After watching Prolificbreed video (link ), I decided to buy 2 of the 36 watts Tetra UV and give it a try.
I am installing it first on my Red Sea E260 and if it works well, I’ll put it on the Planet tank.
It came in today. Seems like a nicely made unit with a big brick power supply. I started by taking the unit apart to remove the stainless steel sleeve inside the UV. It was one piece glue to the inner surface of the UV. With a long flathead screwdriver I pry the sheet loose from the glue. Then I took a needle nose plier and pulled it out. The trick is to make sure you pry the glue loose all the way around the cylinder tube. I used the provided Red Sea fitting to run a external chiller to run the needed plumbing for the UV. Here’s how it looks for now. I plan to clean up the plumbing and mounting once I see how this unit is working. It should be fine and do the job it’s designed to do. My intentions for getting it is to help clarify the water by reducing algae build up on the glass and to control velvet/ich outbreak. Yes, I am aware this will required different flow rate through the UV for the two mentioned purpose. With a DC controllable pump, I should be able to adjust the pump flow to achieve my goal. I can’t justify paying 6x or 7x more for a UV unit if this does the job. I don’t see why it wouldn’t when it consist of the same thing the other UV units have. Its the same reasoning I have when I decided on a Jebao return pump vs. the other more expensive ones. Yes, it may or may not last as long but I can buy a spare or two to keep on hand. More money for coral and livestock.
I am installing it first on my Red Sea E260 and if it works well, I’ll put it on the Planet tank.
It came in today. Seems like a nicely made unit with a big brick power supply. I started by taking the unit apart to remove the stainless steel sleeve inside the UV. It was one piece glue to the inner surface of the UV. With a long flathead screwdriver I pry the sheet loose from the glue. Then I took a needle nose plier and pulled it out. The trick is to make sure you pry the glue loose all the way around the cylinder tube. I used the provided Red Sea fitting to run a external chiller to run the needed plumbing for the UV. Here’s how it looks for now. I plan to clean up the plumbing and mounting once I see how this unit is working. It should be fine and do the job it’s designed to do. My intentions for getting it is to help clarify the water by reducing algae build up on the glass and to control velvet/ich outbreak. Yes, I am aware this will required different flow rate through the UV for the two mentioned purpose. With a DC controllable pump, I should be able to adjust the pump flow to achieve my goal. I can’t justify paying 6x or 7x more for a UV unit if this does the job. I don’t see why it wouldn’t when it consist of the same thing the other UV units have. Its the same reasoning I have when I decided on a Jebao return pump vs. the other more expensive ones. Yes, it may or may not last as long but I can buy a spare or two to keep on hand. More money for coral and livestock.