I'm having real trouble figuring out how to intelligently purchase a uv sterilizer. There is so little guidance and so much confusion.
It seemed like the Doctors Foster and Smith website had a decent introductory article available here:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/artic ... 23&aid=440
Then I followed their link to comparing and choosing a sterilizer here:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/artic ... d=&aid=435
I've got a 90 gal. tank that has a green algae problem. Water changes help a little but the tank's by a window and is not really getting clear. I've reduced the feeding and reduced the time the light is on. So it would seem that the uv sterilizer would be a decent solution.
I followed the guide and decided on a 25 watt Gamma (decent customer reviews and ok price - about $130) but got really stuck on the pump. I've got a Rena XP3 filter, but I was hesitant to put the sterilizer in-line with this because of the flow rate (I can't really control that for the filter and thought it might be too fast to kill the algae.)
Anyway, my pump choice started easy by looking at the GPH ratings and what I wanted to achieve. But I quickly got really confused about "head height" and where I would need to place the pump. Does this work with a submersible in the tank? Is that advisable? If not, I'd have to go 4.5' down to the bottom of the cabinet (tank is 2' and cabinet is 2.5'). So the head height is a problem.
Their online help recommended a mag drive 500 (about $60) or a quiet one 2200 (about $40). But that rep didn't seem really confident about how to hook it up. It seemed she thought I should hook it up below the tank.
I e-mailed their support address and got a totally different response. That tech wanted me to get a Maxi-Jet 5500 Submersible Utility Pump (for $140!). The rationale was that I needed more max GPH. I asked about this because I thought that the slower the rate, the more the UV would kill. The tech tried to convince me that it was the opposite for algae.
I went to my favorite LFS and got a (surprise, surprise) different response. They've got a 125 gal. koi tank in the front of the store that get a lot of direct sunlight for most of the day. They placed a Submariner UV sterilizer (7watt) in the tank. This model's s submersible and has a pump and lamp right in the same unit. Now it's not the most aesthetically pleasing addition to the aquarium, but it would solve my pump selection woes and give me UV sterilization for only about $100 (I could save about $10 by buying on-line). I'd probably get the 9 watt model.
So any opinions or advice about any of this? Anyone have a Submariner on a large-ish tank? Any pump advice?
thanks,
todd