How Do You Feel About UV Sterilizers

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Randy, funny you mention the clairty and having to look lenght wise in your tank to see it. I had noticed my water getting a bit "colored" after I had shut down both my UV and Ozone while I did some more research. Some from you. . It was all new equipment to me that had come with the system I purchased.

Anyways, after noticing the color, I went and loked down the lenght, 7', of the tank and really noticed the coloration. After turning the ozone and UV back on and running it for a couple of days, I could clearly see the increas of clarity in the water when looking down the length of the tank. before it had a green tint and now it was clear.

AS far as production in the skimmer from the ozone, I haven't seen a increase or decrease in my skimmer production. The only time I see a diference is when I do a water change, with NSW , and then its a decrease for about a week.

 

[NoSchwag]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6978323#post6978323 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Weatherman
Hey! Keep me out of this!

You know you love it

 

[Boomer]

Billy

You apear to have been born in Eocene times

 

[Boomer]

Yoy guys my want to think about getting or DIY a yellowing card, this will teach you allot

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6976018#post6976018 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbrown11352
Since you guys seem to know alot more than I do regarding these issues, What size, type of ozone and UV would you suggest on a 120 fowlr?

They recommend .3 - .5 mg/hr per gallon on the ozone so a 100 mg/hr unit should do you. The Sanders and Aquamedics seem to be the most popular here but you have to buy a seperate controller.

As far as UV, different manufacturers have different rates. I would think a 25 watt will do you on a 120 gal. I have a Rainbow Lifeguard but there are many other good ones out there.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6979964#post6979964 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Boomer
Billy

You apear to have been born in Eocene times

Yes, the Cenozoic Era.

Isnt Google a wonderful thing :lol:

 

[G-money]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6977932#post6977932 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Are you saying the you know when to change the bulb by the yellowness of the water, and that it clears up on changing the bulb?

No, I just change the bulb every 9 months or so - and in that time I see no noticeable decrease in clarity. Back when I used carbon I could see the yellowing of the water when the carbon had been in for a couple months.

Maybe I should do a test and not change my UV bulb until (if) I see some yellowing. Better yet, I could take it offline for a while... I know that UV output degrades considerably in the first few months, so I'd think I'd see some yellowing if the UV effect was diminished, but I haven't seen that. Maybe it's not the UV after all - I dunno. Maybe it doesn't take much to degrade these compounds....and wet skimming certainly has to help.

 

[G-money]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6979979#post6979979 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Boomer
Yoy guys my want to think about getting or DIY a yellowing card, this will teach you allot

Already went over that one - and I'm still waiting to be schooled.
Boomer, you aren't that far from me - you'll have to stop over and see for yourself....

 

[MarkD40]

If you place the UV after the skimmer the skimmer should remove the hydrophobic proteins before they reach the UV. The hydrophyllic proteins could then be broken down into bite sized pieces by the UV. I have a 40 watt UV and have not had an ich problem in years. Not sure that is the reason. Also most of the beneficial bacteria are sequestered in the LR and substrate and not floating around. The relatively small amount of bacteria in the water column and killed by the UV would not be missed IMO.

 

[G-money]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7032763#post7032763 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MarkD40
most of the beneficial bacteria are sequestered in the LR and substrate and not floating around. The relatively small amount of bacteria in the water column and killed by the UV would not be missed IMO.

If you take into consideration the amount of micro-detritus floating around in the water column at any given time (in my tank anyway), there is actually a decent amount of bacteria in the water column all the time. The odds of skimmate being comprised of loose assemblages of free floating solitary proteins (et al) is not good IMO. Bacteria scoop on just about everything - rapidly. There's more than an insignificant amount of "floating" bacteria - IMO, I guess.

I think there is a tendency for people to think that the only "beneficial" bacteria in a system are those involved with the nitrogen cycles. There's much more bacterial diversity than that...much more.