Mixed reviews about a uv sterilizer. If I use one,it clears the water,but strip good stuff from the water? What is a budget one for a 90 gallon with a sump if I choose to have one?
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What do you recommend for 90 gallon? I have a the Reef octo various 6 return pump. It's on the lowest setting now and no room in the sump. I really just want the water clarity.Before you purchase a UV sterilizer, do some research. People that say a UV did nothing for their tank did not purchase the correct UV or installed it wrong. It is absolutely critical to purchase the correct size for what you want to accomplish. The correct flow is necessary for success. The mistake people make is they buy a UV that is too small.
If you are wanting to control algae, purchase a UV double what you think you will need. If wanting to control parasites, go as big as you can afford and will fit in your space. Controlling parasites needs a lot of watts with low flow. So do some research and search this forum the numerous threads on UV’s. I recommend a UV large enough to control both when needed. When in doubt, go bigger.
By the way, a UV will not strip the water column of “all the good stuff. “ Your bacteria and water will be perfectly fine running through a UV.
If water clarity is what you're going for, maybe a UV is not the best tool for you? Are you running a filter roller? If not, consider if you can replace your sock section with a small roller such as the Clarisea 3000 or the small RF Smart Roller.What do you recommend for 90 gallon? I have a the Reef octo various 6 return pump. It's on the lowest setting now and no room in the sump. I really just want the water clarity.
Thanks in advance for your help.
From my experience, a return line is not ideal for a UV sterilizer. You can’t control flow and get good tank circulation. Use a separate pump that returns to the sump. I control the flow for parasites because I like to keep tangs that are prone to flukes. I use an icecap that was a bit tricky to get set up. Would go with a pentair if I had to do it again. But the icecap performs great. You will need a separate GFCi for the UV light. The water and electricity get very close with this and you don’t want any problems.What do you recommend for 90 gallon? I have a the Reef octo various 6 return pump. It's on the lowest setting now and no room in the sump. I really just want the water clarity.
Thanks in advance for your help.
The most effective way is to plumb a UV from your sump to your tank via a pump that can increase or decrease the speed of water so you know exactly how much water is flowing though your UV per hour. This is critical information. Next is the wattage that is necessary to kill the algae as it passes through the UV. A 25 watt unit would be the minimum I would purchase. I would buy a 80 watt pentair if you could afford it and this way, all you would have to do is slow down the speed of the pump and you could use it to fight off Protozoa if necessary.What do you recommend for 90 gallon? I have a the Reef octo various 6 return pump. It's on the lowest setting now and no room in the sump. I really just want the water clarity.
Thanks in advance for your help.
I have the reefmat 500 and a 10 gallon water change once a week.If water clarity is what you're going for, maybe a UV is not the best tool for you? Are you running a filter roller? If not, consider if you can replace your sock section with a small roller such as the Clarisea 3000 or the small RF Smart Roller.
Alternatively, you can look in to whether Ozone may be something you have the courage to try out!
I run ozone for clarity and a big UV for parasite control.
If you feel you need a UV for water clarity, might I ask in to what is your current maintenance / water change regiment?
The same GFCI your tank is on is fine. No need to have it on a separate one unless you want to for more redundancy.You will need a separate GFCi for the UV light.
Why is this?don’t run it 24/7. Use a timer
I have experience with my ICECAP 40 watt blowing a breaker several times when it was new. User error for sure, but the instructions were not clear to me. Thankfully I run 3 separate GFCI circuits for my display tank. There are very inexpensive yellow boxes that add GFCI protection to any outlet or power strip. I have seen many UV sterilizers that rely on a rubber gasket to keep water from electricity. Not something I would sleep well with.The same GFCI your tank is on is fine. No need to have it on a separate one unless you want to for more redundancy.
Why is this?
AQUA UV (the best in the biz) specifically says NOT to run them on a timer as it prematurely burns out the bulb from repeatedly cycling on and off. It's supposed to run 24/7