Extra UV Sterilizer

[gonzo620]

Hello all
I recently purchased a replacement Pentair 40watt UV Sterilizer. My original is the same model just the formally named Emperor Aquatics.
So after many years of running this unit, the body has failed it developed a couple pin holes that caused a stand flood. Stand filled with a little over an 1” of water. Different story all together.
I consider myself extremely mechanically inclined and I’ve decided to cut the compromised section out and replace with new pvc. Considering I’ve replaced the power supply within the last two years. I don’t want to waste it.
My thoughts with this repaired unit is to use it in a set up for primarily QT. I’m thinking since this unit is so large I could run it on a 20 gallon QT set up and filter the water column to an excessive amount.
To clarify this would all be running for Prophylactic treatment. This will be for treatment of new fish without signs of illness.
I’d like opinions and thoughts. How long should I “treat” new arrivals?( I am aware of the ich life cycle )Can I consider this a long term solution for a non medicated treatment. Ultimately just want to create a less stressful environment till new arrivals make it into display not bringing any Tag-alongs with them.

 

[Jekyl]

The best advice I can give if planning on doing proper quarantine is to follow the site recommended method proposed by @Jay Hemdal

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello all
I recently purchased a replacement Pentair 40watt UV Sterilizer. My original is the same model just the formally named Emperor Aquatics.
So after many years of running this unit, the body has failed it developed a couple pin holes that caused a stand flood. Stand filled with a little over an 1” of water. Different story all together.
I consider myself extremely mechanically inclined and I’ve decided to cut the compromised section out and replace with new pvc. Considering I’ve replaced the power supply within the last two years. I don’t want to waste it.
My thoughts with this repaired unit is to use it in a set up for primarily QT. I’m thinking since this unit is so large I could run it on a 20 gallon QT set up and filter the water column to an excessive amount.
To clarify this would all be running for Prophylactic treatment. This will be for treatment of new fish without signs of illness.
I’d like opinions and thoughts. How long should I “treat” new arrivals?( I am aware of the ich life cycle )Can I consider this a long term solution for a non medicated treatment. Ultimately just want to create a less stressful environment till new arrivals make it into display not bringing any Tag-alongs with them.

Run the UV when fish are present and if adding copper - 39 days
Reason for copper is UV will address what passes through the unit and anything missed will be addressed with coppersafe present

 

[gonzo620]

The best advice I can give if planning on doing proper quarantine is to follow the site recommended method proposed by @Jay Hemdal

Current Quarantine Protocol

2024 Quarantine Procedures Jay Hemdal David Scarborough Protozoans (Cryptocaryon/ich, Amyloodinium/velvet) and Metazoan trematodes/flukes are by far the most common parasites found on newly acquired fish. A carefully managed, proactive quarantine process can effectively eliminate these...

www.reef2reef.com

I’m a firm believer in good better best practices. Obviously this is best. Tried and true. Someone with the most knowledge in this matter has developed this procedure and proved success.
However I sometimes think are we doing too much, and at what cost. Some animals just don’t handle medication well. Could the Uv be enough to treat an otherwise perfectly healthy specimen.

 

[KrisReef]

When a plastic pipe has developed pinhole leaks it is time to replace the entire pipe imo. That kind of degradation/cancer suggests that the Ultraviolet radiation has brought the entire pipe to its end of service life. Patching a failing pipe is not a good idea.

 

[gonzo620]

When a plastic pipe has developed pinhole leaks it is time to replace the entire pipe imo. That kind of degradation/cancer suggests that the Ultraviolet radiation has brought the entire pipe to its end of service life. Patching a failing pipe is not a good idea.

I agree. Don’t plan on patching. It would be full length replacement of the straight pipe between the tee fitting of inlet and outlet.

 

[KrisReef]

I agree. Don’t plan on patching. It would be full length replacement of the straight pipe between the tee fitting of inlet and outlet.

Cool. I couldn’t live with myself if I knew you patched it and I didn’t warn you of the possibility of a new failure in your future.

 

[Jekyl]

I’m a firm believer in good better best practices. Obviously this is best. Tried and true. Someone with the most knowledge in this matter has developed this procedure and proved success.
However I sometimes think are we doing too much, and at what cost. Some animals just don’t handle medication well. Could the Uv be enough to treat an otherwise perfectly healthy specimen.

The UV won't eradicate the problem. It manages at best. Once transferred over to your display it will bring it with them.

