UV STERILIZER

[ajhudson15]

Looking for a good UV Sterilizer for a 90 gallon system without breaking the bank. I have seen the corallife twist but haven't been impressed with that brand before. Any recommendations?

 

[Flippers4pups]

I use a Danner pondmaster UV. Yes a pond UV. Cheaper than hobby units. I only use mine for water clarity.

 

[ajhudson15]

I am looking for clarity as well as trying to kill off some algae that is present.

 

[Flippers4pups]

I use a 10w on my 180 gallon total volume system. Keeps algae and bacterial blooms at bay. Around $100 new.

 

[ajhudson15]

I use a 10w on my 180 gallon total volume system. Keeps algae and bacterial blooms at bay. Around $100 new.

what kind did you get.

 

[Flippers4pups]

what kind did you get.

10 watt Danner pondmaster.

It's well built and easy to use.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

On my 240 I use 2 of the green killing machines uv sterilizers, on it and they have been amazing. Yes it’s from petco (but who cares), they come with their own power head and everything for perfect flow. I have one in the sump and one hidden in my display tank. I havnt had any issues and their are indicators when the light is no longer effective.

It has really controlled alage and marine diseases in my tank. I havnt (knock on glass) had to deal with sick fish or much of anything by running them. I did have some cyano but once I installed a Golden head goby that went away pretty quick.

 

[ajhudson15]

I do have the 9 watt green killing machine but it says for tanks up to 50 gallons and mine is 90 so its underated. but I was just looking at another 9 watt uv and it says up to 125 watt. why is there such a difference in tank size but the same watt

 

[Flippers4pups]

I do have the 9 watt green killing machine but it says for tanks up to 50 gallons and mine is 90 so its underated. but I was just looking at another 9 watt uv and it says up to 125 watt. why is there such a difference in tank size but the same watt

Not sure. My Danner is rated in hundreds of gallons. Pond application for algae and bacterial, same for a small tank. It's the dwell time and flow. Hobby grade units are sold with a small volume in mind.

 

[Charlie_11278]

Hello,

On my 240 I use 2 of the green killing machines uv sterilizers, on it and they have been amazing. Yes it’s from petco (but who cares), they come with their own power head and everything for perfect flow. I have one in the sump and one hidden in my display tank. I havnt had any issues and their are indicators when the light is no longer effective.

It has really controlled alage and marine diseases in my tank. I havnt (knock on glass) had to deal with sick fish or much of anything by running them. I did have some cyano but once I installed a Golden head goby that went away pretty quick.

That's what I'm planning on getting for my tank( algae outbreak) but I'm debating either the green machine or phosban reactor

 

[Flippers4pups]

That's what I'm planning on getting for my tank( algae outbreak) but I'm debating either the green machine or phosban reactor

UV won't do anything for dissolved nutrients in the water column. It will knock down algae spores suspended in water. It won't do anything for algae that's growing on the rocks or anything else.

 

[Charlie_11278]

UV won't do anything for dissolved nutrients in the water column. It will knock down algae spores suspended in water. It won't do anything for algae that's growing on the rocks or anything else.

Will the reactor do better?

 

[Flippers4pups]

Will the reactor do better?

Phosband for suspended DOC's in the water collum. (Dissolved organic compounds)

UV for algae blooms (green water) and bacterial blooms (white cloudy water).

 

[roberthu526]

If you want an UV I’d just get a good or that will do more than algae control. The small ones will work on green cloudy water which is suspended algae but won’t do much to algae that grows on rock surface.

 

[ajhudson15]

so can anyone tell me why the green giant 9w is only good for up to 50 gal but the coralife twist 9 watt says 125 gallons?

 

[ca1ore]

I doubt there’s much science behind UV sizing recommendations., though you’d have to read the fine print to see what claims they are making. I’d been using a pondmaster 40 watt for a while and generally happy with it. Recently I replaced it with a TMC110. Seems like a good unit.