Life gard Pro Max UV installation

Treefer32 · Jan 5, 2024

Over the next few weeks I will be dismantling my return plumbing and installing a life max 120 watt Pro Max UV sterilizer. I will be installing a flow meter on the flow to the UV along with a gate valve. Based on calculations provided by Life guard I should have a flow around 1100-1200 gph through the UV to sterilize for parasites.

It will be in line on my return plumbing to the display. So, all water going to the display will be sterilized. Period. I know I have flukes and ich for sure. They come and go, usually have some type of outbreak once a year. I have a tough time keeping more sensitive fish. Currently I'm unable to keep clown fish. I don't know if Uronema or brook are still in my water. I have 15 fish that have no symptoms of anything. My 3-4 year blue tang had a severe case of ich about 6 months ago, but all of it is gone for the time being. He was the only fish sick.

I have a 75 gallon sump and 340 gallon display. How long would you run the UV 24/7 to ensure all parasites in the water / rocks are sterilized? At 1100 - 1200 gph, 300+ gallons of water should be run through the sterilizer would be within a few hours I would think. I was thinking of running the sterilizer 24/7 for 3 months and anytime I add anything new. Then increase the flow through the sterilizer and run it for partial days e.g. 8-12 hours a day after that to treat for algae (on the glass) and cyano (on rocks and sand bed).

Would you just run it all the time for parasites. Just curious what peoples thoughts are, is there a danger in over sterilization (sterilizing good things like pods) with such a powerful sterilizer?

exnisstech · Jan 7, 2024

I have UV but they are unplugged. I tried them for algae but didn't notice any difference. This will give you bump and hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

Treefer32 · Jan 7, 2024

exnisstech said:
I have UV but they are unplugged. I tried them for algae but didn't notice any difference. This will give you bump and hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

Thanks I'm hoping to use it for parasites first and foremost. Was hoping it would help with clarity, cyano, and algae on the glass. From the end of scraping the glass to when new algae grows on it is roughly 10-12 hours. Most times there's new algae the same day I scraped it.

Tangy Reefer · Feb 1, 2024

Bump. Interested as well . . .

MarineandReef Jaron · Feb 1, 2024

I run a Lifegard UV. Personally, I run it for water clarity, dinos, and fears of coral bacteria infections. I run it at a high flow rate through my return line and have run it 24/7 for about 3 years.

It might be me but I am not that worried about fish disease. If I do a basic QT or purchase from suppliers who do I can get rid of bad diseases like flukes, brook, and velvete. If Ich gets into the display no big deal IMO. Healthy fish can fight it off.

Treefer32 · Feb 1, 2024

Well, I got it installed last Friday.

1. I plumbed it directly to my display with a bypass
2. I used 2 gate valves to manage flow through the UV and for maintenance purposes
3. I had a flow meter installed just after the UV before one of the gate valves to monitor the water going through the UV.

With that said I've dialed into the 1133 gph (Manufacturer recommended for parasites) - it averages 1250-1400gph required for parasite management, and the rest goes through the bypass to the display.

I got the 120 watt pro max 3" housing, around 42 inches long. It's a beast, but all installed and no leaks!

I noticed some slight increased clarity, but the biggest change I noticed is algae growing on my glass. It's much slower, and what does grow is almost transparent algae and it comes off really easy with a flipper. Before it was such adhered brown algae that I could barely get a razor blade to take it off. PH has increased slightly as well. I don't know why that would be.

So far, after 1 week of operation it's doing great. I don't know whether it's reducing disease or not. I have to hope it is. . . The algae on my turf scrubber is taking a lot longer to grow back as well. Assume it's because there's less living algae in the water column. Fish and corals seem unimpacted so far.

How long would it take to reduce ich, flukes, and other disease presence using UV knowing that at 1200 GPH, it's cycling my 350 gallon volume 3 times per hour through the bypass and through the UV. That's around 72 passes through the UV per day. And 504 passes through UV per week or just over 2000 passes per month.

I don't QT, just don't have room to do so. I try to buy from reputable sources. The 15 fish I have now have had no symptoms of anything for close to a 1.5 to 2 years. So, my goals strictly disease management. Making sure nothing gets out of hand in a closed environment.

JonoH · Feb 1, 2024

Treefer32 said:
Well, I got it installed last Friday.

1. I plumbed it directly to my display with a bypass
2. I used 2 gate valves to manage flow through the UV and for maintenance purposes
3. I had a flow meter installed just after the UV before one of the gate valves to monitor the water going through the UV.

With that said I've dialed into the 1133 gph (Manufacturer recommended for parasites) - it averages 1250-1400gph required for parasite management, and the rest goes through the bypass to the display.

I got the 120 watt pro max 3" housing, around 42 inches long. It's a beast, but all installed and no leaks!

I noticed some slight increased clarity, but the biggest change I noticed is algae growing on my glass. It's much slower, and what does grow is almost transparent algae and it comes off really easy with a flipper. Before it was such adhered brown algae that I could barely get a razor blade to take it off. PH has increased slightly as well. I don't know why that would be.

So far, after 1 week of operation it's doing great. I don't know whether it's reducing disease or not. I have to hope it is. . . The algae on my turf scrubber is taking a lot longer to grow back as well. Assume it's because there's less living algae in the water column. Fish and corals seem unimpacted so far.

How long would it take to reduce ich, flukes, and other disease presence using UV knowing that at 1200 GPH, it's cycling my 350 gallon volume 3 times per hour through the bypass and through the UV. That's around 72 passes through the UV per day. And 504 passes through UV per week or just over 2000 passes per month.

I don't QT, just don't have room to do so. I try to buy from reputable sources. The 15 fish I have now have had no symptoms of anything for close to a 1.5 to 2 years. So, my goals strictly disease management. Making sure nothing gets out of hand in a closed environment.

I have the same 120w UV and it is a solid unit, seems to work really well.

Been running it 24/7 for about 3 months now with no issues, although i run 2 pumps from my sump so only half the water is going through it at any given time.

Have the same with algea on the glass, i generally only need to clean it once a week. I also noticed that my heaters almost never turn on, assuming the water is heating in the UV sufficient to maintain the temp (its summer here though atm).

Treefer32 · Feb 2, 2024

I did notice my water temp is higher after installing. I usually keep tank at 77 and during the day it climbed to 78 without adjusting heaters. Well within normal, but was surprised to see it have that impact. My tank is experiencing climate change!