Lifegard Aquatics UV Sterilizers?

[Kasey Grohowski]

I have mine mounted vertical with water entering at bottom. Yes the water fills the whole unit. I run it 24/7. I have an Apex flow meter after the UV so I know the exact gph through it. My Apex will shut the UV down if the flow drops below 400 gph. As far as sizing the UV goes, there’s a lot of good info here. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html

Yes I read that before. According to it I should have level 2 sterilization.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

I have mine mounted vertical with water entering at bottom. Yes the water fills the whole unit. I run it 24/7. I have an Apex flow meter after the UV so I know the exact gph through it. My Apex will shut the UV down if the flow drops below 400 gph. As far as sizing the UV goes, there’s a lot of good info here. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html

Is there a reason it's mounted vertically?

 

[ReefHog]

Is there a reason it's mounted vertically?

Mounting vertically insures no air getting caught on top. If you going to mount horizontal, make sure imput and output are fed from top. Also makes for way easier lamp changes and maintenance. And finally I had more room mounting it that way.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Horizontally, on some models as mine, intake down, outtake up. Keeps air out. If air pockets get trapped, it can cause a hot spot along the quartz sleeve, but more importantly reduce the units effectiveness.

I temporarily mounted mine till I can make a bracket for it.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Got the 120 watt, hoping that if I run this at 800 gph, it should kill everything in the water column.

 

[ReefHog]

Assuming your tank holds 220 gallons of water and if you had a 40 gallon sump, your turnover rate should be right on target at 800 GPH return through the UV. A 100 Watt UV would then be needed to achieve level 2 sterilization in most worse case scenarios. The 120 watt UV will give you plenty of room for error.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Assuming your tank holds 220 gallons of water and if you had a 40 gallon sump, your turnover rate should be right on target at 800 GPH return through the UV. A 100 Watt UV would then be needed to achieve level 2 sterilization in most worse case scenarios. The 120 watt UV will give you plenty of room for error.

Tank holds ~210 and sump is ~45.

 

[ReefHog]

Should work great. I was just in my basement last night and didn’t bother to turn basement lights on. It’s amazing just how clear the water is even in the dark.

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Should work great. I was just in my basement last night and didn’t bother to turn basement lights on. It’s amazing just how clear the water is even in the dark.

What size is yours and brand?

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

Should work great. I was just in my basement last night and didn’t bother to turn basement lights on. It’s amazing just how clear the water is even in the dark.

Disregard my last question. Do you feel comfortable enough to put fish in without quarantining?

 

[ReefHog]

I would be too afraid. I imagine the UV would be enough to knock down the parasites enough for the fish’ immune system to fight them off. And the fish could probably live just fine forever like that. But don’t think it could totally eradicate parasites once introduced.

 

[vetteguy53081]

When I had my pet store, I sold these as Rainbow lifeguard aquatics and their components were the top notch in fact the industry best!

 

[Kasey Grohowski]

When I had my pet store, I sold these as Rainbow lifeguard aquatics and their components were the top notch in fact the industry best!

Yeah honestly they feel like tanks.

 

[Aardvark1134]

How does mounting it vertically help you will bulb changes when they tell you to replace the internal sleeve each time you replace the bulb which makes you take it apart where the 4 bolts are? Either way to replace the white sleeve you are going to have to take it off and then disassemble it.

 

[ReefHog]

I find it easier to drop the lamp/quartz sleeve down into the unit rather than sliding it in sideways. I also check my quartz sleeve for build up at six months. Depending on flow and water parameters, this may or may not be necessary. Removing the unit to completely disassemble it is the same amount of work either way it’s installed.

 

[1000rrstunna]

I have mine mounted vertical with water entering at bottom. Yes the water fills the whole unit. I run it 24/7. I have an Apex flow meter after the UV so I know the exact gph through it. My Apex will shut the UV down if the flow drops below 400 gph. As far as sizing the UV goes, there’s a lot of good info here. http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/AquariumUVSterilization.html

Still liking this unit ? I’m considering the 55 watt for my 180 they say it’s good to 350gal... they honestly look like the nicest lights out and their pumps never let me down before.

 

[Aardvark1134]

Reefhog I am not talking about the quartz sleeve. You are supposed to be talking the unit apart where the 4 bolts are and replacing the disposable white sleeve that protects the black sleeve every time you are changing the bulb. Since you have no idea what I am talking about here is a video that shows the part of the yearly maint that you have not been doing.
Look at the 8-9min mark this is straight from the manufactuer

 

[ReefHog]

Reefhog I am not talking about the quartz sleeve. You are supposed to be talking the unit apart where the 4 bolts are and replacing the disposable white sleeve that protects the black sleeve every time you are changing the bulb. Since you have no idea what I am talking about here is a video that shows the part of the yearly maint that you have not been doing.
Look at the 8-9min mark this is straight from the manufactuer

Aardvark1134 , I am fully aware of the protective sleeves and the replacement process. Along with the count down ballast, amalgam lamps, rotating fittings and available replacement parts, it is the reason I chose this UV. You seem to be fixated on the mounting position and it's relation to the protective sleeve replacement. I was not referring to the protective sleeve replacement in my earlier post regarding why I mounted mine vertically. There should be no difference removing a unit that is installed vertically or horizontally for disassembly in order to replace the protective sleeves. The quartz sleeve is very delicate and can break easily if not handled properly. I find that there is less stress on the quartz sleeve when sliding it down into the unit vs sliding it in from the side. So, after the unit were to be removed for replacement of the three protective sleeves, I would reinstall it in it's vertical position and then install the quartz sleeve with lamp. This obviously wouldn't work for everyone as workable space around the UV would be needed. This is not a-one-size-fits-all hobby. I was just stating what works for me.

 

[ReefHog]

Still liking this unit ? I’m considering the 55 watt for my 180 they say it’s good to 350gal... they honestly look like the nicest lights out and their pumps never let me down before.

So far I have no complaints with the unit. I've taken it apart once since I installed it and and everything went very smoothly. My water stays nice and clear. As far as disease control, I can't really say as I have quarantined and prophylacticlly treated everything before adding to the tank. But it does give me piece of mind should something slip through the cracks. With a 180 gallon tank you are in the correct wattage for level 2 sterilization (killing ick, velvet etc. swimmers). You should be looking for a tank turnover around 3 times per hour. If you have a sump it should come close to displacing any rock and sand. So if you use the 180 gallons you will want the flow through the UV right around 540 gph.

 

[Tuffloud1]

Anyone notice a milky white substance on the protective sleeves? It appears the UV light breaks this material down. When I turn my return pump off then on again, milky water comes out for a few seconds and clouds the tank.

To confirm it is coming from the sleeve, I opened the unit up and rubbed my finger against the sleeve. My finger had the milky substance on it.

My concern is obviously, will this be detrimental to my corals?