UV Sterilizer/Clarifier help

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thefishguy7

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 19, 2007
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I've seen a bunch of these threads, but can't exactly grasp how to set one up.
Do I put it on the input or output of one of my canisters?
Or should I use a powerhead and mount it completely separately? If so, how should I go about setting it up? (I'd prefer this way)
How much flow would you recommend for a 180 gallon tank? I have dual triple strip lights and the tank is exposed to direct sunlight. This obviously causes issues with green water. I already run 3000 gph with another 20 gallon sump and possibly an fx5 on the way. I've been doing 30-50% water changes every other day. The water still has a green-tint...I think an XL UV clarifier/sterilizer should do the trick, how about you?

I was considering buying this:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=5163+5165+14230&pcatid=14230
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=142261
It's the 55W model, rated for 5000 gallon ponds. I like over-kill, is this the UV clarifier for me?

Thanks in advance!
 
Hey you can never have too much UV haha! Your fish will end up with a nice tan.
Personally setting up the clarifier with a powerhead is more hastle then it's worth. If you were to attach it to your canister make sure it is connected to the output... therefore you'll have filtered water running through it and it's not going to get clogged with any dirt/muck.
Since getting mine it has severely reduced the amount of alge in my tank and makes the water crystal clear (clumps small particles together so they can be filtered out by the canister).... But yeah I attached mine to the outlet with ease and noticed no pressure / flow drop.
The largest one may be a little overkil but if you have high flow rate then you need one that can match the power needed.
I'd really go with having it on the outlet though, otherwise you need to look at some sort of mechanical filter (unless you have it running directly from and into your sump)
 
Thanks Marty! That's the one I'll be getting. Hooking it up on the output like you recommend.
 
for a uv to work it must have the correct water flow.

1) get a uv sized for your tank or larger
2) split the output of your filter so you can control the flow thru the uv
3) MEASURE the flow rate thru the uv,..... time how long it take to fill a gallon container........adjust as need to match the gph of the uv unit
 
if you have green water then you have other filter issues. a uv sterilizer would be a band-aid solution. i would sugest getting to the root and fixing the green water problem, and then put the uv in play. if your car had a loud knock in the engine would you put sawdust in it to quiet it? or would you wanna find out the problem and fix that problem? uv's are a great tool, but you're using it to mask another issue
 
Light is the cause of algae… but light is a desired effect… UV is the balance to that addition…

It doesn’t take much UV power to address green water, but in my opinion if your going to add a UV you might as well add enough to give multiple benefits…

Over several years of tinkering with UVs I’ve come up with a simple “rule of thumb” to base UV on…

1W of UV power per 10 Gal of tank volume…
10 gph per 1W of UV power…

I trust this to kill parasites as well as clarify green water and make water crystal clear.

Blue Dempseys are well known to be susceptible to parasitic illnesses and this “rule of thumb” has illuminated this concern in my tanks.

I like Danner UV lights best but Turbo Twist lights are real nice if you want a “hang on tank” version…

If you’re the overkill type don’t hesitate to use more wattage and a slower flow rate…
 
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