How to match a sterilizer with a pump

murphy01 · Apr 2, 2015

I'm looking at an Aqua uv sterilizer. My LFS suggested using the 57 watt with a Mag 6 or 7 for flow.
This is on a 180 gal with a 40 gal sump(half filled(20 gal).
I found a used one on line but it's 80 watts. Is that overkill?
What about the flow rate on the 80 watt. Should they be the same? Are these the right flow pumps for the UV
To be be benificial?

pickupman66 · Apr 2, 2015

the longer exposure time across the light the more efficient it will be. but remember, a UV will kill both good and bad things too. it is indiscriminate.

murphy01 · Apr 2, 2015

I thought that slow flow kills some things and a faster flow kills others.
I read the comparison chart on the Aqua web site and it just has a max flow rate. If I'm reading that correctly.
I'm not sure on how to match a pump up to a UV.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 2, 2015

I've never used a UV (I think it would be a detriment in my system), so I can't really advise on the optimal flow rate. Slower flow kills more organisms (and more extensively), but does so to less water, so the optimal flow rate is partly a trade off, and partly related to what exactly you may be trying to kill.

FarmerTy · Apr 2, 2015

You would need a 40-watt or bigger for your system and run it at 90,000 uw/cm2 to kill ich protists, if that is how you want to use it.

If you're only running it as an algae clarifier, you could get away with a much smaller UV light and run a faster flowrate.

For comparison sake, I have the AquaUV 57-watt classic model and have it set at a flowrate of roughly 1000-1200 (as recommended by the tech I talked to) to kill ich protists. My total water volume is 250 gallons.

As mentioned previously, it is an indiscriminate killer and will kill your plankton and bacteria in the water column all the same. Fortunately, most of the good bacteria are within the sandbed, live rock, and other surfaces of the aquarium and not floating around in the water column.

murphy01 · Apr 3, 2015

tybota said:
You would need a 40-watt or bigger for your system and run it at 90,000 uw/cm2 to kill ich protists, if that is how you want to use it.

If you're only running it as an algae clarifier, you could get away with a much smaller UV light and run a faster flowrate.

For comparison sake, I have the AquaUV 57-watt classic model and have it set at a flowrate of roughly 1000-1200 (as recommended by the tech I talked to) to kill ich protists. My total water volume is 250 gallons.

As mentioned previously, it is an indiscriminate killer and will kill your plankton and bacteria in the water column all the same. Fortunately, most of the good bacteria are within the sandbed, live rock, and other surfaces of the aquarium and not floating around in the water column.

What kind of pump are you using on that UV and also is it plumbed coming from your sump and back into the sump?
That's how I was told to plumb it but it sounds like with that much water flow in my sump, it would be too much volume and violent. It's a 40 gal breeder. There are baffles and a skimmer with live rock in there so the space is kind of limited.

murphy01 · Apr 3, 2015

75,000 to 90,000 would be most benificial to kill disease in a fish only but with a reef and live rock shouldn't it be run at 35,000 45,000 so it doesn't kill the planktonic food supply that the reef needs. Right? Well, that's what one manufacturer is saying.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 4, 2015

murphy01 said:
75,000 to 90,000 would be most benificial to kill disease in a fish only but with a reef and live rock shouldn't it be run at 35,000 45,000 so it doesn't kill the planktonic food supply that the reef needs. Right? Well, that's what one manufacturer is saying.

I don't think that one can avoid killing desirable (IMO) bacteria while still killing parasites.

angelsandtangs · Apr 4, 2015

murphy01 said:
I'm looking at an Aqua uv sterilizer. My LFS suggested using the 57 watt with a Mag 6 or 7 for flow.
This is on a 180 gal with a 40 gal sump(half filled(20 gal).
I found a used one on line but it's 80 watts. Is that overkill?
What about the flow rate on the 80 watt. Should they be the same? Are these the right flow pumps for the UV
To be be benificial?

57 watts will fine for your system I would only run around 200gph through it to kill ich spores. I run a 80 watt aqua on my 300 reef with a quiet one pump rated for 296 gph.. I love my uv water clarity is awesome .. Copps on reef central highly recommends one on a reef tank and he has some awesome set ups.I would never do a tank without one but thats just me.