600gal (96x48x30)
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
asnatlas
New member
Since I went 30" high and only wanted Euro-Bracing (no cross-bracing) I was not able to get Starphire, I ended up with 3/4" Diamante Low Iron Glass with 1/2" Starphire Euro-Bracing... The Diamante is on the front pane and both 4ft sides... The back and bottom are standard float glass...
Sparkss, any time
Travis
10 and over club
I am at work now so not sure where my black dots are. But you should be fine just turning them more until the water level rises. I'm pretty sure mine are turned further than 45 degrees. With such large outlets, the wedge pipes need to be turned further than 45 degrees before they really even start restricting the flow.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Commercial systems that run multiple tanks need a 100% (single pass) kill ratio in order to exclude disease transmission from tank to tank. A display tank however, can have the UV on a bypass.
The manufacturers recommendations are for a broad spectrum of pathogens, so the required wattage is subsequently higher.
It only takes 55 watts of UV to rid a 6000 gallon pond of green water (free-floating algae). Saltwater has more inorganic ions than freshwater, so it's less efficient, but phytoplankton is still an easy target nonetheless.
I have a 600 gallon tank with two 55 watt Aqua-medic Helix UV sterilizers in series. I run it on a bypass with about 300 GPH throughput. They're quite affordable, and just one of them would be enough to do the job. Just be careful with those cheap couplings. They don't need teflon tape. If you use it, they split.
I've also had good success with the Current USA Gamma T5 UV units. The T5 bulb is reported to last a couple of years, but I think the glass shield would be heavily oxidized by that time. I suggest taking it apart annually for a good clean. They have an 80 watt unit that's rated for a 325 gallon tank, but that's with 3600GPH flow. It would go a lot further on a bypass, especially if you only need it for algae spores, dinoflagellates, and protozoans.
The manufacturers recommendations are for a broad spectrum of pathogens, so the required wattage is subsequently higher.
It only takes 55 watts of UV to rid a 6000 gallon pond of green water (free-floating algae). Saltwater has more inorganic ions than freshwater, so it's less efficient, but phytoplankton is still an easy target nonetheless.
I have a 600 gallon tank with two 55 watt Aqua-medic Helix UV sterilizers in series. I run it on a bypass with about 300 GPH throughput. They're quite affordable, and just one of them would be enough to do the job. Just be careful with those cheap couplings. They don't need teflon tape. If you use it, they split.
I've also had good success with the Current USA Gamma T5 UV units. The T5 bulb is reported to last a couple of years, but I think the glass shield would be heavily oxidized by that time. I suggest taking it apart annually for a good clean. They have an 80 watt unit that's rated for a 325 gallon tank, but that's with 3600GPH flow. It would go a lot further on a bypass, especially if you only need it for algae spores, dinoflagellates, and protozoans.
asnatlas
New member
mr.wilson, I understand what your saying and it makes since...
I did a quick search and found this Coralife Turbo-Twist 12X - 36 Watt UV Sterilizer ??
I might look into throwing a small UV on the system if it would be beneficial...
I did a quick search and found this Coralife Turbo-Twist 12X - 36 Watt UV Sterilizer ??
I might look into throwing a small UV on the system if it would be beneficial...
most of the ones I have seen have 2 ratings... 1 for GPH as a clarifier and another for GPH as a sterilizer (usually significantly lower GPH than as for a clarifier), not to mention max possible GPH rating for max flow through it. So it all depends on how you plan to use it (or what you expect to get out of it ).
Since we employ a 'fuge, I used to only use our UV for a couple of days/week or so after adding new livestock and kept it off the rest of the time. I don't have any plans to include it in our new tank setup at this time, but that could always change
).Since we employ a 'fuge, I used to only use our UV for a couple of days/week or so after adding new livestock and kept it off the rest of the time. I don't have any plans to include it in our new tank setup at this time, but that could always change
asnatlas
New member
Well the tank is looking alot better, I disabled the lights from coming... I will leave them off for the next few days and see what happens... The skimmer is pulling alot of stuff out, I have emptied and cleaned it the past two days and will continue to do so over the next wk...
