Quarantine In-Line w Main System?

[naterealbig]

While I'm a huge proponent of prophylactic quarantine of corals and fish, I don't have the room to set up a permanent system for corals and fish.

Quarantined fish are easy enough to come by these days, so not a huge obstacle there.

The quarantining of corals to prevent the spread of fish AND coral pathogens is what I want to accomplish - all inside of the main system.

Theoretically, a UV placed on the return line plumbing would prevent the spread of disease (Ich, AEFW, Uronema, Red Bugs, etc) to the main tank while any new corals undergo a 76 day isolation/treatment period in my sump.

The question is : What sized UV would I need (assuming a 2-5x per hour turnover rate) for an 80 gallon display in order to achieve a 100% kill/sterilization rate?

Thanks in advance - Nathan

 

[trevorhiller]

My understanding is UV is most effective against microscopic bacteria and other single-called organisms. I think you would miss a lot of the more “complex” macroscopic multicellular life forms. Similar to how a UV doesn’t wipe out copepods.

Even for Ich, the UV dose is rather high for a 100% sterilization rate.

I am curious what others thoughts are on this, but I don’t think it would be effective or practical with any reasonably sized UVs.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

While I'm a huge proponent of prophylactic quarantine of corals and fish, I don't have the room to set up a permanent system for corals and fish.

Quarantined fish are easy enough to come by these days, so not a huge obstacle there.

The quarantining of corals to prevent the spread of fish AND coral pathogens is what I want to accomplish - all inside of the main system.

Theoretically, a UV placed on the return line plumbing would prevent the spread of disease (Ich, AEFW, Uronema, Red Bugs, etc) to the main tank while any new corals undergo a 76 day isolation/treatment period in my sump.

The question is : What sized UV would I need (assuming a 2-5x per hour turnover rate) for an 80 gallon display in order to achieve a 100% kill/sterilization rate?

Thanks in advance - Nathan

If it were that easy, everyone would have a UV sterilizer and no one's tank would have ich...

 

[Jekyl]

UV at best takes care of what it can from the water. It does not take care of the entire life cycle of ich. It helps, not eliminates, at best.

 

[naterealbig]

My understanding is UV is most effective against microscopic bacteria and other single-called organisms. I think you would miss a lot of the more “complex” macroscopic multicellular life forms. Similar to how a UV doesn’t wipe out copepods.

Even for Ich, the UV dose is rather high for a 100% sterilization rate.

I am curious what others thoughts are on this, but I don’t think it would be effective or practical with any reasonably sized UVs.

That is what I figured. I know that UV dosage rates are readily available for Ich, but I wasn't sure about other organisms.

Thanks for your reply, and let's see if anyone else chimes in.

 

[naterealbig]

If it were that easy, everyone would have a UV sterilizer and no one's tank would have ich...

You're missing the point of my post.

I'm looking only to prevent Ich from making it to the display while I wait for the Ich in the fishless sump to die off.

I'm not looking to eradicate it from a system with fish.

 

[naterealbig]

UV at best takes care of what it can from the water. It does not take care of the entire life cycle of ich. It helps, not eliminates, at best.

Right, but but eliminating the Ich from the water column is all I need.

If the sump is fishless, the corals are kept in the sump, and 100% of the water from the sump to the display goes through the UV them I should be good.

The real question is whether things like AEFW, and other things can make it to the display and reproduce.

 

[W3ish3ng]

Well, I’m thinking of the same for the new build once I move house.

display will be a 120 gallon, running two return pipe with a Aqua uv 57 watts on each at around 350gph each which should give me 280,000uws.

Drain pipe will go through clarisea filter which I believe is 25 microns then a separate feed pump will run water to a hang on acrylic tank with its output going into 5 micron 7 inch socks which will then go to skimmer compartment which will have an ozone running at low dose 24/7.

generally I think this will work? Also I can try to run ttm if I get 2 of the same acrylic hang on tank.

 

[naterealbig]

For additional (more specific) discussion on what I'm trying to accomplish :

UV Dose To Kill Coral Pests?

Hey kids, Thanks for stopping in. Does anyone know what the required dose of UV C radiation to sterilize organisms like flatworms, red bugs, etc? This thread is an extension of the following thread : https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/quarantine-in-line-w-main-system.939355/ Thanks, Nathan

www.reef2reef.com

 

[forestsofkelp]

I've been looking into UV. Its really for small, small organisms. Doses for flatworms/red bugs etc are not known...does it kill their eggs? sterilize their young? are those phases waterborne? I don't know.

UV at the proper dose will kill bacteria, viruses, and small organisms in the water column. Its a helper, not a cure. Personally I think the ich and bacteria control is worth it. Ich eradication is best but not always possible.

"What sized UV would I need (assuming a 2-5x per hour turnover rate) for an 80 gallon display in order to achieve a 100% kill/sterilization rate? I apologize the units may not be right but the numbers should be"

UV dose for egg theronts is about 280,000 uWs/cm2.
So you are looking for 160-400gph @ 280,000 uWs/cm2
If you look at the chart for pentair, for example, their 120S gives you 180mj/cm2 @ 10.6gpm, or 600 gph. (180mj=180,000 uWs)
At half the flow rate, your exposure doubles. So 498 gph gives you 360 mj/cm2. They correlate inversely. So to get 280mj, you have to increase that 180mj dose by 1.5 factor, so the flow decreases by 1.5, or 400gph.

So to me it looks like the 120S pentair would give you the exposure you want at 5x tank turnover. You could probably get away with 2-3x turnover and get a smaller unit. For pests, usually 1-2x tank turnover is recommended, I have no experience with UV, just have been reading about it a lot recently.

I dont know if it will do what you want it to do. A separate system, even a tub, is probably better, if that is *not possible* a UV is probably your best bet.

I had no ich then didnt QT one fish because I was an idiot, and now I have ich. Now I have to QT and will probably get a sterilizer too. Dont be me.