Random thoughts. UV, Phos, Fuge.

[caferacermike]

Picked up a UV sterilizer from Garrett tonight. I've had a new phos reactor kicking around for weeks.

Thoughts.

If I plumb them inline, any problems? What order? UV, Phos, fuge?

Right now I have a line coming from my main return pump that feeds my fuge at about 300GPH. I was thinking about splicing the UV sterilizer first, then the phos reactor and finally dump into the fuge. Should I just run the UV on it's own loop?

Looking for advice from people that run them.

[urban79]

i run mine in it own loop

[Bill S]

If you do it your way, you will be dumping pretty much sterile water into your fuge. I think I'd do it backwards of that - but I could easily be wrong. Let your fuge digest as much PO as it can, then run it thru the other 2. I'm, personally, not big on either UV or ozone. Both will make for clearer water, but I don't think that's what I really want.

[erikharrison]

I have mine in my return area of my sump for the above stated reason that bill gave.

[apedroza]

I have a phosban reactor I haven't set up yet. Stupid question I have is what media does everybody use for these? I have phosphate sponge can I use this? I have just been putting it in a stocking.

[Headless_donkey]

I think if you use the UV after the fuge, you will end up killing all your pods. If I understand correctly UV kills every thing.

Apedoza
You can use what ever you want. I was going to run carbon.

[caferacermike]

Anthony from what I've read, ROWA is the best phos media available. But all will work similar. Make sure you have enough for 2 doses. Your initial dose should be thrown away at the 3 day mark as it is spent and can release the waste back into the tank. Once you've established the set up you can then plan to run a charge for about 1 month. The readings I've seen will keep a tank with low phos levels in check using that method.

Silly question, what would be wrong with sending sterile water into the fuge? The critters will eat sterilized food right? In essence the reason we use frozen food is to make sure we have the cleanest and most hygienic food available right? My fish don't mind eating sterilized Mysis shrimp.

[Headless_donkey]

The idea is the fuge "scrubs" the water for you and takes out excess nutrients. If you have already gotten rid of that nutrients before the fuge then what is the point of the fuge? I do not completely buy this theory. I think fuges offer benefits beyond strict nutrient export. I assume fuges in different systems have different purposes. If you are concerned with pod production then give the fuge clean water (unless the macro, aka pod sanctuary, refuses to grow due to lack of nutrients). This holds true unless the UV kills the photoplakten the pods eat. If you want the fuge for nutrient export then giving it dirty water makes sense. this all assumes you are talking about a macro live rock fuge. If you are going to try another kind,xenia,mangrove, or even aptasia, then the approach might change.
That is enough thinking out loud. Tell me what you think.

[caferacermike]

The way I look at it is that UV will kill live algae and other live "spores". The fact will still remain that healthy, yummy tidbit of cooked nutrient is still floating in the water to be eaten by others. UV does not scrub the water clean of nutrient, just turns live food into dead food. However the Phos reactor might trap the nutrient before the fuge can get to it. My goal is to prevent having to put yet another pump in the system.

[brewercm]

I have my phosphate reactor after my fuge. It's inlet and outlet sits in the center compartment with my skimmer prior to the return portion of the sump.

Actually this thread brings up a question I had in mind also. Has anyone used there reactor for both phosphate and carbon at the same time. Basically like a half and half maybe seperated by a sheet of filter media?

[erikharrison]

I found this, on WWMedia

"Copepods and UV Sterilizers
Hi,
Will running a UV sterilizer kill beneficial copepods and amphipods?
<If it is powerful enough, the flow rate through it long (time-wise) enough, yes>
I had a large bug explosion a few months ago so I got a dragonet and he was eating like crazy. Now, he still looks like he's constantly picking through the rock and sand, but he is getting skinny as if he can't find enough to eat. I'm thinking about setting up a refugium under the tank and getting a amphipod breeding mat and starter culture from Indo-Pacific, but want to find out why the visible bugs are gone? (Still see larger bugs from time to time.)
<Likely consumed by the Mandarin/Dragonet... they can/really mow through such fauna. I do agree, urge you to go ahead with your added sump/refugium plans. Many benefits, much fun. Bob Fenner>
Thanks for your time,
Michael"

[captexas]

It's one of those debates that can really work either way. I think it's really a matter of how well you want to filter/clean your tank water and what method you prefer. The refugium idea is to create a natural filter for cleaning the water using macro algae to obsorb excess nutrients and having pods and other creatures to eat the detrius and other material. It also acts as a safe nursery for pods and such animals that will help replace the ones that naturally dissappear in the main tank. The placement of the UV sterilizer and even other equipment has pros/cons no matter wher you put them. If you put it before the fuge, then it will kill off some of the stuff that the refugium needs thrive. But if you put it after the fuge, it will kill off some of the good critters that travel from it to the main tank. Of course this is if you have the entire system setup to filter in line.

I would think it best to have the UV on a separate loop that either dumps back into the tank or into the return area of a sump instead of dumping into the refugium and having the refugium fed by water straight from the tank. But then some would argue that the UV is not really filtering 100% of the water in the system. Of course if your system is filtering the total water volume a few times an hour as it should, then all water will eventually pass through the UV.

[brewercm]

I've just never cared for the UV myself (personal preference). I had one at one point, and although I did notice I had to clean the tanks glass less regularly. I also noticed that my pod population wemt down dramatically. I'm sure there could be other reasons but at the time I didn't have any fish that was a strictly pod eater. Once I took the UV off my population started to thrive again (you can really nitice at night with a led flashlight). Maybe coincidence but I just prefer to stay away from UV for my reef tank. They do work great for a pond though if you have one.

[erikharrison]

I would think it best to have the UV on a separate loop that either dumps back into the tank or into the return area of a sump instead of dumping into the refugium and having the refugium fed by water straight from the tank. But then some would argue that the UV is not really filtering 100% of the water in the system. Of course if your system is filtering the total water volume a few times an hour as it should, then all water will eventually pass through the UV.

agreed.

[urban79]

dam now I have to take mine off. grrrrrrr...

[captexas]

LOL, hey, in this hobby what works for one person doesn't always work for another and vice versa, so you just have to take it all in and go with what you think is best and gives you the best results. If your setup is working for you then it's like that old saying goes, don't fix what ain't broken.

[urban79]

it useless now I havent clean it in a long time

[erikharrison]

It should kill less things if it is pumped through quickly!