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Melev has a good point about wet skimming. This would work well in conjunction with a coagulant like pro-clear. Just make sure you buy the saltwater version.
The Coralife units are pretty flimsy and the silicone "o" rings need to be replaced every once in a while. A lot of people have had leak issues with them (due to the red silicone "o" rings).
If you want to get fancy, I use (and recommend) the Ocean clear 375 canister filter with 25sq', 25 micron cartridge and built-in 18 watt (Aqua-UV brand) UV sterilizer. You can use it every once in a while to polish the water, or clean the substrate. It's also good for vacuuming algae as you scrub the tank. The water goes through the 25 micron cartridge first, so the UV has maximum clarity to work within. This makes the 18 watt unit equivalent to a 36 watt model with average turbidity. You can plumb it in-line with a bypass for servicing or taking it off-line, or you can make it portable so you can lend it out to a club member or do your frag system.
If you're really lucky, you can convince your local marine club to buy one as a group so members can sign it out as needed. They come in handy when you use a QT or HT.
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=17587&cat=403&page=1
I had a 100 gallon tank with a phytoplankton bloom a few years ago. Everyone was telling me to use copepods. I reluctantly tried it, but it was a joke. I was able to remove the algae with the diatom and pro.clear, but it kept coming back after a week or so. I put an Aqua-Medic 18 watt UV on the return line (500 GPH), and the green water never returned. It takes about three or four days.
The Coralife units are pretty flimsy and the silicone "o" rings need to be replaced every once in a while. A lot of people have had leak issues with them (due to the red silicone "o" rings).
If you want to get fancy, I use (and recommend) the Ocean clear 375 canister filter with 25sq', 25 micron cartridge and built-in 18 watt (Aqua-UV brand) UV sterilizer. You can use it every once in a while to polish the water, or clean the substrate. It's also good for vacuuming algae as you scrub the tank. The water goes through the 25 micron cartridge first, so the UV has maximum clarity to work within. This makes the 18 watt unit equivalent to a 36 watt model with average turbidity. You can plumb it in-line with a bypass for servicing or taking it off-line, or you can make it portable so you can lend it out to a club member or do your frag system.
If you're really lucky, you can convince your local marine club to buy one as a group so members can sign it out as needed. They come in handy when you use a QT or HT.
http://www.championlighting.com/product.php?productid=17587&cat=403&page=1
I had a 100 gallon tank with a phytoplankton bloom a few years ago. Everyone was telling me to use copepods. I reluctantly tried it, but it was a joke. I was able to remove the algae with the diatom and pro.clear, but it kept coming back after a week or so. I put an Aqua-Medic 18 watt UV on the return line (500 GPH), and the green water never returned. It takes about three or four days.
asnatlas
New member
mr.wilson, Thanks again for your post... I did a quick search and found that they have both a 375 & 380 model, but I can't seem to find the diff ?? I do see on some sites that the 375 is more then the 380 ?? While looking around I found both models on sale at petsolutions.com for the same price...
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Polystrand is string-like plastic like the stuff you get with the big Ehiem filters. Kinda looks like plastic chaeto. It's less likely to clog, but it doesn't collect fine particles.
I use the Velocity T3 pressure rated pump (850 GPH) with them. You can use a bigger pump, like the Panworld/Blueline/Iwaki HD series, but the UV will have diminished returns. I have one on a 55 gallon tank, running 24/7 with a Blueline 40HD (1100GPH pressure rated) pump.
I modified another canister of the same type to be an inline refugium. All of the water goes through the 375 canister, and about 20% goes through the refugium canister. It has a custom acrylic lid (for clarity) and a Coralife minilight that sits on top. It also has a 1/2" compression fitting in the side of it to hold a heater.
