Ultra Violet or Ozone or Both

[MAX260]

I have a 3 month old Red Sea Max E 260 with sump, Reefer 600 Skimmer and Red Sea Matt 500. Red sea Wave 25
Water is never totally clear. And the Blue lights make the water look worse . I know Ultra violet with help with Bacteria, Algae and parasites ( some water clearing ) Ozon would be for very clear water and that's all.

Any thoughts would be helpful as I would not want Ozone due to skimmer conforming etc etc etc .

Cheers

 

[Gundy]

Personally I would add an oversized UV sterilizer. For what you are describing, a UV will solve your problems quickly. Some things to consider.
- Purchase a quality unit like a pentair or Aqua ultraviolet unit.
- if possible, buy a UV that is oversized for your tank- even 2-3 times if you can afford it, and you can fit
it in your system. You want the most wattage if you ever want to control Protozoa in the future and
even for fighting algae.
- Your best results will be by plumbing the unit between your sump and your tank through you return
line or run a separate pump from your sump to the tank.
- make sure you have the correct flow. For algae and water clarity, the flow can be quite fast but for
Protozoa, the flow needs to be quite slow. Follow the manufacturer’s GPH flow advice.

Ozone is a good option but I think UV will benefit your tank more. You can always add ozone later. If you set up a UV correctly, your tank will be crystal clear very quickly and start to clear up your algae problems.

 

[MAX260]

Thank you so much Gundy, That has completely set me on the right track. cheers mate. What UV would you recommend ?

 

[Gundy]

Thank you so much Gundy, That has completely set me on the right track. cheers mate. What UV would you recommend ?

I think pentair and Aqua Ultraviolet are very good units and are 2 of the largest companies. Don't cheap out on a UV. Buy a good unit once and it will last for years, rather than a cheap unit off Amazon. Research this site on UV’s and learn about the different flow that is needed and how to plumb a UV into your system. This way you will know what is the largest sized unit that will fit into your system, what sizes pump you will need if you can add a separate return line to your tank and figure out plumbing design.

 

[slingfox]

UV is becoming increasingly common it seems and is relatively easy to setup. I originally bought an IceCap UV but it was too bulky. I switched to a Vecton unit which was a much better form factor, looks nice, and easy to install. I do like the idea of ozone but my protein skimmer is not ozone comparable so the cost of ozone is quite high until I am ready to replace the skimmer.

 

[MAX260]

I think pentair and Aqua Ultraviolet are very good units and are 2 of the largest companies. Don't cheap out on a UV. Buy a good unit once and it will last for years, rather than a cheap unit off Amazon. Research this site on UV’s and learn about the different flow that is needed and how to plumb a UV into your system. This way you will know what is the largest sized unit that will fit into your system, what sizes pump you will need if you can add a separate return line to your tank and figure out plumbing design.

Brilliant, thank you so much pal. I will add a UV of a good make as you said. I will keep you posted am sure i will be chuffed

Thanks philip

 

[KyleC]

Brilliant, thank you so much pal. I will add a UV of a good make as you said. I will keep you posted am sure i will be chuffed

Thanks philip

Hey Philip, been considering adding a UV myself. Early days on the research side of things, curious if you've set your mind on one yet as we both have tanks around a similar size (I've an aquaone aquareef 300 with sump, ~350ltrs all in). I've been advised to get a 40W UV to help control parasites.