UV filter for "cleaner" water?

Sharkbait19 · Dec 11, 2020

Hey everyone,
I have a fluval 13.5 with only corals and inverts that consistently has high phosphate levels, high-ish ammonia, constant algae buildup, and a lot of detritus and dirt in the water column. I do weekly water changes of 30%, but I just know that I need to get a step above the stock filtration, especially if I ever want fish in that tank. I've heard UV filters do a good job of eliminating unwanted dirt and pests. Is it a good buy for my system, if I want "cleaner" water? Any experience or advice would be appreciated!
Thanks!

StlSalt · Dec 11, 2020

Do you have a protein skimmer? If not, the problems you describe would be more easily remedied with protein skimmer instead of a UV sterilizer. Don't get me wrong I love UV lights, but it only kills bacteria blooms that make your water cloudy. You seem to have a nutrient export problem.

theMeat · Dec 11, 2020

Uv will offer zero bio capacity. It will make water clearer if you have any floating algae/bacteria. Will only kill algae that is free floating and makes its way through the uv.
What you describe is a situation that needs more bio capacity, with the algae thriving because of nutrients that are not being removed/out competed by other means. A skimmer and/or more live rock or matrix in your filter basket couldn’t hurt.

Sharkbait19 · Dec 11, 2020

StlSalt said:
Do you have a protein skimmer? If not, the problems you describe would be more easily remedied with protein skimmer instead of a UV sterilizer. Don't get me wrong I love UV lights, but it only kills bacteria blooms that make your water cloudy. You seem to have a nutrient export problem.

I’ve been told by a lot of people that in such a small tank, protein skimmers become more of a nuisance than a help. Not to mention being big and loud.
If a UV sterilizer won’t help, what could? Should I upgrade my media sponge?

theMeat · Dec 11, 2020

A skimmer will remove proteins before they break down and enter the nitrogen cycle. More/better media will convert/consume once it enters nitrogen cycle.
Should be cleaning your filter media every couple of days, and rotate cleaning 1/2 your media every month or so

StlSalt · Dec 11, 2020

I don't really have any nano tanks so I'm not entirely versed on getting excess nutrients out of smaller tanks. Lucky for you there's thousands of more people here and a lot of them with Nano/Pico tanks here to help answer.

Camaro Show Corals · Dec 11, 2020

You need a skimmer, from someone who has stuffed $50k of high end coral in a biocube 29 they do work in nanos. Tunze makes the best nano skimmers. Sounds like you need more flow as well. What do you have for flow?

Sharkbait19 · Dec 11, 2020

The Camaro Show said:
You need a skimmer, from someone who has stuffed $50k of high end coral in a biocube 29 they do work in nanos. Tunze makes the best nano skimmers. Sounds like you need more flow as well. What do you have for flow?

I plan on getting a wavemaker because right now I have only the stock flow.

Camaro Show Corals · Dec 11, 2020

Sharkbait19 said:
I plan on getting a wavemaker because right now I have only the stock flow.

Yeah that’s a big problem and why you have so much algae and build up. Multiple powerheads are an absolute necessity for any saltwater tank even fish only systems. Why have you not gotten one yet?

Jib · Dec 11, 2020

Sharkbait19 said:
high-ish ammonia

My first order of business would be getting your ammonia down. Whats you stocking like that you have ammonia?

Camaro Show Corals · Dec 11, 2020

Jib said:
My first order of business would be getting your ammonia down. Whats you stocking like that you have ammonia?

He has zero fish

Jib · Dec 11, 2020

The Camaro Show said:
He has zero fish

Missed the fish less part, but still concerning. Then where is all of the dirt and detritus coming from? Overfeeding?

theMeat · Dec 11, 2020

The Camaro Show said:
Yeah that’s a big problem and why you have so much algae and build up. Multiple powerheads are an absolute necessity for any saltwater tank even fish only systems. Why have you not gotten one yet?

Good point. More flow will suspend debris in water column longer allowing filter more opportunity to capture it. As well offer better gas exchange. If your water flow has been low a sand bed vacuuming is in order

Randy Holmes-Farley · Dec 11, 2020

I think some folks may have equated less yellow water with "cleaner" water, but when that is accomplished by a UV or ozone, it is not necessarily any cleaner, it just absorbs less blue and UV light.

Here's a discussion of that topic from one of my ozone articles:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php

The discussion is much longer and in great detail, but here's the important point here: yellowness is reduces but the organics remain in the water.

"Translating that reactivity to the pigments shown in Figures 1 and 2 makes it apparent why ozone is so good at reducing seawater's coloration and increasing its clarity: it reasonably selectively targets many of the structures that nature uses to absorb light, and converts them to nonabsorbing chemical structures."

Sharkbait19 · Dec 11, 2020

The Camaro Show said:
Yeah that’s a big problem and why you have so much algae and build up. Multiple powerheads are an absolute necessity for any saltwater tank even fish only systems. Why have you not gotten one yet?

Yeah....It's just...yeah....

I have no reasons why I haven't.

Sharkbait19 · Dec 11, 2020

Jib said:
Missed the fish less part, but still concerning. Then where is all of the dirt and detritus coming from? Overfeeding?

I had a major Clove Polyp/Xenia die off a few weeks ago. That created a problem for some time.

Sharkbait19 · Dec 11, 2020

So...what I'm gathering is that I don't need a UV filter, but more flow will help keep the detritus from the sandbed and into the filter. And is a protein skimmer necessary for my tank? I didn't want one, but if its necessary...
Also, what do you guys think of the sponge? Is it adequate filtration, or is the media basket a good upgrade?

Jib · Dec 11, 2020

Sharkbait19 said:
So...what I'm gathering is that I don't need a UV filter, but more flow will help keep the detritus from the sandbed and into the filter. And is a protein skimmer necessary for my tank? I didn't want one, but if its necessary...
Also, what do you guys think of the sponge? Is it adequate filtration, or is the media basket a good upgrade?

I have a tank of similar dimensions to yours. I haven't found a dedicated powerhead to be needed to keep debris suspended and from settling (there is one dead spot, but I couldn't practically get it with a powerhead anyway). I have a random flow generator on my return and my return pumped cranked all the way up. Seems to created enough flow.

I've seen a lot of complaints with the protein skimmers available for nanos. You could try, but a lot of folks find success without them.

My tank stays clean just using the media basket with mechanical filtration on top, carbon in the middle, and bio balls on the bottom.

Sharkbait19 · Dec 11, 2020

Jib said:
I have a tank of similar dimensions to yours. I haven't found a dedicated powerhead to be needed to keep debris suspended and from settling (there is one dead spot, but I couldn't practically get it with a powerhead anyway). I have a random flow generator on my return and my return pumped cranked all the way up. Seems to created enough flow.

I've seen a lot of complaints with the protein skimmers available for nanos. You could try, but a lot of folks find success without them.

My tank stays clean just using the media basket with mechanical filtration on top, carbon in the middle, and bio balls on the bottom.

Thanks! Do you think that the sponge is just a trap for phosphate buildup then, and I should upgrade that first??