UV Sterlizer?

[sharkboy]

I'm looking to get one of these for preventative reasons...I don't know a whole lot about the different types and brands. What would you recommend for a 215 gallon tank?

[ClownReef®]

Maybe Brian (Greenmako) can chime in. He has a UV sterilizer on his 300 gal. Reef.

AquaUV makes EXCELLENT products. I believe Brian's is an AquaUV (http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=Aquauv).

[BIGBIRD123]

All I know is that they recommend you get one that is 40% larger than needed because of the bulb dies off pretty fast. I want one too but have other things grabbing my $$ right now.

Steve

[erikharrison]

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=ES77071

Coralife Turbo Twist. That link is the one rated for 200-400 gallons. What kind of return pump do you have for your tank? You would probably be good just plumbing it straight in. You don't want it going into your sump though. If something got stuck, you would probably overflow the tank, whereas if you do it on the return end your sump would fill up. You should see fairly immeadiate results. By immeadiate I mean the same day. Over time you will notice how much less you are scraping algae. You could not pry mine out of my hands! They are IMO a great investment. I also am required to say that, in no way does this substitute for excellent water conditions!!!

HTH!

[erikharrison]

Oh yeah, it is a great preventative for ICH.

[JimD]

An UV filter wont help against the type of algae you describe. It will only
help against free floating micro algae like the type that makes the water
green.. It wont stop attached organisms from spreading offspring to other
parts of the tank.
It could help increasing the health level of your fish if they are plagued
by micro organisms in the water like fungus and bacteria. For example fin
rot, wounds, white "cotton" dots etc. But this should not be a problem if
the tank is well cycled and doesn't have to many fish because the imune
system of warm water fish should be able to deal with that.
It doesn't sound like an UV filter is what you need. Maybe less fish per
volume and more water changes. That won't make the algae go away, but it
could make them grow slower.

A quote from the results of a Google search. Sounds logical to me...

[sharkboy]

Thanks guys. I use a dart as my return pump so how would I plumb it in? I don't think I need less fish, I only have 9 of them....My algae isn't a huge problem since I have a refugium...I only want the sterilizer to prevent disease such as ich since I plan on adding a few more fish...

[ClownReef®]

First of all we need to see what a UV sterilizer is for in order to see if it suits your needs.

1)*UV sterilization will not cure infected fish itself of bacterial or fungal diseases. A UV can aid in cure by killing bacterial pathogens in the water column and fungal spores, also by improvement of the Redox potential and general water quality. (The Redox Potential is basically the oxidation and reduction properties of water).

2)*A UV sterilizer will not kill ich trophozoites already on the fish, but it can slow the spread of ich tomites in the water column.

3)*A UV sterilizer will not kill beneficial bacteria such aerobic bacteria, as this bacterium is effective when attached to a surface of high water flow such as the sponge of a sponge filter, not when in the water column. In fact relatively new scientific evidence shows nitrifying bacteria to be sticky and adheres to the surfaces like glue this is why the myth of UV Sterilizers killing beneficial bacteria is just that, a myth. It still may be best to turn off a Sterilizer unit when introducing bacteria in liquid form to seed a new aquarium.

4)*UV Sterilization will not remove or destroy algae growing on tank sides, rocks, decorations, ect.

5)*UV Sterilization will NOT make up for poor aquarium maintenance practices such as over crowding, over feeding, inadequate filtration, poor cleaning practices, improper water parameters, and more.

I guess to sum it all up..a UV sterilizer is a doctor for your water. Its meant to clean your water, not your fish or your rock or your sand. Just your water.

Ive been in the hobby long enough to recommend an 18w UV sterilizer for a tank your size if you really want one.

I wouldn't plumb it to a Sequence pump, as the water would rush through it. You want a slower pump. It doesn't matter if it is in your sump or your display. That wont affect the efficiency of the sterilizer.

[ClownReef®]

I swear by UV. I use an aquav but I have a Pentair that I need to plumb in still. The Pentair is the most modular design out there, which means I can hook up more 'goodies' in-line with it later.

AquaUV..told ya :D!

[Ping]

I am very happy with my 36W Coral life. I have it on its own closed loop.

Mag 3 from sump to UV and then back to the sump. I did it this way so the UV does not wipe our all my life going from the sump to the display tank.

I think my tank looks better and the fish appear healthier.

[theedprado]

I prefer ozone.

[hobogato]

i am now using ozone also and love the results in my tank - i think the over all health is the best it has ever been. never tried a uv sterilizer, but it supposedly will give similar results to ozone.

[ClownReef®]

^^^ Exactly.

[5.0Stang]

I love my 40W pentair UV. IMO they are a big help since i dont like to QT that often they help with the ich and other parasites. My over flow box's output is 2 3/4 inch bulkheads i just put it on its own side.

[Richard]

I am using an AquaUv on a 125 at the store. It is better quality than the current, coralife etc. uv's IMO. Get the one with the wiper blade to keep the quartz sleeve clean.

I agree that ozone is far better than uv. I also agree that it is more of a PITA.

