Poll: UV Sterilizer on reef - Yes or No? (1 Viewer)

[thegrimreefer]

And once you've answered, explain...

Waste of money?

Outstanding investment?

Size for a 400 gallon system?

Brand recommendation?

 

[David Grigor]

Been wanting to get one for a while just never have pulled the trigger. Not really concerned about fish diseases as I don't have any plans of adding new fish but really getting lazy and would like to go longer between periods of cleaning the glass........

 

[Redwinger]

I answered "yes I use one" as I used to with the big tank and will be incorporating one in the new tank again. IMO it made a big difference with not only keeping sickness in check with the fish but also keeping algae under control. On that size system you would need a relatively large one up towards 100 watts minimum. Emperor aquatics and Aqua ultraviolet are the two top brands.

 

[sea monkey]

I use one and it does a good job of keeping algae down in a system that intentionally has high nutrient levels . I would use one for both the reasons posted above.

If algae is your main concern it doesnt need to be huge but if sickness is your goal go big or don;t do it at all. I would maybe think about the High Output 50/80W UV that Emperor aquatics makes http://www.emperoraquatics.com/aquasmarthouv.php I got my 40W from KOI acres : ) "I think" the High output ones are cheaper than getting the equivalent strength normal output.

 

[markymark]

placement

Were is everyones placed?

 

[Redwinger]

Were is everyones placed?

I prefer to have mine placed inline with the skimmer. I have found that this works best.

 

[mtfatwork]

I will be running one on my system as well, and it sounds like our setups are going to be pretty close in both display size, and sump volume...

 

[redlion4]

Yes, we run one. It's a 15W for our 55 gallon tank.

Aqua Ultraviolet replaced the housing under a lifetime warranty last year (the unit is ~5 years old). In roughly 4 weeks without the UV unit installed, algae took off like gangbusters! Took another 2-3 weeks to get back under control after the replacement unit arrived and was installed. It is located in line of the return pump from the sump to the main display, powered by a Rio 2100. The new housing is re-designed and removes the fail point where our original unit began to leak.

I would also comment extensively regarding the excellent health of our fish, however *IF* I was to do so it would certainly jinx our success...:doh:

Ryan.

 

[Soltaker]

I'm going to run one soon. :smile:


EDIT: you should get this one :icon_rock:

http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=AV2393

 

[David Grigor]

Of course coming from a guy who operates big machines.......

 

[Jubei]

Running one right now and have not had a break out of ICK since.

 

[stuckey_t]

uv 2 cents

Currently my system is well over 400 gallons and I've ran the tank with one and without. Personally I didn't see that big of a difference with it either way. I've witnessed much better success using a cheap ozone unit injected into my skimmer than anything the UV ever did. As far as fish diseases go etc, once they hit that ozone in the skimmer they are gonna get knocked out anyway. My hippo and brown tang had ich, ozone added and boom no more tomites/larvae/whatever the hell they are! in the water column. 2 days later no more ich on the fish. Since running the Spazz Volcano I skim my tank super wet and have my bubbles in the skimmer just breaking up at the top of the neck. I think having a huge skimmer has made all the world for me in keeping tank organic loads down so nusiance algae has a much harder time taking hold. Frequent water changes (40-50 gallons twice a month), quality (liquid drained) food, and letting coralline take hold everywhere with proper calcium and carbonate addition and the algae doesn't have much of a chance anyway. I'm not saying UV doesn't maybe help some things but there are cheaper ways to skin a cat than justify the cost for the sized unit you would be talking on your setup....again just my 2 cents....spend that $300-$400 bucks on a cool coral you frag me a piece of:rotflmao:

 

[coralreefer]

The only way that I would want one is if I had an aiptasia filter. I'd use it to kill any aiptasia that would enter my fuge/display. I like the idea that I'm creating somewhat of a foodweb, even though it's nothing like that of a reef. Last week in my plant biology lab at the U, I brought in aiptasia to disect and we could see the dinoflagellates within (they compromise most of the mass on their tentacles!). When we looked at the water we saw many different kinds of single-celled organisms (green algae, diatoms, bacteria, etc.). In a system with a UV sterilizer you would probably not see the diversity.

 

[stuckey_t]

little more help

If you want cheap water purification on top of a big skimmer, activated carbon, and water changes check out the ENALY units from china mentioned by Farley in this link:

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php

Always here to help ya save some $$$$$$ or make ya spend it on corals:lol_hitting:

T.

 

[thegrimreefer]

In my continuing research on the subject, I now see that Anthony Calfo also recommends ozone over UV for most home systems.

 

[sea monkey]

i used one of them enaly units. generated too much ozone and shut down foam production in my skimmer : (

the ozone would completely melt the nylon tee's in days and that was without the air drier.

prolly work great in a ozone reactor or a really big skimmer. even in a big skimmer id watch how it effected the skimmer performance.

good thing is they are super cheap so if you don't like it there is no big loss : )

 

[sea monkey]

In my continuing research on the subject, I now see that Anthony Calfo also recommends ozone over UV for most home systems.

for the most part ozone and UV really are for different things . the most common use for ozone is for water clarity and UV is for sterilizing and algae control.

keep in mind that ozone will only sterilize the water in a reactor . you could put enough ozone into your skimmer that it would also sterilize but it will be at the expense of your skimmers production . if you use sterilizing levels of ozone in skimmer it will change the electrical charge of all the waste to same charge which causes them to repel each other rather than clump together. It is much harder for the skimmer to remove these smaller particles. It will also break the carbon chains on the bubbles which will cause them to prematurely burst.

 

[tico mike]

for the most part ozone and UV really are for different things . the most common use for ozone is for water clarity and UV is for sterilizing and algae control.

keep in mind that ozone will only sterilize the water in a reactor . you could put enough ozone into your skimmer that it would also sterilize but it will be at the expense of your skimmers production . if you use sterilizing levels of ozone in skimmer it will change the electrical charge of all the waste to same charge which causes them to repel each other rather than clump together. It is much harder for the skimmer to remove these smaller particles. It will also break the carbon chains on the bubbles which will cause them to prematurely burst.

What if you can increase the bubble production by adding an extra pump to a skimmer? Or are you saying it effects production in another way? Or am I just confused?

 

[wes]

is a skimmer the only way to run ozone? what about a second skimmer for ozone so that the first would be unaffected? Then maybe if you didn't want to run ozone all the time you could double skim. (excuse me if that's a rediculous suggestion, still a newbie)

 

[oyam123]

http://www.uvcomparison.com/aquauv_rhetoric.php