UV Sterilizer help

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schwalbach2280

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 15, 2009
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My 210 is having a green water problem so I am for the first time getting a UV sterilizer. I am new to these so I do not know very much about them. How can I run one on my tank with only one of these units and a pump? What would I have to do so that all the larger aquarium debris does not flow through the sterilizer and decrease its efficiency by clogging it?

Also, does anyone have and suggestions of which to purchase? I have been looking at the canister type pond filters that have a UV integrated as I could always use more filtration as well. Anyone used one of these?
 
Attach it to the output of your canister filter if you have one.
 
You can hook it up to a pump and just have the return going back into the tank. Just make sure your using the correct flow rate for your UV unit. I wouldn't worry to much about debris going through the UV as it shouldn't reduce efficiency by any great amount. If your really worried about it, you can always put a sponge on the intake side of the pump as a prefilter.
 
Okay thanks. For whatever reason I thought it would be more complicated than that. Does anyone have any suggestions of what brand I should look at? Also, what wattage am I going to be looking to get for a 210?
 
How bad is the green water, is it pea soup bad or just a tint of green? Keep in mind that if the tank is exposed to direct sun light then you will have a greater likely hood of the water turning green. If the tank isn't exposed to direct sunlight then I would look at your water parameters first. Excess nutrients and light duration will also promote green water.
 
RedDwarf;4842536; said:
How bad is the green water, is it pea soup bad or just a tint of green? Keep in mind that if the tank is exposed to direct sun light then you will have a greater likely hood of the water turning green. If the tank isn't exposed to direct sunlight then I would look at your water parameters first. Excess nutrients and light duration will also promote green water.
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The water is only tinted green. I checked the parameters and they are at normal levels. The tank is slightly exposed to direct sunlight. I was reading into the problem and read that I should keep the aquarium lights completely off for a few days and that seemed to help out some with the green water. Just from that is why I believe the problem can be fixed with a UV sterilizer. Would you suggest another approach first?
 
In your case then a UV will help out. Remember your still in winter so as the summer comes along, the sun exposure will be greater and so will the green water issue. I would go with about a 18watt unit. You could go lower in the watts but then you would need to reduce the flow rate. There isn't much of a price difference really between the 9watt and the 18watt units so I would go with the 18watt ones.
 
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