BreadmanMike
New member
:lol:
I always like to see what the best are doing. If you follow in their footsteps, you can't go wrong...
What watt UV do I need?
- Thread starter ChicagoReefMan
- Start date
:lol:
I always like to see what the best are doing. If you follow in their footsteps, you can't go wrong...
BreadmanMike
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8606797#post8606797 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdieck
Careful, you may start loosing your hair too
Well since I got married and had a kid it's been getting very gray!
I'm guessing it will start falling out any day now!
jdieck
New member
36watt is the largest Coralife makes as far as I know.
They mention that with the turbo twist you get longer time and more exposure so you use less wattage. I really do not know if that is proven. What I know is that a twist whatever is more difficult to clean and disasemble besides a reduction in cros section for the flow increases the water velocity so say if you have a large diameter stright flow sterilizer versus one that has the twist inside with less sectional area for flow the water in the turbo will go faster thus reducing the exposure time. This is why I think wattage shall be equivalent regardless of the design and the simpler the design the easier it is to maintain.
Mecanically I prefer the ones with quartz sleves rather than plastic tubes. plastic deteriorates very fast under the exposure to the UV light so the sterilizer wont last long.
Also look for a sterilizer which properly prevent any moisture reaching the light bulb socket which will corrode very quickly.
I have a couple of horror stories from some older designs which practically electrocuted the tank critters.
If you plan to be in the hobby for long also check how easy it is to get spare parts for the unit.
BreadmanMike
New member
as jdieck stated it's the biggest one Coralife makes. I would spend the few bucks more and get an Aqua, Gamma, or Lifeguard.
SaraB
Coral Killer
Question on Coralife UV
Question on Coralife UV
I have one of those Coralife Turbo-Twist 6x 18 Watt UV Sterilizers and the box says it treats up to 250 gallons ... would I cut that in half to size it to a tank? It was run on my 92 gallon tank without the extra 100+ gallons of sump & fuge.
Question on Coralife UV
I have one of those Coralife Turbo-Twist 6x 18 Watt UV Sterilizers and the box says it treats up to 250 gallons ... would I cut that in half to size it to a tank? It was run on my 92 gallon tank without the extra 100+ gallons of sump & fuge.
Bryan89
Premium Member
I use a 120W Aqua UV on my 400 gallon setup. As to the wattage you need, what are you trying to eliminate? The killing power of UV is also a function of the residence time (flow). Most manufacturers rate their UV units on the killing power of brand new bulbs. However, the output of UV bulbs in general degrades faster than even metal halide bulbs, so you are really under sizing your UV if you follow the manufacturers recommendations without some additional research. Also, the HO brand UV bulbs (Aqua UV 40W and larger) last about twice as long and end up being cheaper in the long run by eliminating bulb changes.
My 2 cents...
Bryan
My 2 cents...
Bryan
Lets say you want to kill off parasites. The Coralife Turbo Twist 36Watt version will require a flow of not more then 290 gph. If you calculate the bulb degrades to about 60% effectiveness before needing to be changed then the flow you would want to run would be 290*0.60=174 gph assuming the unit is "clean".
Running more then 174 gph would not guarentee good kill rates.
Since you have a 225 gallon tank you would be turning over the water 174/225*24=18.56 times per day.
You can use that method to figure out the size you need. It really comes down to what you want to sterilize and how many times you want your water to turn over per day. If you know your total water volume use that instead of tank size.
If your goal is to kill off parasites don't hook the unit up through your sump but run it dedicated and suck from the bottom of the tank where the parasites will likely be.
Running more then 174 gph would not guarentee good kill rates.
Since you have a 225 gallon tank you would be turning over the water 174/225*24=18.56 times per day.
You can use that method to figure out the size you need. It really comes down to what you want to sterilize and how many times you want your water to turn over per day. If you know your total water volume use that instead of tank size.
If your goal is to kill off parasites don't hook the unit up through your sump but run it dedicated and suck from the bottom of the tank where the parasites will likely be.
rockdiver
New member
OK going to buy a UV today.
Was going to get the Current USA
Gamma UV Sterilizer 40W UV.
My total system is @200gallon.
The 40W is rated for around 2800gph.
So my question is would a Mag 9.5 pump be to small
and thus be bad?
What pump would be good?
Also where would you put it ........ in the sump or in the tank.
I was thinking of putting it where my return pump is at in the sump. Trying to keep the display clear of and lines / pumps.
good bad?
LMK
thanks
rock
Was going to get the Current USA
Gamma UV Sterilizer 40W UV.
My total system is @200gallon.
The 40W is rated for around 2800gph.
So my question is would a Mag 9.5 pump be to small
and thus be bad?
What pump would be good?
Also where would you put it ........ in the sump or in the tank.
I was thinking of putting it where my return pump is at in the sump. Trying to keep the display clear of and lines / pumps.
good bad?
LMK
thanks
rock
jdieck
New member
That flow rating is for Fresh water / ponds. For salt water the flow shall be aprox 300 gph
I have mine installed on the return line with a bypass to control how much goes trough the unit.
Neet to install it in a way thet there will always be water inside it even when the pump is off to prevent overheating shortening the bulb's life
jdieck
New member
Although I could not find a chart for the gamma I used Aqua's sizing chart designs are very similar and the usual flow fresh to salt is 10:1 for most sterilizers.
http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/uvsizingchart.php
http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/uvsizingchart.php
mnestroy
Active member
So do UV do anything to clear up the visibilityof the water?
It seems like my tank has a lot of particlars floating around, I'm 90% sure they aren't air bubbles.
I already use Caron, Filter Sock, and Protein Skimmer... but I have always been struggling to get my water crystal clear like I see that the pet shops.. Any Suggestions?
It seems like my tank has a lot of particlars floating around, I'm 90% sure they aren't air bubbles.
I already use Caron, Filter Sock, and Protein Skimmer... but I have always been struggling to get my water crystal clear like I see that the pet shops.. Any Suggestions?
jdieck
New member
It might but is not the main purpose of it in reef aquariums.
There are three forms reducing water clarity:
a) Suspended inorganic particles like detritus, carbonate precipitation, sand etc. A UV will do nothing for these and depending on their size they could be either filtered or skimmed out.
b) Suspended organisms like plankton, algae spores and bacterial blooms. Depending on the size of the organisms, the UV unit and flow trough the unit, it will help with some of the bacteria and spores.
c) Dissolved Organic Compounds that may discolor (turn green / yellow) the water like tanins from macroalgae. The UV will do little for those that need to be removed by activated carbon or skimmed out by breaking the molecule using Ozone.
In all cases regular water changes will also help.
