View Full Version : UV Sterilizer?
rottloverr
01/19/2014, 05:43 AM
I am in planning/research stages of a up to 400 g system and was wondering what everyone thinks about what some good UV Sterilizer there are out there for this size of a system.
Thank you in advance for your help.
rottloverr
01/20/2014, 09:32 AM
bump?
brandon429
01/20/2014, 10:20 AM
hey rottlvr the reason sometimes they wont respond to uv threads is the sheer amount of them on search, they are hesitant to create another 50 pager check out those search options, uv talk is among the most passionate on here lol
regardless of the decade, all UV threads on RC read exactly the same way, with exactly the same information year after year so all search returns will still be valid for the science of the subject.
d2mini
01/20/2014, 11:22 AM
Typically you'll see Emperor Aquatics as one of the top recommended UVs.
I do not own one though.
wolfblue
01/20/2014, 04:00 PM
Typically you'll see Emperor Aquatics as one of the top recommended UVs.
I do not own one though.
That's my choice... Emperor
--John
snorvich
01/20/2014, 04:04 PM
What are you trying to accomplish with UV?
Ach1llesTang
01/20/2014, 05:02 PM
I own a 40 watt emperor aquatics which I originally bought to hopefully eradicate ICH. Well lets say if this is your reason save your money. I had to learn the hard way :-) If you are wanting a crystal clear tank and to cut down on algae ,emperor aquatics is the way to go. I hear they have the best bulbs In the market. BRS recommends this brand if that says anything...
Ach1llesTang
01/20/2014, 05:04 PM
Another thing for that size of system you are going to have to spend a lot of money! It's all about the micro watts to kill certain bacteria and the water flow. Research good luck.....
rottloverr
01/20/2014, 11:14 PM
brandon429 - that is what I originally tried doing. I first went in the large tank forum but most of them just said" UV sterilizer" they didn't go into brand name or size of the unit. Granted I prolly could of searched more but was getting frustrated.
snorvich Reasons mostly have been said above but mainly for clear water, cut down on algae and kill unwanted bugs. I was considering ozone but have read over time it can eat at the PVC.
Ach1llesTang That is another reason why I looked at the large tank forums. I wanted to get the right unit for the amount of gallons I'm going to have. Trying to not buy multiple units cus I didn't a big enough unit. Learned that lesson the hard way years ago with a skimmer. How many watts are needed for a 400 gallon system? The money is in the budget so I'm not to worried about that aspect of it.
Thanks for all the imput.
wolfblue
01/21/2014, 07:14 AM
How many watts are needed for a 400 gallon system?
Depends what you want to kill.
Common Aquarium Microorganism UV Dosages (http://www.emperoraquatics-aquarium.com/microorganismdosages.php)
Algae die easy. Ich is hard to kill. Ozone is awesome for clear water but it wont kill protozoa unless you have absurd O3 concentrations and super long contact time. And ozone wont hurt PVC cause its too thick. The surface gets oxidized and that protects the layers underneath. So it turns .03" of PVC to powder and the rest is fine. And besides, you want the O3 gone before it gets to very much PVC.
Properly sizing a UV Sterilizer (http://www.emperoraquatics-aquarium.com/fish-ich_and_uv.php)
--John
rottloverr
01/21/2014, 07:58 AM
Ach1llesTang Awesome links. Should square me away. Thank you!
d2mini
01/21/2014, 11:15 AM
Ozone and UV accomplish two different things. Some people run both. I've been running ozone recently in small daily doses.
Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php
Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 2: Equipment and Safety
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php
Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 3: Changes in a Reef Aquarium upon Initiating Ozone
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-05/rhf/index.php
BigDog
01/21/2014, 12:34 PM
I run an emperor aquatics UV on my tank
Kungpaoshizzle
01/21/2014, 01:55 PM
Everyone has their opinion of whether or not UV is necessary.. I think it's just another tool you can employ that isn't accomplished by another tool in the kit. Whether or not you need that tool, only you can answer for your setup.
brandon429
01/21/2014, 02:14 PM
hey Ill contribute to the next 50 pager :)
would I use it
yes, in all systems fresh and salt as a total cheat to beat waterborne algae and dino invasions. works good on cyano prevention as well since they traverse the water and it catches them if sized properly
I dont care about killing plankton, plankton never helped me or else I wouldnt have to feed my tank. feeding replaces what uv kills
others have success without uv I agree with tools analogy.
bromdad
01/21/2014, 11:21 PM
Please consider the pros and cons of UV carefully. I use to use it but it really was a pita. The bulbs have to be changed fairly frequently and the are expensive. Also they have to be inspected for calcium build up which means disconnecting, opening and replacing with possible bulb breaking and replacement of seals. I suggest you take a good look at the tanks of the month and note how few use uv. You cannot depend on it to cure or prevent ich as the parasite multiplies too fast for the uv to catch all of them since your flow rate will have to be restricted to get a kill on each pass.
vBulletin® v3.8.4, Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.