Looking for information on UV sterilizer.

[GHsaltie]

I am looking into getting a UV sterilizer for my 40g but I know absolutely zip zilch about them so I'm looking for some recommendations, tips, setup information, bulb wattage etc. What are some good pump options and how do you calculate the flow rate?

 

[Gweeds1980]

Depends on why you want one... to battle cyano? General health? Ich management?

If it's the former, go as big as you can with slow flow. If it's the latter then you'll want a big one with slow flow, but maybe not run it 24/7. If it's just for a back up in case of disease or for general health then go for something that's rated a few gallons above your total volume and go with recommended manufacturer flow rates. TMC vectrons are good, marine specific units.

 

[Gweeds1980]

Fyi I have a 45000l rated TMC pond unit on my 1200l tank (yes, that's 45000l) I run it at 1.5 x tank volume per hour, not the recommended 180000lph! Big units = big wattage lamps = better kill rate... slow the flow and that's at about 100% kill rate, what you can't guarantee is that you'll pump all the nasties through it though of course

 

[GHsaltie]

I'm looking for algae management/eradication mostly.

 

[Gweeds1980]

I'm looking for algae management/eradication mostly.

UV won't help unless the algae is in the water column. Sterilising the water with UV won't do anything to no3 and po4 and it won't affect anything that doesn't pass through the unit itself. If it's GHA, bryop etc then don't waste your money, get a fluidised reactor instead and run GFO and possibly bio pellets to outcompete algae for nutrients.

 

[GHsaltie]

Sorry I should have specified that I have both cyano and dinos. For some reason I still think of those as algaes.

 

[Velcro]

I'm on day three of no dinos since the morning after starting UV. I'm running a 55 watt jebao on a 100 gallon system. I am pumping 180gph through the uv and running the light 24/7.

 

[GHsaltie]

Is yours plumbed in or do you have it hooked up to a pump? If so what kind of pump do you use?

 

[Velcro]

Is yours plumbed in or do you have it hooked up to a pump? If so what kind of pump do you use?

It's currently pulling and emptying water directly from the display. I'm using THIS pump with the adjustable intake set to the lowest flow. I tested the output of the UV and I'm at approximately 180GPH.

I will be hard plumbing the UV to the first chamber of my sump this weekend probably.

 

[GHsaltie]

How do you measure the GPH?

 

[Velcro]

How do you measure the GPH?

1 gallon measuring pitcher and a timer