Bed Filters and UV Sterilizer needed?

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Pazzoman

Piranha
MFK Member
Apr 5, 2009
3,005
50
81
New York
Hey Everyone,

A few posts down you can see my future sump slowly being laid out with the help of you guys, however I just happen to been noticing some people using some thing called "Bed Filters" and UV sterilizers....I heard of UV sterilizer in saltwater but never for fresh.

So basically, can someone explain how a bed filter works? And can it easily be added to a sump?
Anybody use UV sterilizers? If so what are the best ones and how to apply to system?

I probably wont add the bed filter as well as a uv sterilizer but Im curious on thier impacts on filtration.
 
Pazzoman said:
Hey Everyone,

A few posts down you can see my future sump slowly being laid out with the help of you guys, however I just happen to been noticing some people using some thing called "Bed Filters" and UV sterilizers....I heard of UV sterilizer in saltwater but never for fresh.

So basically, can someone explain how a bed filter works? And can it easily be added to a sump?
Anybody use UV sterilizers? If so what are the best ones and how to apply to system?

I probably wont add the bed filter as well as a uv sterilizer but Im curious on thier impacts on filtration.
Click to expand...

UV sterilizers seem controversial on here, every time a thread pops up you have people who swear by them and people who say they're a waste of money. If you have the correct flow rate, I think they can help and I run them on both my tanks. That being said they are kind of expensive, so if you're on a tight budget you can certainly get away without one.

A moving bed filter is a better place for BB to live and can accommodate a bigger bio load in your tank. Basically the idea is to have neutral buoyant material that is roiled by an air pump. I use Kaldness K2, I have sectioned part of my sump with egg crate, filled it with K2 and have 2 large air stones on the bottom powered by a 20 lpm pump. This creates an oxygen rich environment for the BB to thrive. Look on youtube for 'moving bed filter' and you'll see some good examples.

I didn't look to see what size tank you're setting up, or what kind of stock you plan to have, but these are nice to have on larger tanks with large bio loads. Plus, if you like messing around with filters and tinkering it is fun to set them up and take your filtration to the next level.
 
I can't awnser your bed filter questions but I can give input on the UV.

i've owned salt and fresh tanks and I have used them on both. If you have good flow and have the money for one they are nice to have. For a freshwater tank I wouldn't say its necessary though. I do have one on mine but I dont remember the brand off the top of my head. I got it for free when I bought other equpiment off someone. I also have 2 corallife turbo twists - one is on a freshwater and one was once on a saltwater tank. I ve gone years with one and without, I think they are nice to have, but I wouldn't spend a ton of money on one for a freshwater tank either.
 
Hmm really interested in a bed filter, hows the mainteance and is it easy to set up? Im pretty sure if i go with a bed filter as well my sump will look like this:

No pic but in this order.. Filter sock-bed filter...pond matrix...return pump.

Does the bed filter need its own chamber...or can i just get egg crate like i think you have mentioned and seperate them?

Also should two filter socks be used at one time or is better just to use one and change when needed?


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
 
If you buy a Ferrari are you going to fill it with 87 octane and go to jiffy lube for oil changes with their cheap bulk oil?

I REALLY wish someone would have explained the cost of keeping rays to me BEFORE I had them swimming in my tanks. Everyone said keep it simple and everything would be fine. Well after 5+ years I can tell you that BS. UVs might not be needed, but guess what? Look at most of the people keeping nice healthy rays year after year and tell me how many DON'T use UVs.

Never understood why people are willing to drop so much money on rays then skimp on the life support system for these animals. UVs are supposed to nuke all the living stuff in the water column. This is supposed to increase 02 in the system, along with destroying unwanted illness. Makes for an overall healthier environment.

Moving bed filters or bio reactors tumble the media so the expired old unefficient bio is sluffed off the media and are either whisked away by cracking a valve in the bottom and draining out or it will end up in your filter socks. Very low maintenance but the important thing is you don't deal with "mum" that accumulates in bio balls and REALLY bad in pot scrubbies. Mum left unchecked led to bacterial outbreaks in my tanks. Either break down bio towers and wash all the media 2-3 times a year or run moving beds and never have to worry about it.

UVs can be tricky to find good ones. There's a lot of junk out there. "Terrible twists" are the first that come to my mind as I bought a good sized one for my pup tank and after having the kill rate run it barely works as a clarifier and nowhere near any kind of sterilization, and I even bought a bigger one then recommended.

