Looking for a UV sterilizer for a 210g

[ca1ore]

I run my TMC110 on the main siphon drain. BUT, it’s falling from a floor above so there’s a lot of pressure to clear out any air that might linger inside the body of the UV. Putting it on a drain with less drop might be problematic.

 

[RobW]

I've never seen anyone put a sterilizer on the drain from the main display. What is your theory doing it that way?

 

[Tautog]

FWIW, a basic UV will kill most problems, I use a Coraline 18 watt. Less than $200. @ MD.
I feed heavy, but have no algae issues.
I run the UV on one return. My water is crystal. 180 g

 

[ca1ore]

I've never seen anyone put a sterilizer on the drain from the main display. What is your theory doing it that way?

I figure water is water, so why not save using an extra pump. The other option would have been the main return, but it’s pushing too much water for the UV and I didn’t want to steal from it by diverting. My only concern had been whether the body of the UV would airlock the siphon, so I added a vent to the UV and it’s worked flawlessly. I also have a flow meter on it to cut the UV in the event of no flow.

 

[RobW]

That would have been my next question since being on your main siphon drain. How did you vent the sterilizer? And does it make any noise?

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

The idea of a uv this level shouldn’t be to aka clarify water but to kill alage bacteria and most of all parasites (marine ick and marine velvet swimming version), and anything else floating around. If one only wants clear water why have a level one steralizer? I use one with ozone linked in because In honest reality if my tank ever gets marine ick or gosh forbid marine velvet I know it’s reality in catching my fish. There is no way I can tear a 240 down to catch fish and or have a place to put corals while I stress everything out as I catch them in a fish trap. Plus run a hospital tank 24/7 that’s already at the medicated level it needs to be. The best thing is major preventive aka the level one steralizer then if plan a fails I have plan B which I will then turn the ozone on to really kill them. Yes it doesn’t kill them on the fish or eggs but they have to drop off and be free swimmers again. If I build up the immune system and have the prevents in place. Most of the time we have to make sure the dwell time is within range to kill the nasties. What doesn’t make sense to me is putting the pump in line with anything? Why not use a separate dc return pump that can meet the min flow and max flow and set it in the middle or little lower. You can add a flow meter as well to be precise. Hard pipe it or soft pipe it from the dc pump in the sump and have the exit line piped into the return section. No mattter how this is piped no one can say 100% all water will go through the steralizer. As important as other items are and flow why not have total control on the steralizer? Not to mention these are not small, placing them under the tank or inside the stand I visually can not see. Eventually you have to change bulbs and inspect the sleeves and clean them. How is one going to slide them out? Yes you can always disconnect the steralizer, but why it’s just a cause for something to Leak eventually. Those who have separate rooms have tons of options but for example my own tank is my anchor in my living room. I want things hidden and those to just focus on the tank. Which in my case I’m luckily my coraline has gone nuts because my whole back glass is covered with it. But it’s easy to change bulbs and clean sleeves if it’s mounted horizontally behind the tank glass. Plus I don’t have to worry about noise or air. (Yes water in pipes make noise but that’s why those hollow foam tubes that I still use in swimming pools (yes I know how to swim lol).
But no matter how we do this we are risking leaks because it is mounted outside the sump or above who knows pick an option. Personally I want to find the way that is less likely to leak.

 

[ca1ore]

That would have been my next question since being on your main siphon drain. How did you vent the sterilizer? And does it make any noise?

Since it is installed in my basement sump room, I have plenty of space for access. I just drilled a small hole in the upper horizontal section and saddled on a 1/4” adapter. Hose runs to the sump with an apex flow meter on it. If the flow falls to zero, meaning the UV chamber is not fully flooded, the UV is turned off. UV does make a trickling sound for a while after the siphon drain is stopped and then restarted, but eventually it is silent. Probably too much effort for most systems, but I had quite specific requirements.... and have a Rube Goldberg streak in me LOL.

