How to plumb UV?

[kinetic]

What is the ideal way to plumb a UV sterilizer? I know there are a lot of factors, but I'd like the most flexibility and adaptability.

I am setting up a 126 gallon tank with an AquaUV 25 watt. My return pump is a Royal Exclusive Red Dragon 3 mini. Display tank can handle up to 2,000gph return flow (I believe). I want to use the UV for:

• Dealing with dinos if needed and if the right ones
• Strange un-ending algae blooms especially in the early days
• Battle any ich that somehow makes it through QT (if ich makes it through qt, I will see if I can just maintain them)

I like using a manifold so I can control the flow for different needs, but I don't love running a manifold off a return pump and varying the flow through the display. I would rather have a dedicated pump in the sump powering it (a DC pump would be nice to help control flow).

I'm thinking of just running the AquaUV inline with my return, and hoping that the RD3mini flow will be good for dealing with whatever I'd need. I do have a backup "green machine" UV that's fairly cheap that I can just toss in the display temporarily.

 

[gbru316]

in parallel with main return using ball valve on UV "leg" to control flow rate.

Overall rate of water return doesn't change, it's the ratio between main return and UV return that changes when the valve is adjusted.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

This is what I did...

 

[kinetic]

Oh interesting! So using it in parallel on a return line would totally work. Thank you all! I think this is what I'll do.

 

[PigDaddyF15E]

It's a lot of plumbing. Recommendation #1 is put in flow meters. You have to know how much is going through those. Too many factors to just look at a chart and be in the ballpark (IMHO).

Lots of ways to do it. I chose this because it lets me adjust the flow through the UV so I can specifically tune it to the GPH I want. Also...the gate valves let me isolate the UV out...which will come in handy if you need to do MX on it but want to keep the return pumps going...or in my case....to drain that section to fix leaks (I'm a bad plumber).

 

[SPS2020]

For a 125g, I'd highly suggest going with the 57watt model. You can see it and how I plumbed mine off the manifold in my build thread on page 3

 

[kinetic]

For a 125g, I'd highly suggest going with the 57watt model. You can see it and how I plumbed mine off the manifold in my build thread on page 3

Why 57watt? I bought the 25 based on the tank specs for it, but of course who knows what it's recommending.

 

[SPS2020]

Why 57watt? I bought the 25 based on the tank specs for it, but of course who knows what it's recommending.

Same exact size and you can run a faster turnover. IMO, you can never have enough UV. LOL If you tank is 126g and you have a sump, you may have exceeded the suggested size. Seems that the two are the exact same, but the bulb and ballast are different.

25 Watt
Specifications:

Dimensions - 20" L x 3.75" W x 6" H
Power Consumption - 25 Watts

Suggested Aquarium Sizes:
Saltwater Sterilization - 150 gallons

Recommended Flow Rate for Saltwater Applications:
Saltwater Reef Applications: 800 GPH - 1200 GPH
Protozoa Bacteria Water Flow Rate: 400 (min), 1200 GPH (max)

57 Watt
Specifications:

Dimensions - 20" L x 3.75" W x 6" H
Power Consumption - 57 Watts

Suggested Aquarium Sizes:
Saltwater Sterilization - 355 gallons

Recommended Flow Rate for Saltwater Applications:
Saltwater Reef Applications: 2133 GPH - 3200 GPH
Protozoa Bacteria Water Flow Rate: 1066 (min), 3200 GPH (max)

Cheers!

 

[Roli's Reef Ranch]

What is the ideal way to plumb a UV sterilizer? I know there are a lot of factors, but I'd like the most flexibility and adaptability.

I am setting up a 126 gallon tank with an AquaUV 25 watt. My return pump is a Royal Exclusive Red Dragon 3 mini. Display tank can handle up to 2,000gph return flow (I believe). I want to use the UV for:

• Dealing with dinos if needed and if the right ones
• Strange un-ending algae blooms especially in the early days
• Battle any ich that somehow makes it through QT (if ich makes it through qt, I will see if I can just maintain them)

I like using a manifold so I can control the flow for different needs, but I don't love running a manifold off a return pump and varying the flow through the display. I would rather have a dedicated pump in the sump powering it (a DC pump would be nice to help control flow).

