping out into your return pump chamber.

Many ways to tackle it…

I have a hydros, so i could definitely put a flow meter inline to it. I was already considering this, that way if the pump fails, it will shut off the uv so I dont burn anything up. Im leaning towards the seperate pump idea. The dual return pump idea is neat though. I have a BNIB maxpect jump 10k from my first build that I could do something similar with. Would still have to cut olumbing, but that would be a decent setup and would allow for more flexibility.. onces the tanks in place I probably wont want to make this mod again so definitely worth think about

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

I’m in a similar boat. Just got my uv for tank just deciding where to put it. I would have to add extra plumbing to plumb mine in line and tanks already plumb out so I’m just gonna have a dedicated pump next to skimmer and run it thru and have output in baffle before return. That’s how I did it in my other tank. Ideally in line would be nice just make sure you can have the right flow not only for the uv but tank too. Your could add a manifold and plumb it off of that. I think a dedicated pump is easiest and still gets everything if your output is downstream in sump. How many returns do you have? If you have 2 could run 2 return and have one go thru inline with return

I just might do this. Then if I need to crank it down for some reason, I only have to lower one return. Plus, if a return pumps fails, system isnt sitting stagnant... i never thought of this. Glad I posted this!

 

[Smite]

It's harder to plan out usually but I would opt to place the UV on my main drain from the display. Specially if you are doing any kind of herbie where there is a main siphon, dedicated drain that you gate. If you plan to run a refugium or anything in the sump that would be sheltering/housing copepods then i'd recommend it that way even more. This will kill or mitigate parasites/pathogens coming from the display housing fish, into the sump, but allow positive/benificial things back into the display like copepods and amphipods without being exposed to the UV. You'll need to pay attention to your return/uv sizing for flow rate, including your head height. But if the plan is to plumb it to return to display, then nothing changes anyway.
Orientation of plumbing the uv can be more simple this way if you place your main gate valve, after the uv. You'll be creating a full siphon regardless so flow orientation of the uv doesn't matter as much, since they can be tricky to place if you need them to flow in and up. I would take the time to place a basic ball valve before the UV body, and a union prior to the ball valve, for service.

Only downside to this is sticking with a solid body UV, but since you already have one I think it's something worth considering. I wouldn't plumb a cheaper uv in like this, since it's handling the full drain of your DT. I'd trust lifeguard or AquaUV with solid pvc bodies to plumb this way, as much as I would any union.