UV Plumbing

[1000rrstunna]

Measurements	Freshwater: 500 - 1,200 Gallons Saltwater: 150 Gallons
Recommended Flow Rate for UV Dosages	at 30,000 µw/cm2 (EOL) GPH: 1,200 (Max Flow Rate) at 45,000 µw/cm2 (EOL) GPH: 800 at 60,000 µw/cm2 (EOL) GPH: 600 at 75,000 µw/cm2 (EOL) GPH: 480 at 90,000 µw/cm2 (EOL) GPH: 400 (Min Flow Rate)
Information for Reef Tanks	A UV rated in the 30,000 or 45,000 µw/cm2 (EOL) is ideal for the reef environment. UV’s used at higher kill rates will destroy the planktonic food supply for the reef.
Information for Marine Fish	(No reef or live rock) A UV rated in the 75,000 or 90,000 µw/cm2 (EOL) will be the most effective at controlling fish disease. All UV dosages are calculated at the end of lamp life (14 months).

 

[dbroncos]

you will not be able to give the flow rate back to the tank the uv requires... you will over run your overflow or pull water through the sump at an astonishing rate... read the chart..... the uv wants 800 - 1200 gph thats 5.29x or more turn over

you will not be able to give the flow rate back to the tank the uv requires... you will over run your overflow or pull water through the sump at an astonishing rate... read the chart..... the uv wants 800 - 1200 gph thats 5.29x or more turn over on 150 gallons...

so then i’ll use the return pump and plumb it into the uv before going back to the display. I’ll just use one return pump.

 

[dbroncos]

Also so according to that there is no way to use a uv in a reef to control fish disease. Interesting since i’ve seen folks use it for that purpose on these forums?

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

One other thin

on a 150 gallon tank wouldn't his flow rate in the uv be well over 3x? check out the chart for an " appropriately " sized unit on here for reef use. I know you are a lot smarter than I am but I have also learned a lot of this from your videos.

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this chart says 600-800 gph this is why I suggested taking the water out of one chamber and dumping back in baffle section so most of it flows through the sump.

on a 150 gallon tank wouldn't his flow rate in the uv be well over 3x? check out the chart for an " appropriately " sized unit on here for reef use. I know you are a lot smarter than I am but I have also learned a lot of this from your videos.

Classic UV 25 Watt Series Units for Sale | Classic Sterilizers

Buy Classic UV 25 Watt Series Units online today for undefined sterilization! Browse Aqua Ultraviolet for Classic Sterilizers!

aquaultraviolet.com

this chart says 600-800 gph this is why I suggested taking the water out of one chamber and dumping back in baffle section so most of it flows through the sump.

With that unit I agree 3x and one return is the way to go here.

I was looking at the Pentair, formerly emperor aquatics, sterilizers. They tend to suggest much slower flow rates and higher contact times. I think the rates are based on end of bulb life and realistic turbidity. I won't claim to know who is right but I've been using the pentair ones for decades so that's where my mind always goes.

For what it is worth Pentair units are used in commercial applications where they have to work or no one would use them. The more aggressive approach matches that but doesn't make it right.

 

[dbroncos]

so out of curiosity what is your turnover rate per hour on your reef tanks? honestly have heard of at least 20 times an hour for a mixed reef.

 

[dbroncos]

Sorry just want to make sure. If turnover let’s say in a 130 gallon mixed reef tank = 1,900 gallons per hours (15x turnover). If i have one return pump set at 800 gph and the second set at 1,100 gph wouldn’t that work?

 

[Ryan - Serious Reefs]

so out of curiosity what is your turnover rate per hour on your reef tanks? honestly have heard of at least 20 times an hour for a mixed reef.

Most of my peers are doing like 1-5x turn over. I know many of WWC best tanks are in that range. I think 20x is leftover from a time when we used the returns for flow. Now we use Powerheads.

1x a hour is enough to heat the water.

1x is probably faster than your skimmers intake.

1x turn over is likely adequate for socks and felt. How many times a hour do we need the water passing through the felt ? Is more better ?

3-5x is more than enough unless you have a specific need.

Things like this can sound like blasphemy because the old goals have been repeated so many times but times change :)

 

[Timfish]

So i was going to have one pump for the main display up through the return line. A second smaller pump pushing water into the uv and then hookup to the side of the main return line into the manifold. On the right side in the picture

My thinking is the slower water through the manifold would just be picked up by the higher flow already going through the return line and wouldn’t be a problem.

To reiterate, the two pumps will be working against each other with a higher pressure pump pushing against a smaller pressure pump and there's the back pressure of the return line going to the DT. Without flow meters it's impossible to determine if you're getting an adequite kill rate of any parasites or if you're increasing or decreasing the flow to your DT. You're better off running a seperate return line for the UV.

 

[1000rrstunna]

Dude anything over 5x is insane….

 

[1000rrstunna]

Ryan’s advice is solid… go with the 3x flow on a deticated return line…. One pump one uv send it to the tank this way… I would never send more than 3-5x through my sump.