What's your opinion about putting in one of these?http://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/like/26...%3D711-117182-37290-0%26rvr_id%3D887289417537
In-tank U.V
- Thread starter Thekid
- Start date
I bought the "new design" one on amazon. It made the water clearer at first in a 20 long but pretty much quit working after a month. I quickly looked at it yesterday to find out how to clean it but couldn't find a pad or anything that was stopped up. I think this is one thing you may unfortunately have to spend the money to get a good one on. I think these would only clear water too and not kill ich or anything
I was looking at a aquatop one but it seems like it needs a strainer or some type of mechanical before the light to prevent build up.
All UV lights are going to be dependent upon a clean "sleeve," which is the quartz tube between the bulb and the water. If that sleeve gets a slight film on it, even if visible light can still penetrate the sleeve, it can block the UV wavelength. Probably need to routinely wipe down the sleeve for consistent performance, and the bulbs need to be replaced every year or so. Systems used to disinfect drinking water require annual bulb replacement for guaranteed performance.
Bulbs have a life, the ones I used are good for 1500 hours, that would be around 60 days use. My advise is to use it for 2 days and then turn it off, once the water gets a slight green color turn it on again...
Considering the extremely short life of the bulb in the previous post, lamp life and replacement cost are probably the most important metrics when choosing a model for purchase.