You really cant go overboard if you want to hook it up inline go for a 12X 36 watt turbo twist and that will be fine with the flow rate of the FX5 and still destroy ick spores protozoans diseases in general and it will eliminate green water caused by algae. I love my UV I cant imagine not having one. I run a 18 watt turbo twist on my 55 and a 24 watt on my 90 (Forget the brand name at the moment)koop171;3131194; said:
UV sterilizer? best place to buy
- Thread starter koop171
- Start date
I’ve been using UV lights for over 5 years… I’ve been raising Blue Dempseys for over 3 years which are prone to parasitic illness and have been using Uvs to combat that issue…
I have both Turbo Twist and Danner UV lights and am very happy with both… I am not aware of any brands that are “garbage”, but keep in mind Asian knock offs are cheap for a reason…
I use the formula of :
1W of UV strength per 10 US gallons of aquarium volume (include sump if applicable)
10 gph per (actual flow rate, include head pressure, media resistance, etc) per 1 W of UV strength
Fluval claims the FX5 pushes 600 gph… but that is with brand new media and who knows what, if any head pressure… It’s safe to assume that every manufacturer exaggerates… In my experience most canisters actually function at about 50% of their rated capacity, which would put the FX5 at about 460 gph… with this filter I would split the difference and assume it’s about 525...
To cut out any/all of that assumption above, pick up a flow rate meter and find out for sure before spending the money on a UV light. This may save you several times what it costs.
So I suggest getting a 22W UV light and running it at 220 gph… for a 220 gal tank…
Seeing that some water is displaced by decorations and most tanks are actually a bit smaller than they are listed (again, manufacturers exaggerate)… I would feel safe using a 20W Danner UV light powered by a canister that actually pushes 200 gph. A 350 gph canister should push right at or just under 200 gph. Or you can split the return line of the FX5 and use a ball valve to regulate the flow rate through the UV.
I’ve seen a whole lot of people make random assumptions about UV use and then later mislead people into believing they do not work. They work magnificently, if they are used correctly.
I have both Turbo Twist and Danner UV lights and am very happy with both… I am not aware of any brands that are “garbage”, but keep in mind Asian knock offs are cheap for a reason…
I use the formula of :
1W of UV strength per 10 US gallons of aquarium volume (include sump if applicable)
10 gph per (actual flow rate, include head pressure, media resistance, etc) per 1 W of UV strength
Fluval claims the FX5 pushes 600 gph… but that is with brand new media and who knows what, if any head pressure… It’s safe to assume that every manufacturer exaggerates… In my experience most canisters actually function at about 50% of their rated capacity, which would put the FX5 at about 460 gph… with this filter I would split the difference and assume it’s about 525...
To cut out any/all of that assumption above, pick up a flow rate meter and find out for sure before spending the money on a UV light. This may save you several times what it costs.
So I suggest getting a 22W UV light and running it at 220 gph… for a 220 gal tank…
Seeing that some water is displaced by decorations and most tanks are actually a bit smaller than they are listed (again, manufacturers exaggerate)… I would feel safe using a 20W Danner UV light powered by a canister that actually pushes 200 gph. A 350 gph canister should push right at or just under 200 gph. Or you can split the return line of the FX5 and use a ball valve to regulate the flow rate through the UV.
I’ve seen a whole lot of people make random assumptions about UV use and then later mislead people into believing they do not work. They work magnificently, if they are used correctly.
