UV Sterilizer

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Bobtastic6

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 13, 2009
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United States
I have a 120g planted fresh water tank and was wondering what the best UV sterilizer would be for this size tank. I have never used one before, any and all recommendations on UV sterilizers in general would be appreciated.


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If you're going with a self contained unit then it really doesn't matter. For the UV to work it must flow water past the light slowly. If you want to run a in line unit from a canister filter then you're looking at big bucks to find a unit that can handle the higher flow rate because the UV light will need to be a higher wattage to have an effect.
 
Call_me_Tom said:
If you're going with a self contained unit then it really doesn't matter. For the UV to work it must flow water past the light slowly. If you want to run a in line unit from a canister filter then you're looking at big bucks to find a unit that can handle the higher flow rate because the UV light will need to be a higher wattage to have an effect.
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what about buying a second filter that has the correct flow rate , and use it for holding (extras) purgin, carbon, phosphorus remover ect
 
CarvinSigX said:
The best way is to get it in the water column and do a water change. Rinse and repeat.

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I've tried scrubbing every surface that the algae is showing on and doing a water change right after but i feel like id i miss one tiny spot everything was in vain. This is s photo of 2 days after a major cleaning.



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If you're willing to, buy yourself an 18w UV and another filter that is between 200 and 340 TRUE gph and you'll be set.

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My suggestion to you is a in tank self powered UV calrifier/sterilizer, since your primary objective is algae control. They're less efficient than inline units as far as sterilization but easily handle algae control and are easy to use as they're already set at the proper flow rating out of the box. Inline units have a max flow rating that can be difficult to meet as calculating flow rate in conjunction with a canister filter or powerhead can be confusing, so I won't go into any more detail about them or how to calculate the flow rates versus wattage.

So we'll focus quickly on the in tank self powered units. At 120 gallons I'd suggest going for a minimum 20 watt unit to be effective. The units intake should be placed near the out of the filter your currently using whether it be a canister or HOB. UV sterilzer/clarifiers effectiveness is hindered by particles in the water column hence the reason for placing it near the out of your present filtration to try and produce maximum algae control. My suggestion as for a particular model is the Green Killing Machine UV sterilizer 24 watt which retails for about $55-$60. Which should be sufficient for algae control and improving the water's redox to a degree. I'll also say that brown algae is usually a sign of too much silicates and nitrates as well as low oxygen and light, so you should address these as well. My suggestion is more frequent water changes and more surface agitation to help in gaseous exchanges as well as increasing the light intensity in your tank.

There's a lot more info about UV's and proper sterilization that I won't go into but I just want to reiterate that your unlikely to get much sterilzation if any using a intank clarifier/sterilizer but it should help with the algae control. Remember Uv's are not a cure for algae just help slow down it's proliferation as well as help improve water redox. Hope my info help's.
 
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