UV steriliser placement (Within your plumbing)

[ReefRondo]

Hi all,

Planning my new tank and would like some advice on where would be best to have my UV installed within my plumbing. I’m sure there will be many options but what is the best for optimum use? I will be running it 24/7 I think and if it makes any difference it is the Troptronic 85w unit. My tank is a reefer 300XL and I know that sounds like massive overkill but I’m plumbing the tank through a wall to a remote sump and the total system volume will be closer to 500/600L in total in the end. Loads of space through the wall for perfect installation of all equipment as I am not constrained by the cabinet size and original sump design.

 

[Saltees]

I ran my DELTEC 80W UV off my COR 20 return pump on my RSR500P.

COR20 > UV > Chiller > ORP probe > 1” Flow sensor > Display Tank. All inline. Manage to get 850LPH max on COR20, lots of protozoa killing power.
According to APEX, the setup didn’t heat up my UV given the slow flow.
Hope it helps.

 

[Buffalou]

I also have sump in separate room with plumbing lines through wall. I had room under tank because most of everything else was in fish room. I plumbed it up with a pump and filter separately from sump and have intake and return going to DT vice tying into existing return line. Did a lot of research on it and just wanted to keep it separate from main return because of maintenance and flow issues. I run it 24/7 and with Apex flow meter inline to indicate when filter needs to be changed.

 

[ReefRondo]

Thanks for thr replies so far guys. Could I ask for some photos of your UV setup?

 

[Waters]

I also run a separate pump for UV, strictly due to being able to control flow, and to know what the flow levels actually are. A simple pump with a built in control valve will accomplish that. Other option is to use a flow meter off your main plumbing.

 

[ReefRondo]

Could I have some photos of how people are running their UV sterilisers within their plumbing? I know it is best to have it on my main return but I see people using tee pieces etc and I have no idea how a tee piece would work flow-wise? How would you know how much flow is going through the UV? Seems a bit random.

 

[AlexG]

I run my UV off a manifold in my primary sump on a separate pump from the main return pump. I have the UV installed on my new system that is under construction but it is more or less setup the same way on my old system. I am actually planning to add a second UV sterilizer to the system in the secondary sump once the display is ready to come online. Normally I let the UV recirculate within the sump and avoid allowing the water being discharged from the refugium to run through the UV sterilizer to prevent that micro fauna from being zapped. I run the UV at its lowest flow rating to ensure maximum optimal exposure based on the manufactures specifications. I went with the horizontal install method to ensure that in the event of a pump failure that the UV would not run dry and provide some cooling to the bulb in the event of waterflow loss. On top of the horizontal install I also use the Apex as a fail safe to power down the UV sterilizer bulb if the power on its feed pump falls below a set wattage.

 

[ReefRondo]

Thanks for the reply Alex. Could I have more details on the exact pipe layout, where you have valves etc. I’m really struggling to understand how it all works Running a UV on the main return. I see you are using a separate pump though but back into your main return? Maybe more photos or even a sketch? There really isn’t a lot out there on this subject.

 

[Saltees]

Could I have some photos of how people are running their UV sterilisers within their plumbing? I know it is best to have it on my main return but I see people using tee pieces etc and I have no idea how a tee piece would work flow-wise? How would you know how much flow is going through the UV? Seems a bit random.

I ran mine off a single return pump, because I have plenty of in tank flow from my WAV. I'm still in the camp where 100% of my return goes through UV. My return pump goes to my UV then to my chiller before turning to display. This way my chiller cools any heater water from my UV, if any. Via APEX FUSION, my UV will turn off if the return pump is off.

The next diagram shows the flexible pipe from the chiller connecting to tee of my RS Reefer500P, and it goes through the 1" flow sensor before returning to the display. Justif you wonder, the other end of my tee houses a inline ORP probe, which controls the ozone serving my skimmer, this way I'm sure no stray ozone enters my display.

Finally the flow through the UV is controlled by the 1" flow sensor and the COR 20. FWIW I'm running at 800 LPH less than half the suggested minimum 1830 LPH – 72’000 µWs/cm² radiation intensity recommended by the DD/DELTEC, but I like my flow to be in the 180,000 µWs/cm² protozoa killing norm instead, so long that my water is cold enough not to fry the UV bulb. Insofar there are no ill effects, except my ATS growth is slow, but I can't quite attribute that to UV.

I hope the above helps.

 

[AlexG]

Thanks for the reply Alex. Could I have more details on the exact pipe layout, where you have valves etc. I’m really struggling to understand how it all works Running a UV on the main return. I see you are using a separate pump though but back into your main return? Maybe more photos or even a sketch? There really isn’t a lot out there on this subject.

Here is a really rough drawing of the UV plumbing. It is possible that water can recirculate in the UV multiple times in this configuration but this sump had ~4000gph of turnover from the main return pump so I was never concerned with water recirculating in the UV. The refugium drain line would discharge closer to the main return pump bypassing the UV sterilizer. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

 

[ReefRondo]

Thanks guys that is really helpful!

