UV sterilizer recommendations

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
A

aglarond

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 2, 2008
51
1
0
Hamilton, Ontario
I'm in the market for a UV sterilizer and I'm kind of confused.

The Coralife Turbo-twist sterilizers that everyone seems to sell seem OK, but they don't come with a pump. Will any powerhead that I buy be compatible with them? What type of flow rate should I be aiming for? Too much or too little flow through the unit would make it ineffective in my mind.

There are also a couple of Pentair sterilizers available, the aquastep and the lifeguard. They also need pumps, but they do suggest an ideal flow rate. Again though, what type of pumps or powerheads would be compatible?

Another question I have involves the effectiveness rating. Usually when a company says a filter is good for 100 gallons it really means it is only good for 50. Does this philosophy apply to UV sterilizers as well?

How is the connection between a UV sterilizer and a powerhead or pump bridged?

Does anyone have any flat out recommendations on what I should buy? Something that works for you and something that is incredibly silent. This would be for a 90 gallon tank that always has green water problems.

Thanks!
 
From someone on here (and what im doing) as far as flow is 10gph per 1w of UV...so if its a 36w run 360gph through it. If you run them slow it has more contact time and works better for the paracites and stuff like that...if you run the water faster it will only really help with the green water and not also the bugs. The max flow rate listed might be the max the UV can take before it starts to leak from having to much pressure. You want contact time so you don't want fast. The turbo twist keeps the water around the bulb longer so it sounds good in my mind...I got the helix from aquamedic and it has the same spiral motion. As for size I dont remember how to rate them...but on yours I would think a 18w. Any power head or canister filter will work. If you are getting water out of the tank and not a wetdry you might want to run it through the canister...so its clean clear water going over the bulb.
 
I think NOLOGT gave you some great advice… Allow me to reiterate some of it with a few other details…

Green water can be cured at higher flow rates… but in my opinion if you’re going to spend the money for a UV light why not get all the perks it has to offer. Slower flow rates increase water clarity as well as kill parasites.

I use a target flow rate of 10 gph per 1W of UV wattage… and 1W of UV wattage per 10 gal of tank volume. These are actual flow rates regardless of what the box claims…

I have both Tubro Twist UV lights and Danner UV lights. The TT are made of a cheaper plastic although I would not consider them flimsy at all. They come with a clip to hang on the side of the tank which is nice for some applications. The Danner lights are very well built and although they do not have the fancy fins inside, the volume of the UV housing is what matters, not if the water spins around the bulb or not… I use Danner for larger lights (20W+) and TT for smaller…

You can use a powerhead to power them, but a high quality prefilter is a must. Any debris that is pushed through the UV light risks scuffing the quartz sleeve. Any imperfections in this sleeve will interfere with the direct UV waves lowering its effectiveness.

I personally use canister filters to power my UV lights. Specifically I use Magnum filters using the micron filter cartridge. I find these canisters to be inexpensive, long lasting and although they have a small media chamber (not good for bio) they are extremely effective when using the micron cartridges at pulling out the finest of debris.

The only UV lights I am aware of that have a built in motor are Submariner UV lights which only come in 5W or 7W. The 7W can be used to effectively rid a tank of parasites if the flow rate is dialed all the way down and the intake gets a little clogged. I do not believe the 5W could be used effectively against parasites with the motor it comes with (motor is too large for a 5W).

In conclusion, if you just want to get rid of the green water the simplest way possible, the Submariner 5W will probably do it, the 7W will do it… if you want the added benefits of further clarifying the water and killing parasites then I suggest using a Magnum HOT w/ micron cartridge & a 9~10W UV… this Magnum canister is rated at 250 gph, but with the micron cartridge with a blue filter sock over it the actual flow rate is slowed to approx 100 gph (I use this exact combo on 3 different tanks).
 
What he said.

NC have you seen or used the aquamedic helix UV's? I picked one up with my other supplies just because the place I ordered from had them (and I was getting free shipping on orders over 175) and they spin the water around the bulb for more contact time. It also has a really nice mounting bracket...

http://www.aquacave.com/36w-helix-uv-sterilizer-brby-aquamedic-786.html
 
I say throw down for the turbotwist x12. It's a nice unit.

Nice avatar by the way. I have one of those little crabs. Love that guy.
 
NOLAGT, I've not used or worked with that specific brand... but the basic concept of a UV light is very simple. As long as the housing is UV resistant and doesn't leak it should work... The volume of water the housing can hold will determine the dwell time... not the spinning motion. That's just TT's hype (although there's nothing wrong with the twisting motion).

Oreo, The original poster said they have a 90 gallon tank... so a 36W UV light would be masive overkill and the higher cost of replacement bulbs will be flushing money down the toilet. Overkill is nice to have but sucks to pay for... find the balance ;)
 
For Turbo Twist x3=9W; x6=18W; x12=36W
 
Ahh ok I never looked at how they were named. Yeah I would say 9 or 18w for the 90.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom