Does the UV Sterilizer have to be hooked up on main filtration line?

I had 1 set up separately. Like a chiller, you want the water to pump through it as slow as possible so I just grabbed the smallest pump I could that was able to pump it through the uv and back up to the main tank.


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Any uv is better than no uv, but as it will be connected to a separate pump the whole tank volume of water will take longer to pass thru it. And tbh that uv isn't as good as other slightly more expensive units.


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What I have done to restrick the flow of the water that's being pump back to the main tank. I just tee off from the pump then I have a clamp that clamps down to the 5/8" hose to UV that's how I slow down the water. I have a Laguna 2400 pump that does everything. Take a look at my 300 with 125 sump and u'll know what I'm saying. Why waste money on another pump and electricity when u can use Ur main tank pump that's already there.

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You need exposure for UV to work. Flowrate doesn't need to be slow, the kill rate for that pass may be higher, but more passes make up for the initially lower #. It's an overall picture. As long as you have enough wattage it'll work out.

Many people run bio reactors off a separate, slower flowing loop and put UV in that line.

IF it's not enough wattage it won't sterilize anything, but rather clarify if even that....... The difference between doing it right and doing it wrong is it working well (level 2 sterilization) and it not working at all (not even clarifying).

When you say close to 2000 gph return flow are you talking closed loop or from a sump? I ask because if it's from a sump are you taking into consideration head pressure ( height water must be pumped for returns, as well as the number of bends in the plumbing of the returns. ) most manufacturers rate their pumps at zero head pressure so the amount of actual flow returning to your tank is much less. If you've already taken that into account (13x turnover seems a bit much) the 40w Aqua UV classic can handle that amount of flow, but considering it's only @ $30 difference between that unit and the 57w unit I'd personally go with the 57w unit for a bit of overkill.

Yes it can be 100% separate from the circulation pump. Just shoot for the desired flow rate when selecting a pump and calculating head pressure. I guarantee it will work fine as long as you can turn over enough water from your aquarium, but not put too much through the UV that it reduces the contact time with the bulb to the point that pathogens can survive.

I have used a number of Coralife TurboTwist sterilizers as hang-on UV's in tanks without sumps. Since it's really the only way to get rid of ich in a reef tank without removing fish or corals, in my professional maintenance experience we have had to implement them just about any way we can to get rid of saltwater ich-like diseases (e.g. cryptocaryon, amyloodinium, brooklynella, etc...)

Just read the flow rate range that your particular UV uses. Also, keep in mind that there is a sweet spot. It's possible to have the flow too high or too low to do what you want...btw, what are you trying to use this UV for? Algae control or pathogen control? The contact times for each purpose are a little different.

I haven't used Aqua brand sterilizers in years. From what I remember they are pretty okay, but I really have to recommend the TurboTwist if you are using it for parasites. Just don't get any of those "Gamma" UV's...if they still make them anymore! They are notorious for leaking water into the quartz housing. It really sucks to stick your had in your tank and get a direct shock from the power supply!

Anyway, I know the 9W turbotwist will eliminate ich from a 125g tank (which they are rated for), but you might have to go a step up for your system. I feel like what you end up getting will probably land you in the 200gph range, so you will need to buy a small pump. The T method mentioned above works as well, but no matter how you do it, try to think about where your UV is taking in water and where it's putting it. If you're able to prevent it from cycling recently-sterlized water as much as possible, then you will be able to work with lower flow rates because you are turning more "untreated" (pathogen-containing) water over.