Another nice feature they offer is a backwash loop, so you don't have to dismantle it to clean it. You can take a look at the picture of it and DIY. It's basically a tee and a couple of valves.
Another company (Nuclear) makes a clone that is reported to be a little more durable, but I've never used one.
Remember to use silicone grease on the "o" ring.
I use the Velocity T3 pressure rated pump (850 GPH) with them. You can use a bigger pump, like the Panworld/Blueline/Iwaki HD series, but the UV will have diminished returns. I have one on a 55 gallon tank, running 24/7 with a Blueline 40HD (1100GPH pressure rated) pump.
I modified another canister of the same type to be an inline refugium. All of the water goes through the 375 canister, and about 20% goes through the refugium canister. It has a custom acrylic lid (for clarity) and a Coralife minilight that sits on top. It also has a 1/2" compression fitting in the side of it to hold a heater.
Another nice feature they offer is a backwash loop, so you don't have to dismantle it to clean it. You can take a look at the picture of it and DIY. It's basically a tee and a couple of valves.
Another company (Nuclear) makes a clone that is reported to be a little more durable, but I've never used one.
Remember to use silicone grease on the "o" ring.
very informative thanks. i was thinking of using one off my return mainifold that will be tee'd off a barricuda(or a dart) that will also feed my phospate and carbon reactors.
do you think that i should keep the lifeguard 40 watt or will these canister filters work just as well?id like to be able to switch this out between my 240 and 500 if i need to and i think that the 40 watt may be a bit much for my 240 reef.
do you think that i should keep the lifeguard 40 watt or will these canister filters work just as well?id like to be able to switch this out between my 240 and 500 if i need to and i think that the 40 watt may be a bit much for my 240 reef.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
The Ocean clear (bought out by Red Sea) is a nicer unit, but stick with the (paid for) bird in the hand.
You can add a matching Rainbow sediment cartridge before your UV. The sediment cartridge has a space in the centre for carbon or phosphate media. No need for a fluidized bed for media, as the water is prefiltered by the cartridge. The modular design makes it easy to clean the cartridge without messing with UV bulbs. If you have a big tank, they have a RLT Dynamic Series that can handle 6000GPH. There about $120.00.
The filter needs to be cleaned every month, depending on the load. I buy an extra cartridge and switch them out as needed. A couple union valves make the job a lot easier. The cartridge fits in a 5 gallon bucket, so you can give them a mild bleach bath. Don't soak them too long or the polyester gets degraded. Rinse them in a bucket with dechlorinator.
The old school of thought was that we don't want a mechanical filter removing suspended nutrients (mostly detritus) from our systems. That was before we kept a lot of SPS, and needed pristine water. Back then rotifers were mail ordered for $100.00 from a scientific supply company. With refugiums passively feeding our tanks, and prepared foods like Polyp Labs Reef Roids, DT's phyto & rotifers, and Argents Cyclops at our finger tips, we don't have to keep detritus suspended to feed our corals anymore. Micron filter bags and cartridges are back in vogue. UV units can be used as clarifiers without the fear of taking the food off of our corals plates, and the added clarity makes our lighting more effective.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
If you want to have an all-in-one, clean look, then go with the Ocean Clear 375 canister. You can use a set of true union valves on both systems so the filter can be swapped in and out.
I don't think 40 watts is too much for a 240. If you really feel it's killing too much, you can increase the flow rate. Using a sediment and UV before the media, keeps it free from clogging.
The point of the fluidized bed reactors is to avoid clogging and chanelling. The Rainbow sediment & media module, serves the same purpose, without wash-off from aggitation. The Rainbow filter & the Ocean Clear models are both very sturdy, while most fluidized bed media reactors are pretty flimsy.
I would add another Rainbow module (sediment & media) and get rid of the fluidized beds, but it's not a problem if you want to keep them.
