UV Sterilizer Dosage

[TravisR100]

I'm looking at getting a sterilizer to help control diseases. I understand that they can be run at a lower flow rate for this purpose or a higher flow rate for algae. Looking at Aqua Ultraviolet's manual however they say:

Reef Tanks: A UV Rated in the 30,000 to 45,000 columns is ideal for the reef environment. UV’s rated at higher kill rates will destroy the planktonic food supply for the reef.

Marine Fish Tanks (No reef or Live Rock): A UV rated in the 75,000 to 90,000 columns will be the most effective at controlling fish disease.

So it sounds like for disease they recommend 75K to 90K but that also says no reef or live rocks. So, what should you run it at for disease if. you have a reef and live rock?

 

[Subsea]

Depends on the disease. When disease eradication is more important than micro fauna & fana you slow flow rate down.

Know this, you will never remove ALL pest with UV sterilization but you can limit populations.

Get a big enough UV to kill parasites, yet run the flow faster for algae.

 

[TravisR100]

I get that. I'm specifically trying to prevent ich for tangs. According to their documentation however to run at the disease dose level you can't have corals or live rock. So what dosage do you run at?

 

[Subsea]

I get that. I'm specifically trying to prevent ich for tangs. According to their documentation however to run at the disease dose level you can't have corals or live rock. So what dosage do you run at?

You can’t get both at the same time. I understood your question the first time. You decide which is more important for your specific scenario.

You will NEVER get 100% eradication no matter how you run it.

Get a big enough UV to kill parasites, yet run the flow faster for algae until you have a parasite, then you slow flow down to increase dwell time.

@TravisR100
PS: “According to their documentation however to run at the disease dose level you can't have corals or live rock“

That is a bogus assumption. Of course you can have coral or live rock when using a UV sterilizer. Yes, running it with increased dwell time for pathogens will destroy SOME zooplankton. That happens during algae sterilization as well.
There are no perfect solutions, only compromises of priorities. You decide the priority.

 

[TravisR100]

OK, I get a big enough UV to kill parasites and I run it at the 90K dosage. But aqua ultraviolet specifically says you can't run it at that dosage with corals and live rock. Forget about algae. Don't care. Care about parasites, live rock, and corals.

 

[Freenow54]

OK, I get a big enough UV to kill parasites and I run it at the 90K dosage. But aqua ultraviolet specifically says you can't run it at that dosage with corals and live rock. Forget about algae. Don't care. Care about parasites, live rock, and corals.

I don't understand about the rock thing that bacteria is on the rock not free floating. When they say Coral I assume they don't want you to kill the Micro Fauna

 

[Subsea]

I don't understand about the rock thing that bacteria is on the rock not free floating. When they say Coral I assume they don't want you to kill the Micro Fauna

Not all bacteria are free swimming. Some types remain on the rock and in the sediment. The same is true of zooplankton.

 

[Freenow54]

Not all bacteria are free swimming. Some types remain on the rock and in the sediment. The same is true of zooplankton.

That's pretty much what I said isn't it ?

 

[TravisR100]

Someone from UV Aqua called me back. They said to run it at the 90K dosage flow for parasites but said you may have to supplement coral feeding.

 

[TravisR100]

Someone from UV Aqua called me back. They said to run it at the 90K dosage flow for parasites but said you may have to supplement coral feeding.

 

[Largeangels]

Jay Hemdal made some good comments in this thread about UV flow rates for ich control. I just would not recommend or rely on UV for ich. It doesn't hurt, but personally would never depend on it for prevention of ich.

Good info Jay posted previously.

UV flow rate for Ick​

I have a 57w Aqua UV setup on my 125g aquarium, however I cannot find the correct flow rate for Ick management. If someone could please help me out I would really appreciate it. I have it setup in the DT and not the sump, if that makes a difference.

www.reef2reef.com


"For parasite control, UV only helps against diseases that have a free living theront stage - ich or velvet. Then, the applied dose needs to be on the order of 200,000 us/cm2. This is about double the power of your unit. Plus there is the fact that the ich theronts emerge from the tomont cysts in the early morning and attach to the fish at the bottom of the tank - never going through the UV itself."

 

[StradicCi4]

OP I think you're reading into this too much, I have run UV since day one, and I have tons of coral and over 100lbs of live rock, an wicked pod population, ich and algae. It will never kill everything, it is just a supplement, it doesn't harm corals.

 

[Freenow54]

I posted the required flow rates a while back in this thread. And yes we are agreed that it only controls parasites not eliminate them

 

[Freenow54]

Jay Hemdal made some good comments in this thread about UV flow rates for ich control. I just would not recommend or rely on UV for ich. It doesn't hurt, but personally would never depend on it for prevention of ich.

Good info Jay posted previously.

UV flow rate for Ick​

I have a 57w Aqua UV setup on my 125g aquarium, however I cannot find the correct flow rate for Ick management. If someone could please help me out I would really appreciate it. I have it setup in the DT and not the sump, if that makes a difference.

www.reef2reef.com


"For parasite control, UV only helps against diseases that have a free living theront stage - ich or velvet. Then, the applied dose needs to be on the order of 200,000 us/cm2. This is about double the power of your unit. Plus there is the fact that the ich theronts emerge from the tomont cysts in the early morning and attach to the fish at the bottom of the tank - never going through the UV itself."

it does not matter where you put it as long as the tank gets turned over through your filter system , Which is my idea as to how mine is going to be installed exactly

 

[Freenow54]

Someone from UV Aqua called me back. They said to run it at the 90K dosage flow for parasites but said you may have to supplement coral feeding.

So what flow did they tell you ?

 

[Freenow54]

Sorry different thread Algae 472 to788 GPH Parasites 79 to139 GPH