UV Sterilizer Suggestions.... Please?

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
CHUPA CABRA;2883539; said:
how bout the fact that the water have to stay in the uv chamber for at least 3 seconds to kill anything
so you will need a very slow pump
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sorry guys, i was wrong
ck out what i found, i myself have to change my bulb and clean my sleeve


When using one in a home aquarium, the UV unit should be placed last in the filtration line. You want to first filter the aquarium water through your mechanical filter and then run the water through the UV device before returning the water to your fish tank. By first removing the solids in the aquarium water with your mechanical filter (canister filter, etc), you are helping your UV unit to attain maximum operational efficiency.
The effectiveness of any UV sterilizer is determined by the UV bulb wattage, the age of the UV bulb, how clean the quartz sleeve is and the flow rate of the unit.
UV Light Bulb
The effectiveness of the bulb will deminish with time and use. Manufacturers usually recommend replacing the bulb after 6 months. You can find units with bulbs anywhere from 8 watts up to as high as 130 watts. The higher the wattage of the light, generally the more effective it is. If you have a unit with a lower wattage then you will want to have a lower flow rate to get the most out of the unit.
UV Flow Rate
The flow rate of the unit is an important consideration. Flow rate is measured in gallons per hour (gph) or liters per hour (lph). While higher flow rates may be acceptable for killing algae and some bacteria, you will usually need a much slower flow rate to kill parasites. For example, a 15 watt bulb will usually kill algae and bacteria with a 120 gph flow, but you will need to lower the flow rate to around 75 gph for it to effectively kill parasites. Read the manufacturers recommendations for your particular unit for effective bulb wattage and flow rates. Keep the Quartz Sleeve Clean
One thing that some hobbyists forget about is the quartz sleeve that the UV bulb slips into. You must clean this quartz sleeve periodically to remove any buildup in order to keep your sterilizer operating at peak efficiency. The better sterilizer units have a wiper with a handle outside the unit that allows you to quickly and easily clean the sleeve without taking the sterilizer apart.
 
Chupa.... good stuff! Might just be easier to hook up a "twist" UV to a small Rio pump with that gph rating. The return side of an FX5 would be way too fast than the 75-120 gph recommendation.

Btw, this is a discussion thread in preparation for a purchase smarty pants.....
 
Also worth noting the more powerful the wattage the higher the flow rate you can get. Vectron do a range with recommended tank sizes and flow rates for each.

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2ecton 200: For aquariums up to 200 litres/50 imp gal/60 US gal
Maximum flow/hr: 680 litres/150 imp gal/180 US gal

V2ecton 300: For aquariums up to 300 litres/65 imp gal/80 US gal
Maximum flow/hr: 960 litres/215 imp gal/255 US gal

V2ecton 400: For aquariums up to 400 litres/90 imp gal/110 US gal
Maximum flow/hr: 1300 litres/290 imp gal/350 US gal

V2ecton 600: For aquariums up to 600 litres/130 imp gal/160 US gal​

Maximum flow/hr: 1900 litres/420 imp gal/505 US gal
 
Some units can handle more flow and still work. I have a emperor aquatics and it works at 200gph. 200 is suggested and 350 is max.
 
Reel Addiction;3576829; said:
Some units can handle more flow and still work. I have a emperor aquatics and it works at 200gph. 200 is suggested and 350 is max.
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We need to be careful when listening to manufacturer recomendations with UV lights...

The "max rating" offered usually refers to the max flow before the housing risks leaking. This has nothing to do with the effectiveness of the UV...

A UV light "will work" for removing greenwater at a high flow rate, but will "not work" for removing parasites at that higher flow rate...


So what flow rate "works for you" will depend on what you want your UV light to do...


Based on years of experience with multiple UV lights used to grow out fish that are known to be prone to parasitic infection...

I suggest using 1W of UV strength per 10 (US) gallons of tank volume...
At a flow rate of 10 (US) gph per 1W of UV strength...

Using a higher flow rte will work for removing greenwater, or killing free floating fungus, but it will not kill parasites...
 
I dont disagree with your theory, I just went by what the website said on my unit. To kill algae and bacteria 219 min and 365 maximum. For killing protazoa 35 min and 65 maximum. They dont list what bacteria they claim to be killing. I think I may email them to find out exactly what.

I do agree that it should be set up as you need it. I just wanted the OP to know that there are units that will take more gph and still be effective in certain areas.
 
wow time warp... I now have my turbo twists on my 90 gallon and 55 both 18 watt. Instead of hooking them up inline they are hooked up to aqua clear 50 power heads using the snap on filters. This allowed me to adjust the flow as needed and still filter the water very well before entering the UV unit. I run mine under NC_Nutcases recommendations and have for a few months now with absolutely no problems. And crystal clear water ofcourse :)
 
i recently won a free NIB aqua medic 18 watt uv sterizer an im using it for one day once a month for my 55 to control algea and ich.
 
Reel Addiction;3577356; said:
I dont disagree with your theory, I just went by what the website said on my unit. To kill algae and bacteria 219 min and 365 maximum. For killing protazoa 35 min and 65 maximum. They dont list what bacteria they claim to be killing. I think I may email them to find out exactly what.

I do agree that it should be set up as you need it. I just wanted the OP to know that there are units that will take more gph and still be effective in certain areas.
Click to expand...


Just be careful when reading manufacturer recomendations. They often like to word things in a way that misleads people into thinking their product is better than the competition or more effective than they truly are. Such tatics are by no means limited to aquarium supplies...


I'm not really sure how a unit would be more effective at a given wattage & flowrate...

Water 'filters out' Ultra Violet light, so increasing the diameter beyond a certain point stops adding any benefit. I'm sure the manufacturers have done the research to find out 'optimum' diameters, especially since most of them are about the same.

Through educating myself on UVB light which is required for many reptiles, I've learned that all materials block UV light. 1/4" of glass, acrylic or plexi makes all but the most powerful UV lights devoid of UVB. This leads me to believe water would also remove UV qualities rather quickly.

Making the bulb longer, may be an approach, but making the bulb longer would increase the wattage, which is a number we have already used in our calculations.


As for "which bacteria" the UV kills, it kills any bacteria that passes through it. This is why it is commonly suggested NOT to use a UV light during cycling. Once the tank is cycles and there is bacteria throughout the system, the UV light can be turned on. While it is true any bacteria that dislodges from the filter and exits through the UV light will be killed, we should remember that our bacteria 'redproduces' very quickly and can therefore replace this small loss almost instantly...
 
I do have to agree that every website you read "they seem to have the best"
 
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