Uv sterilizer?

[chen]

here's a quick look....delivered late Wednesday night...lots of plumbing setup, lighting, etc.........hope to get up and running by end of next week....unfortunately work and family only gives me beween midnight and 6am to get any work done!

 

[spwd]

Hi guys would i benefit from a uv on my tank?
What do they actually do?

Steve

 

[tcarswell]

Truely awesome ! Congrats

Steve ,
UV sterilizers eliminate parasites protozoans and ick/ bacteria in the water. Also kills free floating algae / green water.
(adds a nice polish to the water as well)

 

[chen]

I had my previous UV Sterilizer on a timer for 3 hours / day...don't ask me why 3 as I don't know!

For those with UV's do you keep them on 7/24 or how many hours per day?.......

 

[spwd]

Cool,il have a look at one.


Steve

 

[Toby_H]

it is very easy to install, and if you have the money, well worth it.

Perfect answer...

Glass doors and windows filter out almost all UV, so having a tank next to natural sunlight doesn't count if there's a window. That's why UV sterilizers use quartz sleeves.

Glass filters out UV-B which is what supplies Vit D. So when reptile people talk about using UV lights this is what they are talking about...

In aquarium use our UV Sterilizers emit UV-C. UV-C is emiting by the sun and filtered out by the earth's atmosphere. When they talk about "holes in the ozone" the concern is these areas may allow UV-C to penetrate the atmosphere. UV-C can/will/does cause cancer. This is why the UV Sterilizers come with a warning not to ever look at the bulb while it's on. This is also how/why UV sterilizwers kill living organisms that pass through them.

The UV is a 50Watts Emperor Smart UV ...

After a couple of years of trial and error... I've embraced the formula of moving 10 gph per 1W through the UV unit... and using 1W per 10 us gal of tank volume...

So this light seems to be a good match for your tank and I would push an actual flow rate of 500 gph through it...

For those with UV's do you keep them on 7/24 or how many hours per day?.......

The UV quality of the bulb does get "used up" so to say, therefore running them less than 24 hours per day will lengthen the life of the bulb. But keep in mind running them less hours per day will allow them to be less effective in some ways...

I've done a lot fo research and some experimentation and I admit I still have no clue where the ideal balance lies in this. I run most of mine 24/7, though I've run some 12 on/12 off and have been just as impressed with the results. I ran them on one tank 2 on/10 off and fought the water clarity was not as crisp as when running them 24/7...

It has been explained to me by an electrical engineer that the UV-C quality comes from a gas that is injected which burns off over time. When the bulb is turned on, more of this gas is 'used up' than when the bulb is left on. So using the light 12 on/ 12 off will not double the overall life span of the bulb when compared to running it 24/7... though it will likely extend it slightly...


A lot of what I provided above is by no means necessary information for a simple hobbyist to know in order to successfully use UV... but it's stuff I've picked up along the way. Don't let it intimidate you if it's more than you care to concern yourself with... but if you like to unleash your inner geek into your fish hobby... Merry Christmas...

 

[TRENT]

Chem, Sweet tank bro. I run my UV light 24/7. My UV light is attached to the top backside of my stand. Keep us posted with pictures.

 

[chen]

Thanks Trent....

I'll have ot figure how to strap up my Sterilizer as it didn't come with brackets...also the thing is massive...ie..approx. 24" long and 5-6" diameter... it's a 50watt unit

 

[T1KARMANN]

they are meant to be on 24/7

the bulbs/tube have a life span of 6 months to 1 year depending on what brand tube you buy

if you turn them on and off the bulb wont last as long and how would you know how long the tube has be turned on for

 

[chen]

Thanks. Will be on 7/24