UV Sterilizer Suggestions.... Please?

[pacu mom]

I'm seriously entertaining putting UV Sterilizers on one, if not all my tanks. The tanks are 270g., each will have two Fluval FX5's on them.... I need a UV Sterilizer that will accomidate that amount of water (either on a separate powerhead or in-line with one FX5). Any suggestion on size/wattage of UV Sterilizer or brand/type? Thanks in advance.

You need to check the recommended flow rate for each UV Sterilizer. The recommended flow rate is slower on the smaller UV sterilizers for maximum effectiveness. On our 300 gallon tank we have a 40 Watt Pentair Aquatic UV sterilizer connected to the return line of an FX5. It has performed flawlessly. The only down side of the Pentair is that it is quite tall--34 1/2". It sits on the floor behind our tank (actually, the FX5 and wet/dry filter are also behind the tank, on the floor.) The quartz makes the light bulb last much longer than other UV sterilizer light bulbs.

http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/QL-40_UV_Sterilizer_By_Pentair.aspx

 

[SpeshulEd]

I'm looking into getting one of these for my 450g, but have a question concerning location.

I can't easily run a hose to the tank, as it's acrylic and has a top on it. I've also used all the holes in the tank already. My pump does 5800gph, probably less due to bends in plumbing and whatnot, but still more than desired with a uv sterilizer. I'm wondering if I couldn't just put a small pump in one chamber of my sump. It'd pump water through the uv sterilizer into the next chamber. Some water would still spill over without going through uv sterilizer, though.

Would it still do the job, or would I need to figure out something else? My tank gets sunlight in the afternoon. The fish seem to love it, but I'm growing algae on my rocks fairly quickly.

 

[Meyjeffery]

I have had a UV since 1986 and if used properly can save a lot of fish. The problem is "properly", the manufacturer tells you that the UV is rated for a certain flow rate, this is not true, the flow rate they state would help with ick and maybe a couple other diseases. If you intend on using the UV to cure other sicknesses than you need to decrease the flow rate and increase dwell time, some have casing like a seed, the other is true if fish are not sick you only waste the bulbs life. There was a very good article in FW magazine about 5 years ago, my wife and I (chemical engineer) had to sit down and figure out flow rates, dwell time, diameter of UV, length, .... so after all said and done I had a 30 watt inline 3" diameter UV that I had to run at 200 gallons and hour for 12 hours to achieve my zap and dwell time and turnover. So I would use one if fish are sick but slow down the flow rate. Just in case you were wondering my UV was rated for 1000 gallons an hour. That was in 1987

 

[pacu mom]

I'm looking into getting one of these for my 450g, but have a question concerning location.

I can't easily run a hose to the tank, as it's acrylic and has a top on it. I've also used all the holes in the tank already. My pump does 5800gph, probably less due to bends in plumbing and whatnot, but still more than desired with a uv sterilizer. I'm wondering if I couldn't just put a small pump in one chamber of my sump. It'd pump water through the uv sterilizer into the next chamber. Some water would still spill over without going through uv sterilizer, though.

Would it still do the job, or would I need to figure out something else? My tank gets sunlight in the afternoon. The fish seem to love it, but I'm growing algae on my rocks fairly quickly.

Yes it would work. My mechanical filtration is powered by a ReeFlo Hammerhead pump 5800 gph, so my UV sterilizer is connected to an FX-5 return line. (the flow rate of the FX-5 was compatible with the recommended flow rate of our UV sterilizer) A lot of water runs through the mechanical filtration, and a smaller amount of water runs through the FX-5, and even less through the wet/dry filter. In the end, most of the water will eventually pass through all of the filtration equipment.

Just like having heaters just in the sump---eventually all the water gets heated.

 

[SpeshulEd]

Thank you, thats what I was thinking too. I have the same pump.

I think I'm going to order the coralife turbo twist rated for a 500g tank. And then just hook a small rio pump up to it. That should do the trick.

 

[pacu mom]

It's going to work just fine.

For our new tank system, we will have only eleven 2" holes drilled in the top of the tank--not enough to accommodate all the planned filtration. So we are planning to have some of the filtration working off the sump. It's all water from the main tank, headed back to the main tank. Our UV sterilizer will be connected to an Ultima 4000 drawiing from the sump and returning to the main tank via a Reeflo Barracuda. We will also have a Clarity CL-3 drawing from and returning water to the sump via a ReeFloTarpon pump. I don't envision any problems setting it up this way. BTW, the sump (300 gallon) will only be a holding tank--not a wet/dry filter. It will also double as a holding tank to pump water into the main tank during water changes.

 

[phillydog1958]

I guess that makes sense. In that case you'd have to have the sterilizer running on the tank for the rest of the fishes' lives.

That makes sense to me. I think you're essentially saying that use of a sterilizer might weaken the immune systems of all or some of the fish in the tank . . .

 

[SpeshulEd]

It's going to work just fine.

For our new tank system, we will have only eleven 2" holes drilled in the top of the tank--not enough to accommodate all the planned filtration. So we are planning to have some of the filtration working off the sump. It's all water from the main tank, headed back to the main tank. Our UV sterilizer will be connected to an Ultima 4000 drawiing from the sump and returning to the main tank via a Reeflo Barracuda. We will also have a Clarity CL-3 drawing from and returning water to the sump via a ReeFloTarpon pump. I don't envision any problems setting it up this way. BTW, the sump (300 gallon) will only be a holding tank--not a wet/dry filter. It will also double as a holding tank to pump water into the main tank during water changes.

That sounds like quite the tank! We need pictures!

 

[Toby_H]

I think you're essentially saying that use of a sterilizer might weaken the immune systems of all or some of the fish in the tank . . .

Blue Dempseys are known to be prone to parasitic infection before they reach sexual maturity...

I have raised a good number of them with UV lights until sexual maturity... then moved them into tanks without UV after sexual maturity... and they have all done fine...

I had two adult Blue Dempseys get ick and I didn't treat the tank at all, just to see how they did. They overcame the ick at the same rate as the other fish in the tank and are alive and healthy to this day...

I have ample personal experience that suggests fish's immune systems develop just fine with UV lights in the tank... I have never once read any personal experience or scientific evidence that suggests using UV lights inhibits the development of a fish's immune system...

This theory is built 100% on speculation and really shouldn't be propagated... at least not withing more evidence than "I think" or "I've heard"...

 

[gavigan1]

You need to check the recommended flow rate for each UV Sterilizer. The recommended flow rate is slower on the smaller UV sterilizers for maximum effectiveness. On our 300 gallon tank we have a 40 Watt Pentair Aquatic UV sterilizer connected to the return line of an FX5. It has performed flawlessly. The only down side of the Pentair is that it is quite tall--34 1/2". It sits on the floor behind our tank (actually, the FX5 and wet/dry filter are also behind the tank, on the floor.) The quartz makes the light bulb last much longer than other UV sterilizer light bulbs.

http://www.fishtanksdirect.com/QL-40_UV_Sterilizer_By_Pentair.aspx

I have a pentair 40w uv as well. My bulbs only seem to last 4-6 months despite changnig the ballast. do you run yours 24 x7. i have started running just a few hours a day to try and conserve bukb life