UV sterilizer and flow rate

[t blackwell]

hey reefers...I just installed my new UV sterilizer...I have a question ..I know for parasites you want to be able to have a slower flow I think in the 300 to 450 range? I put a ball valve on the return line from mine so I can slow the flow..my question is..I have a sicce syncra 5.0 that at full strength I believe is rated at 1300 gph ( not accounting for head pressure) I have mine turned to the lowest setting.what do you suppose that gph range might be..and of course it splits from a T into two 3/4 return tubing..so I have it plumbed into one of the two..which should further cut the flow..does anyone know the typical power settings on the sicce 5.0 I mean if we know the top number..and I think it has 4 settings so im making a guess that its about 25 percent power of 1300..It may actually have 3 settings I dont remember..high med and low..which I assume would be like 33 percent each one..but im thinking..this uv is huge..its 5 around and about 2.5 feet long..55 watts..if i have an est 1300 gph pump..lets say 1200 gph with normal head pressure pushing up about 5ft...so 1200? then its turned down to low..so im gonna guess maybe 7 to 800? then split in half...from the T so im gonna guess maybe 400 gph through that UV..isnt that in parasite range? does that sound like a decent estimate?

 

[mrpizzaface]

hey reefers...I just installed my new UV sterilizer...I have a question ..I know for parasites you want to be able to have a slower flow I think in the 300 to 450 range? I put a ball valve on the return line from mine so I can slow the flow..my question is..I have a sicce syncra 5.0 that at full strength I believe is rated at 1300 gph ( not accounting for head pressure) I have mine turned to the lowest setting.what do you suppose that gph range might be..and of course it splits from a T into two 3/4 return tubing..so I have it plumbed into one of the two..which should further cut the flow..does anyone know the typical power settings on the sicce 5.0 I mean if we know the top number..and I think it has 4 settings so im making a guess that its about 25 percent power of 1300..It may actually have 3 settings I dont remember..high med and low..which I assume would be like 33 percent each one..but im thinking..this uv is huge..its 5 around and about 2.5 feet long..55 watts..if i have an est 1300 gph pump..lets say 1200 gph with normal head pressure pushing up about 5ft...so 1200? then its turned down to low..so im gonna guess maybe 7 to 800? then split in half...from the T so im gonna guess maybe 400 gph through that UV..isnt that in parasite range? does that sound like a decent estimate?

What UV sterilizer are you using?

 

[High ICP]

Really? 300gph is slow

We use 15 minute kill time for the UV sterilization at work

But that is to kill spore formers like clostridium

Anyway, I would think 50gph is pretty fast for UV

I would use a Sicce 1 or micra pump myself depending on back pressure

 

[hart24601]

Just need to look at the specs from your particular UV unit to see the recommend flow for exposure to kill the target organisms. To check flow fill a bucket that you know the volume of while timing it and calculate the gph.

Without knowing those two numbers (flow and the specs of your UV) there is no way to know.

 

[vanpire]

This is interesting. I use an AquaUV 57W and also want to use it to kill parasites and I m pushing about 500 gallons through it.

From the replies here, it seems like I should reduce that to make it effective.

I think AquaUV recommends ~1,000 GPH to use as a sterilizer.

 

[hart24601]

This is interesting. I use an AquaUV 57W and also want to use it to kill parasites and I m pushing about 500 gallons through it.

From the replies here, it seems like I should reduce that to make it effective.

Keep in mind all the comments so far have been made without knowing the size of their UV. Could be 8w or 300w. You can sure go less than the manufacturer recommends trying to account for dirtier water or whatever, but it's the best guide your going to find.

 

[SPR1968]

From what I’ve studied it’s all about contact time and if you want to kill of certain parasites, like for example ich, you have to achieve 72000 micro watts/sec and there is a calculation you can do based on the UVC power and the flow rate to achieve this.

The UVC only kills things that pass through it, so of course it’s not 100% effective but it certainly helps, and in reality I can’t see any down side to using one other than changing the bulb every 12 months.



The following is a quote from DD (David Saxby’s company) which I found helpful when researching:

‘’For water clarity we suggest a U.V intensity of 30,000 microwatt's/sec/sq.cm and our U.V sterilisers are designed to deliver this at the quoted flow/contact rate through the unit.
The mistake that many hobbyists make with our and other manufacturers U.V systems is not getting the flow rate right through the UV and connecting any old pump to it.If flow is increased the bacteria/algae or parasites do not get the correct U.V exposure and many happily pass right through the unit.

This is of some interest when trying to kill the white spot parasite as a greater U.V intensity of 72,000 microwatt's/sec/sq.cm is required to kill it. So with this in mind we have to take the standard flow rate of the unit for 30,000 microwatts and divide it by 2.4 to give you a flow rate for 72,000 microwatts exposure time.

So you will need to divide the suggest 500l/hr flow rate by 2.4 giving a new flow rate through the unit of 208 l/hr to kill the white spot. This will give a 0.6 times turn over for a 350l aquarium so it maybe worth going for the 20 watt unit and running it at 416 l/hr giving you over 1x tank turn over an hour but giving the correct kill intensity for white spot.’’

Hope this helps you decide

 

[t blackwell]

What UV sterilizer are you using?

it is a lifegard promax 55 watt 5" around UV Ster-

 

[lapin]

this might help after measuring your out flow
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html#flow

 

[diverpat]

it is a lifegard promax 55 watt 5" around UV Ster-

With that unit it looks like you need a flow rate of 2100gph to achieve 30,000 uW sec/cm2. This is a pretty low zap dosage that can kill algae. To get to the Crypto killing levels of 280,000 uW sec/cm2 you’d have to slow that flow down quite a bit to 225gph. Some literature suggest even more UV is required for Crypto but that level should kill most things.

 

[jent]

This is interesting. I use an AquaUV 57W and also want to use it to kill parasites and I m pushing about 500 gallons through it.

That is plenty slow on that unit to kill parasites. I don't see any value in you reducing your flow.

 

[lapin]

On the Marine Depot site that info for your UV is
Flowrate - 3,200 gph for 30,000 µw/cm2
Flowrate - 1,066gph for 90,000 µw/cm2
I would think you will be pretty close at 500 gph for some, and like suggested above maybe 225 gph for the rest of the more difficult crypos

 

[vanpire]

With that unit it looks like you need a flow rate of 2100gph to achieve 30,000 uW sec/cm2. This is a pretty low zap dosage that can kill algae. To get to the Crypto killing levels of 280,000 uW sec/cm2 you’d have to slow that flow down quite a bit to 225gph. Some literature suggest even more UV is required for Crypto but that level should kill most things.

I am not suggesting you are incorrect, but do you have some documentation to 280,000 uW sec/cm2. It just seems very high. I would be interested.

 

[t blackwell]

thank you everyone for the information..I will figure it out..the flowrate I have i mean...I actually am thinking it may be close to 350 to 450..since my pump is turned all the way down...and the return pressure is divided in 2 ( 2 lines) I will say..it is super super clear! I knew it would clear the water but im amazed...my plan was to have one to try to reduce parasites by having that lower flow rate..if i discover I need to slow it..I can with the ball valve I have installed at the end of it..if someone knows the flow rate at dif settings for sicce syncra 5.0 ( turned down to lowest setting) I would love to know..I havent been able to find anything but a top flow rate