UV Sterilization

[sweetlilbully]

Hey everyone, I want to set up a UV sterilizer, but I have no idea what to buy... ...Don't laugh, because I am completely clueless...I was looking at the Coralife Turbo-Twist 3X - 9 Watt U.V. Sterilizer - Up To 125 Gallons and it says it needs a pump and recommends an Eheim 1048 Pump and 1/2 inch Clear Flexible Vinyl Tubing. I have absolutely no clue as to how those three connect to one another nor do i know where on my tank it goes (inside? outside? on the top? on the floor?). I'd like to hear some UV suggestions before I buy this stuff. Thanks

Kari

[Botia Robert]

Hi, I also have a gap in my knowledge about UV sterilizers and would like to know more.

All I know is that they kill some bacteria and some parasites. To kill parasites you need a really good one, about 300W.

Hopefully someone can explain how they work and how they are installed.

[Munkee]

I have a Coralife Turbo Twist 9W on my 60G tank it is works like a dream! I had a green water problem a while back and insteead of a diatom filter that would have temporarily cleared the water; I opted for the UV sterilizer since the loaction of my tank would have meant that the green water would just keep coming back without it (across from a large window). I have not had a speck of green water since and it's been over a year now.

The way to hook it up is pretty simple really. They can go inline with a canister filter if you have one. Mine is hooked up to the return line so the filtered water is then sterilized and then enters the tank. You just cut the return hose and stick the UV sterilizer on there are two nozzels one for in and one for out the water will be pumped in via the canister filter and back into the tank. The UV sterlizer never goes inside the tank. It stays out of the water, the water just passes through it via the filter or a pump.

If you do not have a canister filter I am not sure how the other pumps work. I was able to just use my existing filter and it was east peasy lemon squeezy to hook up. You may also need plumbers hose clamps to insure a snug fit and no leakage, these can be obtained at any hardwear store for about 25-50 cents a piece.

The bulb needs to be changed about once every 9 months or so. As for the size you need, I would get the next size up from the 9W for a tank over 75G. Just to be sure. I have not had to worry about parasites and not had a sick fish, green water since I installed this thing!

They will not harm your beneficial bacteria colony at all.

[helen nightingale]

make sure you check the dimesions of the UV unit before you buy! mine is a tight squeeze!

[sweetlilbully]

you guys are awesome, as always...thanks for the info

Kari

[sweetlilbully]

I was wondering where you guys get the cheapest parts. I currently run a hanging filter system and I was looking into upgrading to a canister that sits below the aquarium and running the UV sterilizer in series with that. I would need everything from the water intake to the output so any suggestions on where to order from and exactly what to get for a 60 gal tank would be AWESOME!

[Munkee]

I get most of my parts and stuff from eBay to be honest. They are cheaper most times just watch out for shipping charges, sometimes the shipping makes it more than just going to the LFS for supplies.

I am running a 9W turbo twist on my 60G inline with a Rena XP3 canister filter. I have never had a problem. If you get a canister filter and UV sterlizer they will come with everything you need to hook it all up with the exception of the hose clamps I mentioned. Get them at a hareware store.

[Diana]

Be careful when plumbing a UV in line with a filter.

The UV sterilizer works by passing tank water by an ultraviolet light. The water needs to pass by slowly enough that the single celled things you are killing stay exposed to the light long enough to kill them. This means a rather slow flow, and generally a separate pump from a filter. The flow through a filter varies with how full the filter is getting, too.

[tfmaxman]

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

[Diana]

I have a Green Killing Machine (actually 2 of them) from Pet Smart.
It is internal, so yes, it does not look great. However, I have used them in 3 tanks with issues:
I got some Cardinal Tetras that showed up with Ich. UV and water change, no meds. Ich is gone, fish are healthy and growing.
I had Flex break out in a tank with some Filamentosa Barbs (durable fish), too big to put in a hospital tank) but there are also some cats and an African Brown Knife, so I did not want to medicate. UV, and water changes. Flex is gone. Side effect: The algae (not much of a problem) is gone. It was on the glass.
Third tank: Chocolate Gouramis: Has some weird combination of Ich and Flex. The Ich is gone, but the flex needed medicine. (Maracyn + Maracyn II) and UV degrades the meds, so I turned it off.

Head height should not be a problem when you are setting up a loop from tank to UV and return to tank. It does not matter that the pump is in the bottom of the tank, and the return is at the top of the tank. The pump will work just the same as if you set it up in the tank and did not plump it outside and return it. There will be some pressure loss because of tubing and fittings, but it is not much. If you want to size a pump for a UV that is mounted under the tank I would get a pump that is at the high end of the range of flow you want and plumb in a ball valve so you can slow the flow a little if needed.
The flow needs to be slow enough to kill things, and fast enough to run a serious volume of water through the UV. A higher watt UV should be used on a larger tank, because you need to move more water to get the whole tank filtered frequently enough to work.

In a wide oprn tank such as that Koi tank there is no obstruction tot he water movement. I suspect this is part of the reason that the smaller UV did the job there.