I also agree with what bigbird said, and Ed, and clownreef said, and JimD, and erik, and ace....Vote for me in '08 LOL.

[seamonkey2]

hmmm..I run ozone and UV 24/7 and really cant make a comment, because I have no problems :P

but my water is crystal clear and my fish are FAT and healthy, but thats from over feeding LOL

Jose

[Ram_Puppy]

quick question for all of you guys that run ozone... i have always been rather interested in this technology... but a little scared.

I mean ozoen is a potent carcinogen, and we allready breath to much in as it is... so, how do you ensure this is dosed into your water only, and not the room your tank is in as well?

[Bill S]

Ozone is a carcinogen? Hmm. I imagine the Ozone air purifier folks would disagree with that... It's just O3. I CAN tell you that when you crank an ozone machine up to full blast in a room, the little rubber bands on CD/DVD drives only last 6 months! An old boss of mine's wife did that...

[BIGBIRD123]

I agree...

[BIGBIRD123]

I just bought a UV from a person on DFWMAS and will be hooking it up this WE. We'll see how it goes.

steve

[sharkboy]

How many watts should it be?

[erikharrison]

18 minimum, or you could get a 36w.

[Richard]

Depends on the flow rate thru the uv. You said you wanted to plumb it inline with a Dart so probably 80-100 watts, so you might want to rethink that idea.

[LoneStar]

80-100 watts! Thats going to be expensive :)

What I would do is branch off your return line from the dart. 'Y' it off so that you have the main flow going to the display tank, and then have the other part of the 'Y' going to the UV. Place a ball valve (true union :) ) before the UV. That way you can controll the flow going to the UV properly. Then have the exit side of the UV run back down to the sump. No extra pump needed to heat up your water, just will need a few plumbing parts.

I did something similar to this on my old setup. I used a dart to feed my skimmer, chiller, and my return line. Worked great :)

[erikharrison]

you could just get a small powerhead and put it in your sump. Richard's right, I missed the whole dart portion. The trick is to have some good dwell time as it goes through. I am not sure of the design of the others mentioned, but the coralifes have a twist in them to maximize that dwell. The small one is right about a foot tall. The only reason I am talking about that brand is because it is what I have, so I don't know what the differences are amongst brands.

[sharkboy]

Will a maxijet work? I like the idea of using a separate pump that way I don't have to make any changes to the plumbing...

[erikharrison]

yes, I had one on mine until I plumbed it.

[sharkboy]

What all is do I need to set this up? http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AV2193 Basically, it is a 25 watt sterlizer with a 3/4" in and out...I have never used one and have a few questions...what kind/size of pump should I use? How often does the quartz sleeve need to be replaced? does the sterlizer run in sump or out?

[LoneStar]

25W UV Sterilizer Max Flow: 2000 gph as clarifier, 1200 gph as sterilizer
Dimensions: 26.25" X 4" X 2.5"
Inlet: 3/4" barb or FPT, Outlet: 3/4" barb or FPT
Available in white only.
Lightweight Unit Weighs: 5 lbs

Well I would run it with 1200 gph, as noted on the specs for that UV. I didn't know those larger UV's need that high of gph flow. So you could plumb it inline with your return pump or you can buy a seperate pump to feed the UV. A Mag12 or a Eheim 1262 would work well. The Eheim would be a little underrated for the 1200gph needed but they are nicer pumps. Make sure that UV is not in the sump! You don't want to get the housing wet! Otherwise you can mount it to the stand. Feed water in and then have it drain back into the sump.

[Richard]

Actually at 1200 gph it is the minimal kill rate. I would only do around 400 gph for that size. Here's a better chart for that unit...

http://www.championlighting.com/home.php?cat=464

[LoneStar]

Then if your looking at 400gph range, Definatly get a Eheim for a feed pump. :) You won't regret it.

[sharkboy]

What size of Eheim?

[erikharrison]

http://www.marinedepot.com/a_pu_eheim.asp?CartId=?adsite=google&gclid=CIDf-Zf7lY0CFQQ3OAodlS8-6w

There's a link....

[erikharrison]

If you have a fuge/sump you can run some eggcrate across the top of it and feed your tubing up to the eggcrate where your UV will lay. That's what I am doing. I dont like a bunch of stuff in the water, I have as much out of the water as I can have.

[sharkboy]

Thanks...since my tank is in a wall I have some room to mount it on the stand somewhere...those eheims sure are pricey....do you think the 1250 model is sufficient?

[erikharrison]

I would tend to say yes because it is slower flow and will increase dwell time. I don't think I would go slower than that.

[Richard]

Or a mag5 although eheim is a better pump. With head pressure you'll probably be right around 400 gph with the mag5.

If it were me I'd actually get the 57watt uv and a bigger pump. It would cost around $150 more but would be better suited for your 215. Usually you want 3-5x turnover thru the uv and the 57watt would still give a good kill rate at that flow.

[sharkboy]

What pump would you recommend for the 57 watt uv?

[Richard]

For submersible pumps, I'd probably use the Eheim 1262. If you want smething cheaper then maybe a Mag9.5 or a Sen900