Please help me add a UV to my system!

[Greenstarfish03]

@CuzzA my maxijet pumps max out at about 295gph aonI dont think that will be strong enough given the distance i have to travel. I have a mag 9.5 which is about 950 gph so that woukd work if i use a valve to reduce the dlow but its too big to deop in the tank. This is where Im stuck now unless im misunderstanding something but it seems any powerhead w enough flow woukd be too big to drop in the tank. I want to get this in the tank tomrrow though so i can keep this from getti getting worse.

 

[CuzzA]

@CuzzA my maxijet pumps max out at about 295gph aonI dont think that will be strong enough given the distance i have to travel. I have a mag 9.5 which is about 950 gph so that woukd work if i use a valve to reduce the dlow but its too big to deop in the tank. This is where Im stuck now unless im misunderstanding something but it seems any powerhead w enough flow woukd be too big to drop in the tank. I want to get this in the tank tomrrow though so i can keep this from getti getting worse.

Personally I would just use the Maxijet in the tank. If you mount the UV on the wall with the output at the top of the tank you will have very little head pressure to overcome. Yes, you'll have to patch a couple screw holes. A thirty second job later on. That or make a small bracket to hang it from the eurobrace.

 

[Bapeluso]

Personally, I like to put my pump to the uv in the pump section of my sump and have the water return to where the water is drained from the display. That way, the water can be run through the uv multiple times, enhancing how clean it ends up being from the uv. Here is a pic of my setup. Not the cleanest, but it works well. Had issues with ich multiple times and it all magically disappeared when the uv was installed. Also, won the uv off of an auction site for 25$ so it was a big win

 

[CuzzA]

You could do it like this. Make a U shape with PVC and just hang it over the eurobrace.

Sorry, bad images due to the jerks at Photobucket.

 

[CuzzA]

Personally, I like to put my pump to the uv in the pump section of my sump and have the water return to where the water is drained from the display. That way, the water can be run through the uv multiple times, enhancing how clean it ends up being from the uv. Here is a pic of my setup. Not the cleanest, but it works well. Had issues with ich multiple times and it all magically disappeared when the uv was installed. Also, won the uv off of an auction site for 25$ so it was a big win

Sorry, but no manufacturer recommends installing a UV like this. Outputs should not be facing down as the housing will trap air, especially in the Turbo Twist design. I know this from experience. Years ago I installed a Turbo Twist like that and it ruined the housing.

Read the manual and it will flat out state not to install it like that.

 

[tautog83]

Why dont you just just drop.kike w green machine from.petsmart in there for 2 weeks then return it like I do lol . The big one is rated for like a 75 gallon tank . If you see any improvement then you can think of a long term plan . Do.you want to see a uv sterilizer or dinos and cyano?

 

[ScottB]

@CuzzA is correct on all counts. The "U" shape setup pictured (too/from affected display) is what I run for dinos, running 350-400gph, as slow as is recommended.

My frag system is 3 tanks and three sumps all sharing the same water. Only 1 tank (the new one. it is always the new one.) has dinos visible and thriving. That is where the UV gets hung. Dinos don't just float in the water column, they swim with purpose.

With nutrients up, you should only have to run it a few weeks, tops.

 

[kennytze]

This is the way I plumbed mine. Dedicated pump after filter socks and return right before spillover to display return compartment.

 

[Silent]

This is the way I plumbed mine. Dedicated pump after filter socks and return right before spillover to display return compartment.

This is plumbed wrong. Per the manual (as I have the same manufacturer uv) the output is always near the top where the electrical connection is. Your uv should be flipped around.
Edit for pic

 

[theMeat]

This is plumbed wrong. Per the manual (as I have the same manufacturer uv) the output is always near the top where the electrical connection is. Your uv should be flipped around.

Both fitting are facing up, it’s fine

 

[Silent]

Both fitting are facing up, it’s fine

You should always follow manufacturer directions.

 

[kennytze]

This is plumbed wrong. Per the manual (as I have the same manufacturer uv) the output is always near the top where the electrical connection is. Your uv should be flipped around.
Edit for pic

 

[kennytze]

Thank You! My bad, will correct.

 

[theMeat]

Thank You! My bad, will correct.

Nothing to correct. Manual shows vertical and horizontal install. Fitting facing up, good

Bapeluso, who posted pic above needs to flip it over

 

[Greenstarfish03]

Why dont you just just drop.kike w green machine from.petsmart in there for 2 weeks then return it like I do lol . The big one is rated for like a 75 gallon tank . If you see any improvement then you can think of a long term plan . Do.you want to see a uv sterilizer or dinos and cyano?

Interesting thought @tautog83 In a perfect world I would like to see none of the above In the short term though I can live w/ the UV. I already have the UV so I don't have to go the pet smart route

 

[Greenstarfish03]

Sorry, but no manufacturer recommends installing a UV like this. Outputs should not be facing down as the housing will trap air, especially in the Turbo Twist design. I know this from experience. Years ago I installed a Turbo Twist like that and it ruined the housing.

Read the manual and it will flat out state not to install it like that.

Thanks for the pic @Bapeluso. I see you didn't feel comfortable w/ the bracket they sent w/ the UV either. When I went to install it last night I was concerned about using eh bracket that came w/ it.

 

[Greenstarfish03]

You could do it like this. Make a U shape with PVC and just hang it over the eurobrace.

Sorry, bad images due to the ******** at Photobucket.

Thanks for the pic @CuzzA . For a short term install I think this is a winner. Seems sturdy easy to build and I don't have to put any wholes in the wall b/c my wife loves that since the tank is in the dinning area of the kitchen. Then if I want to plumb it in more permanently I can do that later.

 

[Greenstarfish03]

@CuzzA is correct on all counts. The "U" shape setup pictured (too/from affected display) is what I run for dinos, running 350-400gph, as slow as is recommended.

My frag system is 3 tanks and three sumps all sharing the same water. Only 1 tank (the new one. it is always the new one.) has dinos visible and thriving. That is where the UV gets hung. Dinos don't just float in the water column, they swim with purpose.

With nutrients up, you should only have to run it a few weeks, tops.

@ScottB Thanks for confirming. What pump do u use for that setup for dinos? I have a couple maxi jets sitting around and a mag9.5. I think the mag is too big and the maxi jet will work for tonight but it won't get me up to 350 for sure.

 

[Greenstarfish03]

You could do it like this. Make a U shape with PVC and just hang it over the eurobrace.

Sorry, bad images due to the ******** at Photobucket.

@CuzzA One last question. Is there any importance to how far down in the tank i out the power head or the return in this setup? I can' see in the picture and I would assume the return doesn't matter but I'm not 100% sure about the pump side. Would it help to get the pump closer to the sand since that is where the bulk of the dynos are? or does it not really matter since I will keep blowing them around anyway and or they will be in the water a lot at night.

Thanks again.

 

[ScottB]

@ScottB Thanks for confirming. What pump do u use for that setup for dinos? I have a couple maxi jets sitting around and a mag9.5. I think the mag is too big and the maxi jet will work for tonight but it won't get me up to 350 for sure.

I was only running a 25watt and the maxjet was sufficient for my 80G frag tank. Slow is good. Too slow and the bulb will overheat. Check the instructions for minimum recommended flow rate. My UV never felt very warm to the touch.