U v steriliser

[Reeferdude1888]

Hi guys I have a V2ecton 600 uv steriliser on its way should get it mid week ,some questions how long do you guys run them 24/7 a couple of weeks at a time or couple of months at a time also when I set it up do you ramp it up I.e on for a few hours then biuld the time up more each day so that algae pathogens are not nuked all at once that may or may not have a detrimental affect on the tanks Eco system. The uv feed pump rating is 1900ltr hour so I was going to use a 2000ltr hour ehiem that I have and dial it down to 1500ltr hour.
What benefits have you guys found from using uv ,any feedback appreciated thank you

 

[Reeferdude1888]

Hi guys I have a V2ecton 600 uv steriliser on its way should get it mid week ,some questions how long do you guys run them 24/7 a couple of weeks at a time or couple of months at a time also when I set it up do you ramp it up I.e on for a few hours then biuld the time up more each day so that algae pathogens are not nuked all at once that may or may not have a detrimental affect on the tanks Eco system. The uv feed pump rating is 1900ltr hour so I was going to use a 2000ltr hour ehiem that I have and dial it down to 1500ltr hour.
What benefits have you guys found from using uv ,any feedback appreciated thank you

I no I can just set it up and let it run but was just wanting put a couple of questions out there see if I would get any response upon how you other guys are running them

 

[Vette67]

I run my UV 24/7. I have 2 40 watt sterilizers in-line with my return pump. But I had a pretty bad ick outbreak that I battled for about 2 year’s, so I wouldn’t be the most unbiased opinion on UV usage. I have no plans to turn mine off. I might leave them going pretty much forever.

It depends what you are hoping to accomplish with UV. If it is parasite control, then you can’t turn them off. If it’s algae control, I’ve heard of people using them part time to accomplish this.

So give us an idea of what you want to do with the UV and you can probably get more specific answers.

But to answer your question, you can run them 24/7 without much of a detrimental effect on bacteria populations. Bacteria tend to like surfaces, like tubing and rock. So bacteria are not all just in the water column.

 

[Lightspeed]

no doubt you have probably done your research on what is required as in UV exposure and wattage for your targeted usage, in case you need a reference here is a chart i found while researching UV sterilizers which gives a guide to wattage, flow and exposure for target.

Reef Tanks: A UV Rated in the 30,000 to 45,000 columns is ideal for the reef environment.
UV’s rated at higher kill rates will destroy the planktonic food supply for the reef.
Marine Fish Tanks (No reef or Live Rock): A UV rated in the 75,000 to 90,000 columns will be the most effective at controlling fish disease.
All UV dosages are calculated at the end of lamp life (14 months).
Flow rates and results may vary.

This chart above is from the Aqua Ultraviolet website.

In my research i found many people using UV, some run permanently some run for a few hrs per day or a few days per week, it really depends on what your Display is stocked with and what it is you want to target, as mentioned beneficial bacteria tend to establish habitat on surfaces and not the water column so i would not be too concerned as far as terminating them. Some users of UV limit exposure or operational periods to preserve pod populations too, so there does not really seem to be a hard and fast rule as such but more finding a happy average for your particular needs and type of Display you are running or what the issue is you are targeting.

Anyway you are probably aware of all of the above, i see UV sterilizers as an important tool in Marine Husbandry, and flexible, if you fit gate valves on the output or input, or if you use a DC pump, simply tune it down with the controller to effect your chosen target function.

Hope this is of some small help.
Regards
B.

 

[Reeferdude1888]

Hi guys thanks for the great feed back the reason I'm going to use uv is my tank went through a dino outbreak back in 2017 and now I would say my tank is balanced again all levels I.e Alk mag cal phos silinity nitrates are stable so to help with aquarium maintenance I thought I would add the uv to help remove algae spores from the water colum .

 

[Reeferdude1888]

Hi guys when a pump is pushing water 4 ft with a 2000ltr an hour pump with one elbow bend how mutch power does it loose in pumping the water from a to b.

 

[Vette67]

You need to look at the flow curve for your pump. Most manufacturers supply them on their websites. My main recirculation pump is a Panworld 150PS. I found this flow curve online. A general rule of thumb is that a 90º bend adds 1 foot of head pressure (1/3 of a meter of head pressure). That's an approximation. So, in my case, I am pumping up about 14 feet. I have 3 - 90º bends, which gives about 17 feet of head pressure. US electricity runs at 60Hz. I should be getting roughly 45 Liters per minute, or about 12 gallons per minute. Multiply by 60, and that is about 2700 liters per hour or 720 gallons per hour. That's about as best as you can determine what your final flow rate will be, given the above assumptions.

 

[Reeferdude1888]

Thanks for the info vette67