I'm thinking of just running the AquaUV inline with my return, and hoping that the RD3mini flow will be good for dealing with whatever I'd need. I do have a backup "green machine" UV that's fairly cheap that I can just toss in the display temporarily.

I run a 100 gal system (display + sump) with the same 25 Watt UV and have found it more than adequate. I also run a 42-watt on my 160-gallon frag system which is also more than adequate. I have 2 return nozzles connected to a manifold. An important thing to remember is to mount it horizontally so the water never drains out preventing cracking and possibly melting of the unit. I see a lot of people mounting these vertically for some odd reason. 50% of my water goes through the UV (all the water that goes through one of the returns) and it has cut down ICH and dinos multiple times. I've had issues with calcium buildup inside the housing and depending if you run kalk/2part, you can probably expect the same issues and will have to clean it out every 6 months or so; a very difficult process in my experience. As the quartz sleeve develops calcium buildup, the effectiveness of the UV obviously wanes. When I start noticing white spot, that's when I know to check my UV sleeve! LOL

 

[SPS2020]

I run a 100 gal system with the same UV. I have 2 return nozzles connected to a manifold. 50% of my water goes through the UV (all the water that goes through one of the returns) and it has cut down ICH and dinos multiple times. I've had issues with calcium buildup inside the housing and depending if you run kalk/2part, you can probably expect the same issues and will have to clean it out every 6 months or so; a very difficult process in my experience. As the quartz sleeve develops calcium buildup, the effectiveness of the UV obviously wanes. When I start noticing white spot, that's when I know to check my UV sleeve! LOL

I used silicone loaf (baking) pans underneath when I opened the end caps to change the sleeve and bulb earlier this year. Agreed, do it about every six months as mine was caked after 18 months...effectively useless.

 

[kinetic]

Same exact size and you can run a faster turnover. IMO, you can never have enough UV. LOL If you tank is 126g and you have a sump, you may have exceeded the suggested size. Seems that the two are the exact same, but the bulb and ballast are different.

25 Watt
Specifications:

Dimensions - 20" L x 3.75" W x 6" H
Power Consumption - 25 Watts

Suggested Aquarium Sizes:
Saltwater Sterilization - 150 gallons

Recommended Flow Rate for Saltwater Applications:
Saltwater Reef Applications: 800 GPH - 1200 GPH
Protozoa Bacteria Water Flow Rate: 400 (min), 1200 GPH (max)

57 Watt
Specifications:

Dimensions - 20" L x 3.75" W x 6" H
Power Consumption - 57 Watts

Suggested Aquarium Sizes:
Saltwater Sterilization - 355 gallons

Recommended Flow Rate for Saltwater Applications:
Saltwater Reef Applications: 2133 GPH - 3200 GPH
Protozoa Bacteria Water Flow Rate: 1066 (min), 3200 GPH (max)

Cheers!

Thank you. I guess I was worried about the 355g size rating of the 57, thinking it was way overkill. But if you can't go too big, then I guess it should be OK! I guess I'll have a brand new 25 watt for sale if I go this route

 

[kinetic]

I run a 100 gal system (display + sump) with the same 25 Watt UV and have found it more than adequate. I also run a 42-watt on my 160-gallon frag system which is also more than adequate. I have 2 return nozzles connected to a manifold. An important thing to remember is to mount it horizontally so the water never drains out preventing cracking and possibly melting of the unit. I see a lot of people mounting these vertically for some odd reason. 50% of my water goes through the UV (all the water that goes through one of the returns) and it has cut down ICH and dinos multiple times. I've had issues with calcium buildup inside the housing and depending if you run kalk/2part, you can probably expect the same issues and will have to clean it out every 6 months or so; a very difficult process in my experience. As the quartz sleeve develops calcium buildup, the effectiveness of the UV obviously wanes. When I start noticing white spot, that's when I know to check my UV sleeve! LOL

Great tip on running it horizontally! I didn't even think about that, since I assume it would have water running through it always, but yes, I can see it having some issues if it ever doesn't always have water.

I'll definitely be dosing 2-part, so I'm going to probably have to do a deep clean on the regular. If I can set this thing up so it's easy to get the parts out, I think I'll be more likely to do it. I don't mind sitting at a table scrubbing/cleaning something that came out of a citric acid bath, it's the removing and replacing it into the system that kills me.

I'll add a bunch of unions and make sure it's mounted in an easily accessible spot!