Enough?

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calisucks

Candiru
MFK Member
Nov 6, 2005
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Okay so here is the deal. I have a 150 gallon. My filter goes like this: wet/dry with 6 lbs of bio balls, 20 gallon sump that has a Rio 2500 return filter, it also has a Rena xp4 that takes water from the sump, and at the return end of the xp4 there is a 25 watt gamma UV light.. So my question is, is this enough filtration for the tank? And is the GPH too fast for the UV? Because I still have brown algae growing, and ammonia is pretty high. I've cycled it for 2 weeks and when I added my dorados 2 days ago, they died last night. So I'm wondering if all that is enough or should I get some else?
 
Check your water parameters. Its only been 2 weeks since you set it up? If thats the case, your tank is not cycled yet. Give it some time, and check your tap water for high concentration of nitrates.

Good luck.:D
 
calisucks;819474; said:
Okay so here is the deal. I have a 150 gallon. My filter goes like this: wet/dry with 6 lbs of bio balls, 20 gallon sump that has a Rio 2500 return filter, it also has a Rena xp4 that takes water from the sump, and at the return end of the xp4 there is a 25 watt gamma UV light.. So my question is, is this enough filtration for the tank? And is the GPH too fast for the UV? Because I still have brown algae growing, and ammonia is pretty high. I've cycled it for 2 weeks and when I added my dorados 2 days ago, they died last night. So I'm wondering if all that is enough or should I get some else?


What model UV?

On a good day the xp4 pushes 450gph.

Why are you drawing water from your sump for the xp4? (filtering filtered water)?

UV's only control suspended (floating) algae, If it's growing on something, it won't help, except if the fish knock it off and it floats and gets past the filters.

Go thru the algae removeal process and keep the UV running.

How did you cycle the tank?

Dr Joe

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I'm running the 25 watt Gamma UV. I was told that it would better if I ran the xp4 from the sump for water quality purposes. I've cleaned the algae off the tank but it keeps on growing back. I ran the tank by itself with "cycle" for a week, then I added a few feeders for another week before I added the dorados, which in turn died 2 days later..
 
1402?

One adv. say's 4000g pond another says 125g aquarium max...:nilly: :ROFL:

Either way your good on the flow rate.

Your just not getting the filtration potential out of the xp4 you could doing it that way.

Do you have a pre-filter/filter on the W/D? (is there something I don't know about?)

Dr Joe

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calisucks;819474; said:
. . . it also has a Rena xp4 that takes water from the sump, and at the return end of the xp4 there is a 25 watt gamma UV light.. So my question is, is this enough filtration for the tank? And is the GPH too fast for the UV?

2007-04-22

Assuming that the UV Sterilizer has a diameter of 3", a flow rate of 229 GPH will kill Bacteria & Algae. This flow rate turns 99.99% of the 150 Gallons through the UV twice each day & provides a Zap Dosage of 22'000 micro-watt seconds per square centimetre. This calculation was made using P. R. Escobal's software.


Terry
 
tmik;821758; said:
calisucks;819474; said:
. . . it also has a Rena xp4 that takes water from the sump, and at the return end of the xp4 there is a 25 watt gamma UV light.. So my question is, is this enough filtration for the tank? And is the GPH too fast for the UV?

2007-04-22

Assuming that the UV Sterilizer has a diameter of 3", a flow rate of 229 GPH will kill Bacteria & Algae. This flow rate turns 99.99% of the 150 Gallons through the UV twice each day & provides a Zap Dosage of 22'000 micro-watt seconds per square centimetre. This calculation was made using P. R. Escobal's software.


Terry


? Twice a day ?
 
2007-04-23

Sorry, my explanation was not that clear. The key is the 99.99% . . . consider that every drop of water passing through the unit (& is therefore sterilized) will fall into 150 Gallons of non-sterilized water. The software that I use uses Calculus to determine what flow rate is required to sterilize all (okay 99.99%) twice a day. It is generally accepted that these unwanted organisms can be killed off faster than they can multiply at this rate. The software also calculates the flow rate needed to kill off various types of organisms . . . algae and bacteria are more easily killed than fungi, protozoans or viruses. In a nut shell, in order for a UV Sterilizer to be effective, the water must pass slowly enough to kill the organism yet fast enough to allow all water to pass through twice a day. I hope this message is a bit easier to understand . . . I work 12 to 16 hours a day, so I'm not always too clear, especially at this time of night.

Cheers,

Terry
 
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