UV Sterilization recommendation

[jaychoudhary]

I am planning to add UV Sterilization as part of general maintenance and algae control.. I have Prostar Rimless 90 Gallon.

I am considering
Turbo Twist 6X UltraViolet Sterilizer 18W (250 gal) - Coralife
or
Aqua Ultraviolet 25 Watt Classic UV Sterilizer

as well as please advise pump to go with it ..

 

[Uncle99]

I am planning to add UV Sterilization as part of general maintenance and algae control.. I have Prostar Rimless 90 Gallon.

I am considering
Turbo Twist 6X UltraViolet Sterilizer 18W (250 gal) - Coralife
or
Aqua Ultraviolet 25 Watt Classic UV Sterilizer

as well as please advise pump to go with it ..

Both fine.
Remember, the UV sterilizes both good guys and bad guys, I found that counterproductive in my system so I stopped.
Good for making crystal clear water though.

 

[jaychoudhary]

May I know what's bad ?

 

[ReefEco]

They tend to kill (sterilize) free-floating bacteria in the water, which some people think are beneficial. Usually in our systems however, most bacteria are on surfaces, not free floating. I'm not aware of any studies that have concluded UV's are harmful in this way, but there is some good anectodal evidence. I have 160 watts of UV on my system - and view it as a bit of an insurance margin against water-borne fish illnesses. I prefer Pentair as a brand, but really that only is because once you get into larger units they are cheaper with bulb replacements. Just make sure to follow the manufacturers flow suggestions - they have tested them and they are there for a reason. If you want to really make your UV flexible, run it with an adjustable DC pump, so you can switch the way you are running it for algae/bacteria (higher flow) or parasites (lower flow)...

 

[mtraylor]

I would go with the Aqua Ultraviolet 25 Watt Classic UV Sterilizer. The turbo twists are ok. I have the 9w and 18 watt that I put on qt tanks and currently on my frag tank. They can strip the water of algae fairly easy, but not as effect as an Aqua Ultraviolet.

I use to use the turbo twist on my aquariums and then switched to Pentair. Night and day difference. You can keep things like ich at bay with better uv bulbs. The spectrum of bulb between the 2 is totally different. Also the contact time is better on the Aqua Ultra so you can kill more things.

Good luck in your choice.

 

[reefsaver]

They're pretty pricey but the emperor aquatics UV sterilizers are supposed to be #1.
I would go with one a little bigger than recommended because it doesn't necessarily have to run all the time and that way it could be repurposed if you ever wanted or needed an upgrade.

 

[jaychoudhary]

Yeah, preference would be to go for something reasonably priced and which works.

 

[Xavier434]

I had that exact Coralife UV and the inside developed a lot of rust on me. Upon further research, I learned that this happens to a lot of people as well as leaks. I know it is attractive because of the price, but I regret choosing it.