A lot of us run reactors or moving beds from a smaller auxiliary pump in the sump. I run a pair of 3.5K GPH return pumps, but also run a little 1K gph that runs through the UV then to the reactor/moving bed. Neither UVs or reactors like the high flow rates we run on ray tanks so it's best just to use a separate pump and give them the lower flow rates they seem to work better with allowing more contact time with the bio.

Like I said, I followed the advice given here and after years of fighting with issues I know what works for me and really wish someone would have enlightened me when I was getting started cause I would have spent the first few years acquiring decent life support and big enough tanks to do what I wanted to instead of filling all the tanks with rays then realizing my life support systems were junk.
 
^^ well, no offense, but nobody forced you to spend all that money on rays, and buy so many of them. I have one large tank, a 300 that I set up after one full year of researching on this forum, and I have two rays, of the smallest species available, hystrix and ocellata. I think it's important to keep things simple, but a sump, UV and 24/7 drip were things that I considered essential before I even bought the tank.

I'm no expert, and I haven't been here 5 years, but 'start small and work your way up' should be common sense to starting any hobby.
 
DB junkie said:
If you buy a Ferrari are you going to fill it with 87 octane and go to jiffy lube for oil changes with their cheap bulk oil?

I REALLY wish someone would have explained the cost of keeping rays to me BEFORE I had them swimming in my tanks. Everyone said keep it simple and everything would be fine. Well after 5+ years I can tell you that BS. UVs might not be needed, but guess what? Look at most of the people keeping nice healthy rays year after year and tell me how many DON'T use UVs.

Never understood why people are willing to drop so much money on rays then skimp on the life support system for these animals. UVs are supposed to nuke all the living stuff in the water column. This is supposed to increase 02 in the system, along with destroying unwanted illness. Makes for an overall healthier environment.

Moving bed filters or bio reactors tumble the media so the expired old unefficient bio is sluffed off the media and are either whisked away by cracking a valve in the bottom and draining out or it will end up in your filter socks. Very low maintenance but the important thing is you don't deal with "mum" that accumulates in bio balls and REALLY bad in pot scrubbies. Mum left unchecked led to bacterial outbreaks in my tanks. Either break down bio towers and wash all the media 2-3 times a year or run moving beds and never have to worry about it.

UVs can be tricky to find good ones. There's a lot of junk out there. "Terrible twists" are the first that come to my mind as I bought a good sized one for my pup tank and after having the kill rate run it barely works as a clarifier and nowhere near any kind of sterilization, and I even bought a bigger one then recommended.

A lot of us run reactors or moving beds from a smaller auxiliary pump in the sump. I run a pair of 3.5K GPH return pumps, but also run a little 1K gph that runs through the UV then to the reactor/moving bed. Neither UVs or reactors like the high flow rates we run on ray tanks so it's best just to use a separate pump and give them the lower flow rates they seem to work better with allowing more contact time with the bio.

Like I said, I followed the advice given here and after years of fighting with issues I know what works for me and really wish someone would have enlightened me when I was getting started cause I would have spent the first few years acquiring decent life support and big enough tanks to do what I wanted to instead of filling all the tanks with rays then realizing my life support systems were junk.
Click to expand...


i do agree.... I got a UV close to a year ago, and i am so glad i did. It ended up changing the health of ALL my fish IMO. Like DB said, and from what i have learned, a good quality UV, one that you know the kill rate is sufficient for more than clarification, is the one to go with.
It is this simple, if you have some money invested in rays, spend some money to protect your assets/pets to HELP prevent bad things from happening..
 
Pazzoman said:
Hmm really interested in a bed filter, hows the mainteance and is it easy to set up? Im pretty sure if i go with a bed filter as well my sump will look like this:

No pic but in this order.. Filter sock-bed filter...pond matrix...return pump.

Does the bed filter need its own chamber...or can i just get egg crate like i think you have mentioned and seperate them?

Also should two filter socks be used at one time or is better just to use one and change when needed?


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Click to expand...


Zero maintenance on the moving bed filter. The air pump (or submerged pump as some people use) keeps everything moving, so no detritus gets built up anywhere.

I did use egg crate and suction cups to build the "chamber" which required me to use K2. K1 is too small and will spill out through the holes in the egg crate.

It was super easy to set up, you just need the space. I made the chamber, then put in two air stones:
AS110X10 - http://www.jehmco.com/html/air_diffusers.html

and a pump. Now I can't remember which size I got, but I think it was the 20:
http://www.jehmco.com/html/diaphragm_air_pumps.html#DAPMH8-15


If you have 2 drains, use two filter socks. If you have one drain, you could split it and also use two socks - this would give you more time between cleanings which is nice. So, yeah two socks is always better than one.

As for UV, I have the Aqua UV and am very satisfied with it.
 
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