UV and Algae turf scrubber

[travis32]

When I first started my 340 gallon system I had a massive Phyto bloom. I mean massive. Couldn't see a thing in the tank. I bought a UV sterilizer (38 watt Sterilizer) and in 2-3 days the phyto bloom cleared up and water was pristine.

I was planning on running a scrubber and just got it setup this weekend. I plumbed it off the output line of my UV sterilizer (as that was easiest vs. needing to run to the store in a blizzard to get a T to branch off before the sterilizer.

So, my question is will the water coming out of the UV, have too many dead organics that the Turf scrubber won't be able to grow algae (e.g. too sterile) or will the intense light mixed with dead organics foster faster algae growth on the scrubber?

Curious what people's thoughts are?

 

[shred5]

When I first started my 340 gallon system I had a massive Phyto bloom. I mean massive. Couldn't see a thing in the tank. I bought a UV sterilizer (38 watt Sterilizer) and in 2-3 days the phyto bloom cleared up and water was pristine.

I was planning on running a scrubber and just got it setup this weekend. I plumbed it off the output line of my UV sterilizer (as that was easiest vs. needing to run to the store in a blizzard to get a T to branch off before the sterilizer.

So, my question is will the water coming out of the UV, have too many dead organics that the Turf scrubber won't be able to grow algae (e.g. too sterile) or will the intense light mixed with dead organics foster faster algae growth on the scrubber?

Curious what people's thoughts are?

Should not make a difference.. Organics are not alive to begin with..

Algae in your scrubber will grow based on the nutrient available like phosphates and nitrogen.

If you have free floating algae or phyto and they are killed by the UV sterilizer they will eventually rot releasing their nutrient if not removed.

 

[travis32]

Perfect! Thanks!