Jebao stainless UV "clarifier"...

Joeb1983

Joeb1983

Member
Hey guys, first off I understand what UV does and what it doesn't and with that I personally chose to run them.

I run both Emperor and AquaUV brands. (different tanks)

Obviously, as we know they are pretty pricey for what they are... (Body, ballast & bulb)

I'm setting up a new tank that requires a higher wattage than any current model I own, so I started looking:

I came across Jebao's stainless UV clarifiers... :hmm2:

Just for the record I do not own or have ever owned any Jebao product and I've come across my fair share of all the "junk, knockoff and garbage" threads over the years, trust me...

But, the wattage and cost stand point have me very intrigued and I know numerous people that run Jebao products and most defend them and give me $hit for buying "name brand" (all in fun of course) :thumbsup:

Example: I spent $350 on my Ecotech Vectra M1... My buddy has the ~$150 Jebao 9000.

So far his Jebao is just as quite and according to him has been running for some time now without any issues and also has the soft start function as well.

(I get the warranty and customer service aspect thus the reason I scrape, save, sell and trade for "top shelf" brands.)

Back to the sterilizer; Its body is stainless and the bulb I've read is pretty much the same exact 4 pin replacement bulbs you get for the Emperors and Aqua's anyways from what I've come across...

One could argue the ballast wont last; but let me tell you, I have had ballast issues with both my Emperor and AquaUV.

The dimensions are in line with what I feel is appropriate compared to the others.

Contact time obviously can be controlled and Jebao states a quartz sleeve and not glass.

I've come across a lot of threads and positive reviews (majorly on ponds)

The only real negative I've come across is plumbing issues due to odd sized holes, adapters/fittings, but they now included barbed adapters.

I'm very tempted to give this thing a shot given all the above...

Any experiences, thoughts, comments, suggestions or concerns?

Obviously its my money and I can do with it what I wish... Maybe I'm just seeking approval. lol! :lmao:





Regards,

Joe
 

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I believe so... I haven't seen an inside cut out, but they do however state the stainless assists with reflection.

Not sure what the grade of stainless it is either. Ill look into it.

^ Good catch.
 
I haven't been able find any specs on the grade of stainless other than "high quality", but I did come across this:

• Suitable for Marine and Freshwater.

(Also it can be used in drinking water, waste water, swimming pools, air-conditioning systems, cold storage, packaging materials, and other aspects of disinfection.)


• Up to 35% more UV efficiency from the electrolytically polished reflective stainless steel barrel interior over non-reflective black plastic UVC models.



However... Their actual spec sheet it list only pond water volume (m^3)
 
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OllieNZ said:
I wouldn't trust stainless without a sacrificial anode.
http://www.bssa.org.uk/topics.php?article=100
Click to expand...

I hear you there and completely understand. I do not want any corrosion or anything leached into my water column.

There is just too many unknowns and not enough info... (again another reason for "top shelf" brands)

I've already pretty much talked myself out of it. :facepalm:

Looks like Ill bite the bullet again for a 40w Emperor this time around.
 
When I was on their site I looked at all their UV clarifiers, plastic/PVC and the stainless of course.

Everyone of them list pond gallons and mentions nothing about marine applications...

I know there are countless threads on UV sterilizers and this isn't intended to debate their effectiveness, but one thing that baffles me is to why in the world they are so expensive and priced so high for what they are simplistically composed of.

A standard 40 watt Emperor is $300-350 and AquaUV is around $400... Blows my mind considering they are just a section of PVC pipe, t-fittings, caps, seals, a quartz sleeve, bulb and ballast essentially...

An emperor 50 watt HO list for almost $700! What the... :eek2:

I might look into DIY... That's just ridiculous...

I could build the body for less than $10, but I don't know how much a ballast will run, plus I don't want to flood the house or burn it down either... lol! :lolspin:
 
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Joeb1983 said:
I hear you there and completely understand. I do not want any corrosion or anything leached into my water column.

There is just too many unknowns and not enough info... (again another reason for "top shelf" brands)

I've already pretty much talked myself out of it. :facepalm:

Looks like Ill bite the bullet again for a 40w Emperor this time around.
Click to expand...
Top shelf, bottom shelf. Doesn't matter, if it's not designed to do the job then it won't.
 
I'm probably going to buy the 110w just for the fun of it. Hell at that output, if it's accurate, even at 1/4 effectiveness it's still worth it.
 
The Jebao's are not designed for salt water. They also have lousy bulbs. If you are going to go through the effort of putting a UV sterilizer on your tank, don't waste you money with a cheap one. There is so much more to a UV sterilzers effectiveness that just stated wattage. Bulbs play a CRITICAL role in the effectiveness of a UV filter. Especially for our application. If your only interest is fixing green water issues in a pond, than that's one thing but there are many other benefits to a quality UV filter on a marine aquarium beyond water clarity.

If you are going to go to the trouble of adding a UV, get the AquaUV or Emperor or don't waste your time. In addition to contact time, the bulbs are a key factor in the performance of a UV and the cheap ones all have bulbs that aren't worth their weight and are pretty much a complete waste for our application. Personally, I prefer AquaUV over EA. EA is now owned by Pentair and they pretty much have no support. At least not knowledgable support. You can always reach somebody knowledgable at AquaUV. More important, AquaUV bulbs and spare parts are widely distributed so you can pretty much always find a reasonably local source for parts. AquaUV develops their own bulbs and invests in independent testing of their products. They are the leader in the industry. Period end of story. Everybody including EA can only try to compete as it is AquaUV that sets the standard for UV performance in our market. Just look at the documentation and flow information from both manufacturers. One provides a plethora of information and details on flow. The other only provides greenwater information and little to no information for marine or reef applications.

Again, if you are going to go through the effort of installing a UV on your system, don't waste you time with a cheap one. You will get what you pay for, replace bulbs more often, deal with quality issues and the lack of performance that comes with a cheap UV sterilizer. Having run UV's on my systems for over 20 years, I can assure you it isn't worth doing if you're going to cut corners.
 
Bent said:
I'm probably going to buy the 110w just for the fun of it. Hell at that output, if it's accurate, even at 1/4 effectiveness it's still worth it.
Click to expand...

It's not worth it.. It's a waste of power. Like I said above, it's not about the wattage. It's about the bulb quality, bulb range and contact time. If you are into wasting power great but there are other risks too when adding a UV just because of stated wattage. Infact, I t's down right risky. When that crystal sleeve breaks and your tank drains as a result, it will be a bad day. Don't waste your money. It isn't worth it. If you are going to add a UV, do it right. A quality UV has the correct spectrum to deal with things such as reducing or eliminating the spread cyano, can eliminate bacterial blooms, improve ORP, improve water clarity etc. A cheap UV filter is designed to do nothing more that reduce green water. Something we don't deal with in a reef tank. It's a pond thing and that is ALL they are really good for and certainly not something you should really run in your home unless you like playing with fire. Literally!
 
I have to agree with slief. I have a couple smaller Aqua UV units that I use from time to time and they are excellent. I've also used crappy ones like Coralife turbo-twist, and you just end up dealing with problems (Cheap parts and bulbs that don't last) and it really does end up being a waste of money.
 
Have to agree with above. Do it right from the get go or don't do it at all.

Emperor or AquaUV or nothing.

Others are not really for SW and will cause you nothing but heart/head ache.

-Porkchop
 
Appreciate the replies guys.

Just for the record, I do own a 15w Aqua UV and a 25w Emperor.

I now am looking for a 40w for my larger custom tank.

I'm currently researching the banter between Aqua UV and Emperor. Lol!
 
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