Fighting dinos with UV in Sump

[BrianReefer]

Have been battling them for months. Have a 120 SPS tank, with a strong 57w AquaUV plumbed into the return line. The problem was my dinos were mostly on the sandbed, and they weren’t making it into the overflow to hit the UV. I tried a few cheaper in-tank UV options but none worked. So I created a new path. I put a silicone tube into the tank near the bottom that feeds up and over to my sump filter socks. In the sump I have two valves, one to the main line, and one to a 1/4 tube that I use an aqualifter pump to get the siphon started. Once it’s flowing I close the 1/4 line and open up the 1/2 line, and I have my flow. To avoid it draining the tank if the return pump stopped, I drilled two separate holes 1/4 inch under the water line in the silicone tubes that I will check occasionally. I’ll probably only use this when signs of dinos appear, but this killed them in 2 days and I can leave it setup for when needed. Wanted to share for others who have in sump UVs who are fighting the same issue.

 

[Dom]

I would do a manual removal from the sand bed. Moving forward, anything free floating will be filtered.

I started using a UV for cyanobacteria. Siphoned everything up during a water change after installing the UV. I have about a 95% improvement.

 

[BrianReefer]

I would do a manual removal from the sand bed. Moving forward, anything free floating will be filtered.

I started using a UV for cyanobacteria. Siphoned everything up during a water change after installing the UV. I have about a 95% improvement.

I was doing that for weeks, it helped but they came back every 2-3 days. Then I started just leaving my python tube into the sump which gave me this idea and it’s working great so far. No dinos since.

 

[Cory]

Im not sure i understand. Basically you made it pull water from the display instead of the sump.and that worked?

 

[BrianReefer]

Im not sure i understand. Basically you made it pull water from the display instead of the sump.and that worked?

Yes but eventually the dinos came back. I was pulling from the bottom of the display, but I think the flow rate was just too high for the UV in the sump to kill them. So now I’m setup with a separate UV from/to display.

 

[Cory]

Yes but eventually the dinos came back. I was pulling from the bottom of the display, but I think the flow rate was just too high for the UV in the sump to kill them. So now I’m setup with a separate UV from/to display.

Nice. Im planning to have my 90 watt lifegard on a closed loop from the display.