So it seems many people are interested in purchasing a UV sterilizer for their tanks. About a year ago I purchased an Odyssea brand 9W UV sterilizer for $29.99 off of eBay. Many may be wary of the low price so hopefully my review will alleviate these fears.
http://cgi.ebay.com/9W-Aquarium-UV-...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a07a5314
Price: $29.99 off eBay w/ free shipping
Included: 9W G23 base UV bulb, housing with quartz tube, hang on back and in-line mounting brackets. 5/8 and 3/4" hose barb fittings.
Time of ownership: 1 year
Pros: It has kept my tank largely disease and completely floating algae free. Over the year I have had it, I have added new fish without QT and the unit has kept disease to a minimum. Water is crystal clear. Importantly the unit has never leaked. Some have mentioned that the hose barbs can break easily but I haven't found that to be the case. Bulb replaced after 1 year(it burnt out) and the bulbs were about $20 for 2.
Cons: Uses a plug/transformer(wall wart) power brick that takes up a lot of space. The housing to the transformer cracked and broke into its two component parts after a seemingly light drop. However, after gluing back together the unit functioned fine. No easy way to clean the quartz tube. Did not include fittings for 1/2" or 12/16mm tubing(the common size Eheim uses).
My setup: 29g high tech planted community tank with an Eheim Ecco 2236 and a Eheim 2213. This unit is plumbed in line with the 2213 giving roughly 90gph through the filter.
Do I recommend the unit? Without question yes. It has performed reliably and effectively for the year I have had it. Considering other brands are over 3x the price I think its a great buy.
If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask.
http://cgi.ebay.com/9W-Aquarium-UV-...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a07a5314
Price: $29.99 off eBay w/ free shipping
Included: 9W G23 base UV bulb, housing with quartz tube, hang on back and in-line mounting brackets. 5/8 and 3/4" hose barb fittings.
Time of ownership: 1 year
Pros: It has kept my tank largely disease and completely floating algae free. Over the year I have had it, I have added new fish without QT and the unit has kept disease to a minimum. Water is crystal clear. Importantly the unit has never leaked. Some have mentioned that the hose barbs can break easily but I haven't found that to be the case. Bulb replaced after 1 year(it burnt out) and the bulbs were about $20 for 2.
Cons: Uses a plug/transformer(wall wart) power brick that takes up a lot of space. The housing to the transformer cracked and broke into its two component parts after a seemingly light drop. However, after gluing back together the unit functioned fine. No easy way to clean the quartz tube. Did not include fittings for 1/2" or 12/16mm tubing(the common size Eheim uses).
My setup: 29g high tech planted community tank with an Eheim Ecco 2236 and a Eheim 2213. This unit is plumbed in line with the 2213 giving roughly 90gph through the filter.
Do I recommend the unit? Without question yes. It has performed reliably and effectively for the year I have had it. Considering other brands are over 3x the price I think its a great buy.
If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask.