 

[NYCMAN]

I just moved mine from a closed loop to one of my two returns where I added an Apex flow sensor to control throughput.

 

[Struttmaster]

I ran mine off a single return pump, because I have plenty of in tank flow from my WAV. I'm still in the camp where 100% of my return goes through UV. My return pump goes to my UV then to my chiller before turning to display. This way my chiller cools any heater water from my UV, if any. Via APEX FUSION, my UV will turn off if the return pump is off.

The next diagram shows the flexible pipe from the chiller connecting to tee of my RS Reefer500P, and it goes through the 1" flow sensor before returning to the display. Justif you wonder, the other end of my tee houses a inline ORP probe, which controls the ozone serving my skimmer, this way I'm sure no stray ozone enters my display.

Finally the flow through the UV is controlled by the 1" flow sensor and the COR 20. FWIW I'm running at 800 LPH less than half the suggested minimum 1830 LPH – 72’000 µWs/cm² radiation intensity recommended by the DD/DELTEC, but I like my flow to be in the 180,000 µWs/cm² protozoa killing norm instead, so long that my water is cold enough not to fry the UV bulb. Insofar there are no ill effects, except my ATS growth is slow, but I can't quite attribute that to UV.

I hope the above helps.

I ran mine off a single return pump, because I have plenty of in tank flow from my WAV. I'm still in the camp where 100% of my return goes through UV. My return pump goes to my UV then to my chiller before turning to display. This way my chiller cools any heater water from my UV, if any. Via APEX FUSION, my UV will turn off if the return pump is off.

The next diagram shows the flexible pipe from the chiller connecting to tee of my RS Reefer500P, and it goes through the 1" flow sensor before returning to the display. Justif you wonder, the other end of my tee houses a inline ORP probe, which controls the ozone serving my skimmer, this way I'm sure no stray ozone enters my display.

Finally the flow through the UV is controlled by the 1" flow sensor and the COR 20. FWIW I'm running at 800 LPH less than half the suggested minimum 1830 LPH – 72’000 µWs/cm² radiation intensity recommended by the DD/DELTEC, but I like my flow to be in the 180,000 µWs/cm² protozoa killing norm instead, so long that my water is cold enough not to fry the UV bulb. Insofar there are no ill effects, except my ATS growth is slow, but I can't quite attribute that to UV.

I hope the above helps.

This way my chiller cools any heater water from my UV, if any. Via APEX FUSION, my UV will turn off if the return pump is off.

This was exactly what I was looking for. Just looking at setting up my first tank and was thinking I needed a separate pump to run the chiller and UV to prevent uv light burn out when the main pump shuts down for feeding. Just got to work out how to program the apex to do this but that is still a way off as I haven’t even started cycling yet. I’m still debating whether to run 100% through the UV and chiller as you have or have them come off my manifold. I’m leaning towards the later as I have a refugium and would like some of the helpful critters created in it to make it to my DT without getting zapped. I’m reading tank water flow is important too but as you pointed out, your wave makers take up the slack from lower flow from your return pump. Food for thought...

 

[Saltees]

This was exactly what I was looking for. Just looking at setting up my first tank and was thinking I needed a separate pump to run the chiller and UV to prevent uv light burn out when the main pump shuts down for feeding. Just got to work out how to program the apex to do this but that is still a way off as I haven’t even started cycling yet. I’m still debating whether to run 100% through the UV and chiller as you have or have them come off my manifold. I’m leaning towards the later as I have a refugium and would like some of the helpful critters created in it to make it to my DT without getting zapped. I’m reading tank water flow is important too but as you pointed out, your wave makers take up the slack from lower flow from your return pump. Food for thought...

My COR20 has the IQ setting where the pump will throttle down to 15% which is absolute minimum flow for my chiller and UV for 30 minutes. I am seriously considering running another COR20 parallel to increase the throughput to the sump. Any critter big enough for fish meal would survive the UV. If UV is meant for disease control, I would ensure 100% of water passes through it. For me, the sump also served as observation/holding/quarrantine area for my new frags/corals after coral dip, I don’t want any nasties to enter into the display.

 

[Struttmaster]

My COR20 has the IQ setting where the pump will throttle down to 15% which is absolute minimum flow for my chiller and UV for 30 minutes. I am seriously considering running another COR20 parallel to increase the throughput to the sump. Any critter big enough for fish meal would survive the UV. If UV is meant for disease control, I would ensure 100% of water passes through it. For me, the sump also served as observation/holding/quarrantine area for my new frags/corals after coral dip, I don’t want any nasties to enter into the display.

Boy, that is some set up! The photo looks like you have 2 return pumps...this must be the water and glass playing tricks on the eye.