UV sterilizer

[airvicconcre]

Depends on what you are trying to treat. I have a Pentair Smart 25 watt on my 120 that I run at 80 gph for parasites as my tank is fishy heavy. For algae/ bacteria it recommends 450+ gph. The Apex flow meter is nice to have for this.

I have a 55w UV unit and my aquarium is a 150g dt with a 50g sump.

 

[Tcook]

I have a 55w UV unit and my aquarium is a 150g dt with a 50g sump.

The uv unit's instructions or website will have flow charts. What brand and model is yours?

 

[airvicconcre]

The uv unit's instructions or website will have flow charts. What brand and model is yours?

I have a Mantis 55w UV unit.

 

[airvicconcre]

The uv unit's instructions or website will have flow charts. What brand and model is yours?

You’re right. I will check the box and probably find the instruction booklet.

 

[jmichaelh7]

UV is a must for me. I live with ich . When my bulb goes out my wife get covered in ich

I’m not recommending anything. I run it 24/7. Aqua Ultra Violet 57 right now + 25watt soon

 

[airvicconcre]

UV is a must for me. I live with ich . When my bulb goes out my wife get covered in ich

I’m not recommending anything. I run it 24/7. Aqua Ultra Violet 57 right now + 25watt soon

Thank you Michael.

 

[Ericksonmap]

I have a 55w UV installed and I have a manual valve to set the flow. I wouldn’t have a clue how to know how many gph it would flow. Is there a way of knowing?

You can put a flow Meter or just put the exit into a 5 gal bucket. Time.how.long it takes to fill and do the math

 

[airvicconcre]

You can put a flow Meter or just put the exit into a 5 gal bucket. Time.how.long it takes to fill and do the math

That’s I guess the easiest way to find out. Thank you.

 

[Dav2996]

Hello. I plan to start switching on my UV 8 hours at night. I have a 150g display and around 50g sump, my UV is 55w. Would that suffice and what should be the water flow in the UV outlet?

I run mine 247 works great and makes water more clear I say run it when you look at the tank

 

[vetteguy53081]

Do you run yours at the recommended flow for algae/bacteria rather than for parasites? I initially set mine up when my tank was young and had a dino outbreak. I run mine 24/7 and change the bulb ever 6 months.

I run mine at 80% of recommended flow using a sicce pump with you can adjust flow

 

[Uncle99]

It lowered both good and bad populations of algae in my tank very quickly.
Overtime, corals seemed thinner, not as happy.

Stopped the UV completely and 2 months later, very happy corals returned. And growing fast!

not for me, just another thing to service every 6 months.

Made absolutely the cleanest crytsal clear water I have ever seen.

 

[airvicconcre]

It lowered both good and bad populations of algae in my tank very quickly.
Overtime, corals seemed thinner, not as happy.

Stopped the UV completely and 2 months later, very happy corals returned. And growing fast!

not for me, just another thing to service every 6 months.

Made absolutely the cleanest crytsal clear water I have ever seen.

Hello. I don’t have any corals yet and my tank is relatively very young. My tank had its phase of diatoms and now they’re gone (eaten mostly by snails and my algae eating blenny) I just want to make my tank as comfortable as possible for its residents. :)

 

[airvicconcre]

I run mine at 80% of recommended flow using a sicce pump with you can adjust flow

If I attach a pump will I be able to keep the flow that is needed? How much flow do you recommend if I keep the UV switched on for 8 hours every evening?

 

[airvicconcre]

I run mine 247 works great and makes water more clear I say run it when you look at the tank

That makes sense too. Thanks

 

[Uncle99]

Hello. I don’t have any corals yet and my tank is relatively very young. My tank had its phase of diatoms and now they’re gone (eaten mostly by snails and my algae eating blenny) I just want to make my tank as comfortable as possible for its residents. :)

Unnecessary piece of equipment IMM at this time.
Residents are “comfortable” when water chemistry is on-point, with as little daily flux as possible.
Residents include what you can see, in terms of fish and inverts, and what you cannot see, in terms of algae and bacteria.
Spend time and money on testing waters, this is what is important.
Know the level of each parameter and what change it has during every 24 period.
Master water chemistry and everything becomes so, so, easy.

 

[airvicconcre]

Unnecessary piece of equipment IMM at this time.
Residents are “comfortable” when water chemistry is on-point, with as little daily flux as possible.
Residents include what you can see, in terms of fish and inverts, and what you cannot see, in terms of algae and bacteria.
Spend time and money on testing waters, this is what is important.
Know the level of each parameter and what change it has during every 24 period.
Master water chemistry and everything becomes so, so, easy.

Apart from testing Ammonia, nitrite, Nitrate and PH what other test do you suggest I do and if the tests have to be run in a daily basis?

 

[vetteguy53081]

If I attach a pump will I be able to keep the flow that is needed? How much flow do you recommend if I keep the UV switched on for 8 hours every evening?

Its based on manufacturer flow recommendations

 

[Tcook]

I run mine at 80% of recommended flow using a sicce pump with you can adjust flow

Ah. So more at the algae/bacteria rating. Do you feel it has a big impact on the clarity of your water?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ah. So more at the algae/bacteria rating. Do you feel it has a big impact on the clarity of your water?

What water?
LOL, so clear it’s hard to tell

 

[Saltees]

UV is a must for me. I live with ich . When my bulb goes out my wife get covered in ich

I’m not recommending anything. I run it 24/7. Aqua Ultra Violet 57 right now + 25watt soon

I had mine on since day one about 2 years ago. The tank has ICH about 9 months to a year ago, even after 90 days of fallow prior, cos I QT fishes but not coral. IMHO Corals can get their nutrients from fish wastes and feed, and my tank has plenty of them. Both my ATS and Refugium are overgrowing requiring a trim every 2-3 weeks. Everything is a swell!

Till the very moment I decide to turn the UV off totally and Skimmer to 8 hour daily, in favor of biopellets and bacteria seeding/dosing… ICH emerge with a vengeance and within one and a half month, ICH took out a two third of my fishes. I have had my UV up 24/7 now for past 2 weeks, I’m still battling ICH as we speak not sure how many more fishes are to succumb to ICH eventually. I may have to restart my 132G.

FWIW, keeping bacteria in the water column as coral food being natural over running UV 24/7 is a fallacy; nothing we do in reefing is natural.

While we are on the topic of UV…I picked the turnover of the total water volume that I wanted, in my case it would be 3X of 132G, which was 396gph. Then I picked the UV with the manufacturer's rated parasite killing power, DELTEC 80W. And I ensure that the throughput of my COR20 return pump NEVER exceed 396gph with the APEX flow meter, in fact I ran with a 10% safety margin.

Hope the above helps.