uv sterilizer

[reg828]

i am planning to buy a uv sterilizer to help with ich. is this coralife, the 36 watt will be right size for my 75 gallon. i dont want to put this uv after and return pump, i was thinking putting it inside my tank. in that case, what do i need to connect this uv to? need help with connection


http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=7999&N=2004+113778

 

[bertoni]

I would go with a smaller unit, like the 9 watt. The 36 W seems like overkill, but won't likely hurt.

You need to buy a small pump to run water from the tank to the UV. The UV sits outside the tank.

 

[reg828]

what kind of pump do you think i need for the 36 watt uv. can i use a powerhead?

 

[Lv2_play]

yes, powerhead and some tubing

 

[bertoni]

I'd get a small Eheim, myself. The web page you linked tells you the rating you'll need. You can assume 0-1' head loss if you keep the UV close to the water.

 

[reg828]

i want to order at dr. foster and smith the 36 watt uv. but they dont have it. how about the 18 watt uv, will it still be effective against ich. im planning to choose the via aqua 480. about 400 gal/hr. max head of 4ft. i am going to put this pump inside the aquarium hidde against the rocks and connected to pvc pipe up to the hanging uv. do you think that will work?

 

[reg828]

my tank is only 18" tall and with almost half head loss, i will be close to 100 gal/hr. to kill parasite, as what dr. foster and smith recommended.
here

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?acatid=423&aid=440

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

the UV light is only good for the ich that passes through them also it will kill good and bad bacteria. if you are getting it to cure the ich prob. i would save the money and get another hospital tank as if your fish already have the ich the UV will not get rid of it.

 

[EmergencyDpt]

While kau's advice is sound, I can say from personal experience that my ich outbreak was diminished to at least a sub clinical level after putting a UV sterilzer on my system. I think it's a sound investment. The ocean has natural UV penetration down to several meters, something our reef tanks don't have. Just my oppinion.

 

[dchao]

reg828:

Don't get the 8W unit, it won't work with your 75 gallon tank. You need a pump to push 3x the turnover of your tank vol, which is about 220GPH.

You can turn to the last page of the instructions, the max flow rate for the 36W unit that will kill parasite is 290GPH, so you are OK. You can only get 110GPH to go through the 18W unit, which is way under power for you too.

36W
http://www.esuweb.com/productinstruct/pdf/096316770720.pdf

18W
http://www.esuweb.com/productinstruct/pdf/096316770713.pdf

My personal fav is this one from AquaUV:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=62728&Nty=1

First, it has a wipe you pull every week to keep the UV sleeve clean, no need to disassemble the unit. Second, T5 UV tube is far more efficient than PC tube. Therefore, for the same tank you can use a smaller AquaUV unit.

This is the AquaUV sizing chart:

http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/uvsizingchart.php

As you can see, you only need a 15W unit from AquaUV.

 

[reg828]

thanks for the nice info dchao. i already went with 18 watt uv. i know that max flow is 110 to kill parasite, but i will probably leave it on for longer period of time maybe 12 hrs. or even run it 24 hours few days a week. that might work with low gal/hr. yes, i hate ich, let us zap them 24 hours a day. hehe. well i hope it will work and help. dchao, are you planning to get one for your system?