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Hello all
I recently purchased a replacement Pentair 40watt UV Sterilizer. My original is the same model just the formally named Emperor Aquatics.
So after many years of running this unit, the body has failed it developed a couple pin holes that caused a stand flood. Stand filled with a little over an 1” of water. Different story all together.
I consider myself extremely mechanically inclined and I’ve decided to cut the compromised section out and replace with new pvc. Considering I’ve replaced the power supply within the last two years. I don’t want to waste it.
My thoughts with this repaired unit is to use it in a set up for primarily QT. I’m thinking since this unit is so large I could run it on a 20 gallon QT set up and filter the water column to an excessive amount.
To clarify this would all be running for Prophylactic treatment. This will be for treatment of new fish without signs of illness.
I’d like opinions and thoughts. How long should I “treat” new arrivals?( I am aware of the ich life cycle )Can I consider this a long term solution for a non medicated treatment. Ultimately just want to create a less stressful environment till new arrivals make it into display not bringing any Tag-alongs with them.

UV is a control for some fish diseases, but the amount needed to kill ich is higher than many hobbyist units can provide.
UV doesn’t control diseases with direct development like Brooklynella and sometimes velvet. It also doesn’t control flukes at all.
I’d suggest you just use a full chemical quarantine.

 

[gonzo620]

UV is a control for some fish diseases, but the amount needed to kill ich is higher than many hobbyist units can provide.
UV doesn’t control diseases with direct development like Brooklynella and sometimes velvet. It also doesn’t control flukes at all.
I’d suggest you just use a full chemical quarantine.

Interesting. So in your opinion at the hobbyist level are the uv sterilizers offered to us worth having? If solely to control ich?
How large a unit would the average hobbyist need?
I’ve always thought algae bacteria and protozoan uv control was based on contact time, water flow rates through the our units?
My unit for instance. 40 watt smart sterilizer
Manufacture rated for a maximum water volume 260 gal. Would running 1300% (20 gal) less than the recommended manufacturer water volume for the unit not be enough?

 

[Jay Hemdal Verified Community Expert]

Interesting. So in your opinion at the hobbyist level are the uv sterilizers offered to us worth having? If solely to control ich?
How large a unit would the average hobbyist need?
I’ve always thought algae bacteria and protozoan uv control was based on contact time, water flow rates through the our units?
My unit for instance. 40 watt smart sterilizer
Manufacture rated for a maximum water volume 260 gal. Would running 1300% (20 gal) less than the recommended manufacturer water volume for the unit not be enough?

You need to know the dose/kill rate that the UV unit provides. Contact time and wattage gives you the dose, but then, that dose is applied to the volume of the tank. If the dose to volume ratio isn't correct, the disease organism can survive because the dwell time is too long.

Here is an excerpt from my up-coming disease book on UV sterilizers:

UV sterilizers

Ultraviolet (UV) sterilizers are also sold as a “cure” for Cryptocaryon. The problem is that most hobbyist-sized UV sterilizers do not have the power to make an effective kill on the relatively large Cryptocaryon parasite. Additionally, UV sterilizers are effective only on the tomite/theront stage, as this is the only point where the parasite is even present in the water column.

For velvet, Amyloodinium, the fallacy here is that tomites/theronts must leave the fish. Actually, some of them may get caught up in the fish’s mucus and stay attached until they become infective trophonts again. For Cryptocaryon, the tomites/theronts do seem to need to leave the fish, but with side stream application of UV (where only a portion of water passes through the unit) DWELL TIME becomes the limiting factor. Only a portion of the theronts are killed before enough of them attach to the fish to continue the infection. This means that UV sterilization will not eliminate active Cryptocaryon infections from a single aquarium. Where it does have benefit is in eliminating tomites as they pass through a filtration system from one discrete tank to another (like in a public aquarium or fisheries lab). Decades ago, diatom filters were touted as cures for ich and velvet. The same issue applies with them; there are adherent forms of these protozoans that can continue to infect the fish without ever having to leave the fish’s body. Even if they do, the same “dwell time” factor means that some theronts will still be present in the water column to infect the fish.

A recent study (Ge-Ling, 2022) indicates that the UV dose required to kill Cryptocaryon theronts/tomites is 185,000 uw/S/cm2. They do go on however, to conclude: “ …both ozone and UV are ineffective in controlling infection within an individual aquarium because of the adhesive nature of C. irritans tomonts (Ma et al., 2017). Therefore, the focus on UV and ozone treatment should prevent live theronts flow into aquaculture ponds. Second, the tomonts are strongly resistant to UV or ozone than theronts, implying that recommended production doses cannot wholly kill tomonts….”

As a side note, Noga and others also indicate that UV will not stop active protozoan infections in aquariums when used as a side-stream. UV does have some application in sterilizing water that is flowing from one tank to another.