Look up the aquatop cf500 it has built in UV albeit a tad bit under powered but it allows you to use whatever media you prefer in whichever order and it keeps my 180 pristine
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I have a few EBJDs that will eventually go into this tank when they are big enough. I'd like to play it safe with them in regards to them getting any diseases. I have read that UV sterilizers help with that. I don't know a lot about UV sterilizers and just started thinking about getting one. I would love to hear your input on them
Why not put in a sump, you can put in a filter sock under drain lines for mechanical filtration and run a low gph line to a UV if you feel it is needed, without sacrificing flow to other parts of the tank. You can put your heater in the sump where it's out of sight.
A sump adds gallonage (depending on its size), and is a place to add water without direct immediate contact to the fish, and is forgiving if the temp of your new water suddenly drops.
It is a great place to sequester an injured, or aggressive fish. I always keep a few fry in my sumps to eat extra food particles. A sump is also a place to grow plants that soak up nutrients if you plan it that way, I always use one sump for plants, and another for hardware, adding another 40 to 50 gallons to each bank of tanks.
Other people may feel free to disagree, but I have always heard that UV sterilizers don't kill all diseases. Often the disease gets into the substrate which is where a lot of bacteria is. The best cure to diseases that I have always used is raising the temperature and adding salt to the tank. I have had fish for a long time and even with perfect water changes and filtration they occur. If you are willing to spend the money, that is up to you. But if I had an extra 80-100 bucks I would spend it on an extra filter or more media for your new big canister/sump.
Im going to look into building a sump. That seems like the best option for me. My tank is glass and not drilled....I do have an overflow box that was used on one of my old 75 gallon tanks. Would that work? I'll check the link that was posted here before but does anyone else have any pointers on building a sump for me? What size tank should I use as a sump? Thank you guys so much for your help!!
General rule of them for a good sized sump is 25% of the tanks size so a 125 would need a 30 gal sump. I drilled wholes in a bucket and layered media in it and stuck that in the sump. It works well but I also have a canister to further polish the water
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Dispatch273
Hi...
That's not overkill. It's a very nice setup & reasonably priced. I recommend adding the wet/dry to make it complete.
You'll enjoy this system for it's (Great filtration) and ease of use. I don't know how your tank is setup, but by adding this to your tank you are able to put your heater in the sump to keep it hidden.
Just giving my opinion...
Good Luck with your shopping
Jill