 

[Vin's Reef]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/221201193873

 

[jsvand5]

Well it fit. Definitely not a pretty install but I’ve never been one to have a pretty sump anyway. Thing is a beast. When bulb change time comes I’ll just have to snip a few zip ties so I don’t think it should be too bad. The only real issue I had was purging the air that seem to be trapped inside causing it to make a loud whooshing type sound about every 10 seconds. Eventually I got it out by cranking the pump all the way up and repeatedly raising and lowering one side of the unit.
Really liking it so far. Could be a coincidence and they just beat it on their own but I was having an ich/velvet outbreak (stupidly didn’t QT a mandarin dragonet) and all traces were gone in about a week.

 

[special-ops-s2k]

I’m running dual Pentair E50S High output 50w sterilizers in series (the output of UV1 feeds input of UV2) on my 200g Display (250g total system volume) Pentair recommended running no less than 4gpm and staying below 8gpm with this setup for maximum effectiveness against marine parasites and diseases. I plan to run 5gpm off an APEX flow sensor. If I need ozone in the future I’ll add an ozone reactor... I want to see how effective this is first

 

[jsvand5]

I’m running dual Pentair E50S High output 50w sterilizers in series (the output of UV1 feeds input of UV2) on my 200g Display (250g total system volume) Pentair recommended running no less than 4gpm and staying below 8gpm with this setup for maximum effectiveness against marine parasites and diseases. I plan to run 5gpm off an APEX flow sensor. If I need ozone in the future I’ll add an ozone reactor... I want to see how effective this is first

I’m not sure exactly what is going through mine right now. They recommend 1000gph. My pump is rated at 1600gph but I am running it at 75% and then with the head pressure I am sure I am below 1000gph. More water actually goes through the UV than my overflow. I had to have the water return to the same chamber in my sump because the pump was running the drain section dry when I had it emptying into my return section. Not ideal but I figure some of the water ends up going through the sterilizer multiple times during each pass through the sump. Seems to be working so I’m not going to mess with it.

 

[Johnseye]

The aqua UV and pentair units are certainly the most common ones in the hobby and though often cited as being ‘the best’, I’m not sure exactly what data there is to support the claim. Frankly, they seem overpriced for what you get. I also use the TMC110. I’ve no idea whether it is the best or not, but it certainly seemed to me to be good value for your $$. Even if you decide to go with something else, the site linked by Lapin has some excellent resources and takes the time to explain various levels of sterilization. I’m running approx 1,000 gph through my unit (so around 10 gallons per watt per hour). The only real downside to the TMC110 is its physical size.

@ca1ore how did you plumb this? Before or after the return? Via a manafold? I'm wondering if this model restricts flow at all and whether if plumbed into a manafold (easiest way for me to put one inline) it's effective enough.

Did it solve your problems?

 

[vangvace]

@ca1ore how did you plumb this? Before or after the return? Via a manafold? I'm wondering if this model restricts flow at all and whether if plumbed into a manafold (easiest way for me to put one inline) it's effective enough.

Did it solve your problems?

He plumbed his to the drain. BRS' latest video says that if the flow rate is correct, putting inline with the return is ideal.

 

[ca1ore]

Yeah, I took advantage of gravity and put it on one of my siphon drains. I’d probably not recommend this in most systems - mine just has some design idiosyncrasies that makes it practical.

 

[Johnseye]

For those who've installed the TMC 110 Pro what kind of head reduction did you get assuming you plumbed it directly in line? It looks like four 90 degree turns are made to get the water through.

Also, did anyone plumb this into a 1.5" line? I understand the TMC 110 has 2" inputs and I'll be coming in from, going back out to 1.5". I assume a simple reducer at each end will do the job, but wondering if anyone did this.

 

[ReefHog]

I don't believe plumbing UVS on drain lines is the most efficient. The particles in the water have yet to be filtered out by socks, skimmer etc, and reduce the UV light penetration. I just installed a 90 watt Lifegard Aquatics Pro Max UVS on my 220. I plumbed mine on the return line. My return pipe size is 1". I use a 2" reducer going into and out of the UVS. Right now I am running 100% of the return through the UVS. I have a second manifold valve that is closed for future equipment if needed. I have a Neptune flow meter right after the UVS so I know what the flow through the UVS is. I can adjust the DC return pump or use a ball valve to achieve the proper flow. I also mounted it vertically as I have the room behind the tank.