Drop in UV lamp

[THEUNION1]

Hey all. I was wondering if those drop in UV lamps for ponds are usable in the sump or do we NEED in line UV lights?


Thanks

[mcgyvr]

You don't NEED any UV light..

I would always check the specifications of the specific unit you intend to purchase but yes many may be compatible with both freshwater and saltwater environments..

You talking about a "green killing machine" or something?

[EnderG60]

Why would anyone want a UV bulb that is not enclosed? Just asking for some blindness there.

[THEUNION1]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

You don't NEED any UV light..

I would always check the specifications of the specific unit you intend to purchase but yes many may be compatible with both freshwater and saltwater environments..

You talking about a "green killing machine" or something?

Just a water proof UV light thats used to drop into ponds.

[THEUNION1]

Originally Posted by EnderG60

Why would anyone want a UV bulb that is not enclosed? Just asking for some blindness there.

I don't see anywhere in the post that says it is not enclosed. Common sense is just supposed to kick in when one reads "drop in". Haha i mean we are on a water box forum. "Drop in", "submersible"?

[slief]

Originally Posted by THEUNION1

Hey all. I was wondering if those drop in UV lamps for ponds are usable in the sump or do we NEED in line UV lights?


Thanks

UV sterilzers that are designed for ponds are pretty much worthless in our environment. They are designed for green water and have very poor quality bulbs that aren’t in an ideal wavelength to be effective for our use. Do it right and get a quality UV like an AquaUV or don’t waste your time and money.

[THEUNION1]

Originally Posted by slief

UV sterilzers that are designed for ponds are pretty much worthless in our environment. They are designed for green water and have very poor quality bulbs that aren’t in an ideal wavelength to be effective for our use. Do it right and get a quality UV like an AquaUV or don’t waste your time and money.

Got it, thank you. I wasn't trying to do it wrong or save a buck. I was just asking because i don't want to have to redo plumbing to add one in line.

[mcgyvr]

Originally Posted by slief

UV sterilzers that are designed for ponds are pretty much worthless in our environment. They are designed for green water and have very poor quality bulbs that aren’t in an ideal wavelength to be effective for our use. Do it right and get a quality UV like an AquaUV or don’t waste your time and money.

rather confusing/generic answer there that reads more like an advertisement for them vs anything else..

All AquaUV products state they are for pond use also.. They also seem to sell the same bulb for either pond or saltwater use..
They also seem to state the only difference is the flowrate in which is used between fresh and saltwater.. No different bulb or anything..

I will agree that there are likely quality differences with certain products out in the market but wouldn't just trash all UV units in general because they are for/designed for pond use like you have.. I'd bet ALL companies designed them with ponds in mind first including aquauv and added marine use as a secondary application..

[slief]

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

rather confusing/generic answer there that reads more like an advertisement for them vs anything else..

All AquaUV products state they are for pond use also.. They also seem to sell the same bulb for either pond or saltwater use..
They also seem to state the only difference is the flowrate in which is used between fresh and saltwater.. No different bulb or anything..

I will agree that there are likely quality differences with certain products out in the market but wouldn't just trash all UV units in general because they are for/designed for pond use like you have.. I'd bet ALL companies designed them with ponds in mind first including aquauv and added marine use as a secondary application..

I should have been more clear. The cheap drop in pond UV sterilizers aren’t well suited for our use. I wasn’t trashing all UV’s on the market. Just the really cheap ones that are designed for treating green water which are primarily suited for clarifiers as opposed to higher quality ones that use good bulbs and ballasts which are also designed with good contact time and can actually have an impact on parasites and also have a significant impact on water quality when properly sized and setup. At least when measured with ORP and the eye. They will also reduce or prevent diatom outbreaks, reduce cyano as well as prevent and or eliminate bacterial blooms. These cheap pond ones will have little to no impact on the above short of an improvement in clarity. They use cheap bulbs that have very short lifespans and lousy ballasts. Both AquaUV and EA use quality long lasting bulbs that from my experience work very well. They include long lasting ballasts which to date, I’ve never had one fail. Their designs allow greater flow too while still doing a great job.

AquaUV is one of the few companies that has actually done studies in the use of UV sterilizers for marine applications. Their design is sound and the results are worthy. Another one that is good is the Pentair/Emperor Aquatics. I just prefer AquaUV because of their support and parts distribution. I think that most of these cheap Chinese ones are a waste of money and I base that on first hand experience.

[mcgyvr]

Thats better

[THEUNION1]

Originally Posted by slief

I should have been more clear. The cheap drop in pond UV sterilizers aren’t well suited for our use. I wasn’t trashing all UV’s on the market. Just the really cheap ones that are designed for treating green water which are primarily suited for clarifiers as opposed to higher quality ones that use good bulbs and ballasts which are also designed with good contact time and can actually have an impact on parasites and also have a significant impact on water quality when properly sized and setup. At least when measured with ORP and the eye. They will also reduce or prevent diatom outbreaks, reduce cyano as well as prevent and or eliminate bacterial blooms. These cheap pond ones will have little to no impact on the above short of an improvement in clarity. They use cheap bulbs that have very short lifespans and lousy ballasts. Both AquaUV and EA use quality long lasting bulbs that from my experience work very well. They include long lasting ballasts which to date, I’ve never had one fail. Their designs allow greater flow too while still doing a great job.

AquaUV is one of the few companies that has actually done studies in the use of UV sterilizers for marine applications. Their design is sound and the results are worthy. Another one that is good is the Pentair/Emperor Aquatics. I just prefer AquaUV because of their support and parts distribution. I think that most of these cheap Chinese ones are a waste of money and I base that on first hand experience.

Thanks!

[tkeracer619]

I have had an aqua uv and currently use an emperor. They both use high quality bulbs and ballasts. Uv light doesn't have very good penetration into saltwater so you need a uv that holds the water close to the bulb.

You really should only buy a uv that uses a t5 bulb and a quartz sleeve.

The ebay sterilizers often use a low quality pc bulb and a cheap ballast. They aren't really effective.

Also. Plumb them with the inputs at the top so they stay full of water if the pump dies and use a gate valve so you can reduce flow to the proper rate for sterilization.