Are cannister filters strong enought to drive a UV filter in line with it also?
- Thread starter sg1717
- Start date
Yes...
I highly suggest using a canister filter to power your UV light. The better you filter the water the more effective the UV unit can work.
Flow rate is a key factor in the efficiency of a UV unit. I suggest against blindly following manufacturer's recommendations and doing a bit of research. There is a current thread here where details are being discussed.
I highly suggest using a canister filter to power your UV light. The better you filter the water the more effective the UV unit can work.
Flow rate is a key factor in the efficiency of a UV unit. I suggest against blindly following manufacturer's recommendations and doing a bit of research. There is a current thread here where details are being discussed.
I am currently useing this eheim 2026 as a mechanical filter only and I have plumbed the discharge through a Laguna pond UV clarifier(sterilizer). The unit it rated for a 1000gal pond and the eheim pumps out 250gph. This set-up has been running for months without a single problem and the water in the tank is spectacular.
Sorry about the pics...I used my cell.
Sorry about the pics...I used my cell.
You want it after filtration. The fewer particulates in the water, the better the UV penetrates.
OP, there is nothing for the canister to "power" so to speak. A ultraviolet unit is just a tube with a UV light in it (basically). As long as water flows through at the right speed (i.e. not too fast) it works. You may find the need to "tee" off a line from the return of the canister if the flow is too fast.
OP, there is nothing for the canister to "power" so to speak. A ultraviolet unit is just a tube with a UV light in it (basically). As long as water flows through at the right speed (i.e. not too fast) it works. You may find the need to "tee" off a line from the return of the canister if the flow is too fast.
I think adding my UV sterilizer slowed my canister down from 200+ to 100 gph. Of course, my UV sterilizer looks pretty cheaply made. It's just an FEP plastic tube spiraling around the bulb whereas good UVs use a quartz sleeve around the bulb.
I should add some bypass.
I should add some bypass.
sg1717;3928681; said:
For effectiveness, each UV sterilizer has a recommended flow rate. Our 40 Watt Lifeguard UV sterilizer is connected to the return line of an FX-5 and has worked really well for us.
pacu mom;3930270; said:
.....and you actually have to tailor the flow rater to what you are trying to kill. Basically, normal flow will work as a clarifier for algae, but you may need slower flows for parasites.
yea, "worked out really well for us" is hard to really gauge...
　
A UV light will "clarify" water at a much higher flow rate than it will kill parasites...
　
Since parasitic infestations aren't necessarily all that common, most of us don't really know if our UV set up is literally killing parasites. We may have our UV light hooked up for years before it ever gets the chance to kill a parasite.
　
This is why UV lights are one of the few areas that I do not suggest taking “user experience” as the strongest guideline.
　
It’s only those cases where we know our fish are vulnerable to parasitic attack that typical user experience can really know if we are killing parasites.
　
A UV light will "clarify" water at a much higher flow rate than it will kill parasites...
　
Since parasitic infestations aren't necessarily all that common, most of us don't really know if our UV set up is literally killing parasites. We may have our UV light hooked up for years before it ever gets the chance to kill a parasite.
　
This is why UV lights are one of the few areas that I do not suggest taking “user experience” as the strongest guideline.
　
It’s only those cases where we know our fish are vulnerable to parasitic attack that typical user experience can really know if we are killing parasites.