Looking for UV Options

[KrisDeitz]

What would you guys recommend

330 DT
110 Sump
60 Cube Frag ( May just become my QT)

So roughly 400 gallons after sand and rock.

Im tired of Ich and other diseases. What do you guys recommend or have forsale!

I plan on lots of Tangs FYI

Edit: Dave (ACRO) I want your Opinion also

 

[gmpolan]

Kris,
I ran the coralife on the 72, ran the aqua uv on the 230, i ran a 360 watt aquanetics on the 550.
Honestly, after all those....I am now running the emperor HO 80 watt and nothing even comes close.
I have over 30 fish in the display and never had an outbreak of ich.

 

[KrisDeitz]

Geoff where did you get yours?
Whats the average Bulb cost for you and how often for replacement ??

Thanks!

 

[gmpolan]

I think aquarium specialty but only because there was a sale on like labor day or something.
The bulbs are about 70 or so and i am replacing every 12 to 14 months.

The unit is expensive but I ve just been through enough headaches so i decided to shell out to buy the best and to be done with it

 

[KrisDeitz]

I will be doing that also. I'm tired of it

 

[seth the wine guy]

gmpolan;836670 wrote: Kris,
I ran the coralife on the 72, ran the aqua uv on the 230, i ran a 360 watt aquanetics on the 550.
Honestly, after all those....I am now running the emperor HO 80 watt and nothing even comes close.
I have over 30 fish in the display and never had an outbreak of ich.

I run the same UV and love it. I think it actually improves my ORP and water clarity too. Especially given the fact my TWV is only 200g. It also allows me run the UV half the day which extends bulb life. When the bulb has been used long enough to only be at 50% I can just increase the time it's on and get the same results. This is a perfect example of why I'm a proponent of oversizing equipment. It has saved me money both short term and long term.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

gmpolan;836670 wrote: Kris,
I ran the coralife on the 72, ran the aqua uv on the 230, i ran a 360 watt aquanetics on the 550.
Honestly, after all those....I am now running the emperor HO 80 watt and nothing even comes close.
I have over 30 fish in the display and never had an outbreak of ich.

What type of pump do you have attached to your Emperor 80 watt UV and what is the gph you have selected?

I found the following info on the UV. How can you vary the gph to take care of the following:

-Algae: 3600 gph maximum, 2700 gph minimum
-Protozoa: 1200 gph maximum, 900 gph minimum

Any help would be appreciated. I'm not familiar with controlling UV's gph, especially at two different levels simultanuously.


Info below retrieved from a website:

http://www.marineandreef.com/Smart_HO_80_Watt_UV_Sterilizer_Emperor_Aquatics_p/rea25080.htm">Emperor Aquatics Smart HO 80 Watt UV Sterilizer</a>


For aquarium or pond use

-For aquariums up to 900 gallons. The 900 gallons rating assumes the unit is being used as a clarifier (algae) and sterilizer.
-For ponds up to 10,800 gallons

<ul>
<li>80 watt T5 UV lamp</li>
<li>In line</li>
<li>Connections: 2" union inlet/ 2" union outlet</li>
<li>A pump is a required. The required flow rates:</li>
</ul>-Algae: 3600 gph maximum, 2700 gph minimum


-Protozoa: 1200 gph maximum, 900 gph minimum
<ul>
<li>Dimensions: 43" X 5.75"</li>
</ul>The Smart HO UV Sterilizer from Emperor Aquatics features high output T6 style UV lamps offering approx. twice the output as standard lamps. The housings have a 5 inch diameter, which along with the high output bulbs, allow for a higher wattage unit that takes up less space.
<ul>
<li>For aquarium or pond use</li>
</ul>-For aquariums up to 900 gallons. The 900 gallons rating assumes the unit is being used as a clarifier (algae) and sterilizer.
-For ponds up to 10,800 gallons

<ul>
<li>80 watt T5 UV lamp</li>
<li>In line</li>
<li>Connections: 2" union inlet/ 2" union outlet</li>
<li>A pump is a required. The required flow rates:</li>
</ul>-Algae: 3600 gph maximum, 2700 gph minimum

-Protozoa: 1200 gph maximum, 900 gph minimum
<ul>
<li>Dimensions: 43" X 5.75"</li>
</ul>

 

[smoothie]

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Seth The Wine Guy;836686 wrote: I run the same UV and love it. I think it actually improves my ORP and water clarity too. Especially given the fact my TWV is only 200g. It also allows me run the UV half the day which extends bulb life. When the bulb has been used long enough to only be at 50% I can just increase the time it's on and get the same results. This is a perfect example of why I'm a proponent of oversizing equipment. It has saved me money both short term and long term.

Seth:

What is the brand of pump you are using on the UV? What is the gph you have the UV set to? I posted a response to another link within this thread. How can you cover the GPH to kill the algae and the other listed in the link? I'm not familiar with UV's being able to be set at two differnent levels simultaneously to take care of different nuisances.

Any help would be appreciated.

Wannabee

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Ripped Tide has already answered my question in regards to a varying gph with the UV in another thread. Sorry for the confusion on my behalf.

Wannabee

 

[acroholic]

PFCDeitz;836665 wrote:
Edit: Dave (ACRO) I want your Opinion also

I think an Emperor would be a good choice for you. I'd look at the 80 or 120 watt Smart HO UV. Don't get the one with the internal wiper. Emperor doesn't recommend it for saltwater tanks on their website, only freshwater systems. Main thing is to give the water the proper exposure time in the sterilizer to kill what you want to kill, so you have to be able to regulate flow through the UV itself. In general, the lower the UV wattage, more exposure time the water will need, so the slower you will have to set the flow. Also, when plannning out your equipment, you need to decide if you will include the UV in the return line to the tank, or run it similar to how I did mine in my 465 gallon thread. These larger Emperor UVs are not small. Even the 80 watter is about 4 foot long and 5-6" wide.

If you end up not using the QT tank regularly, and a true QT tank should not be a part of your main system anyways, I'd think the 80 watter would be fine, but if you keep the QT as part of the water total, then I would lean towards the 120. I have about 450 net gallons total on my system, and bought the 150 watt UV. I was lucky that through a series of website pricing errors I got the 150 watt UV at the 120 watt UV price minus 10%, because I bought it during a holiday sale.

Emperor also recommends you run the UV 24/7, and if you must turn it off, do so no more than 1x daily. Otherwise, you significantly reduce the bulb life. I would also tie the water flow through the UV and the UV bulb power together, because you do not ever want to have the bulb on with no water flow through it. If you use a controller and run water from the main return pump through the UV, then program the ballast to cut off when the return pump power is off, like if you turn off the pump to feed or whatever. I use a separate pump to feed my UV, and I have the ballast set to turn on and off with the pump, so I never have to remember to turn it off separately.

Mojo's proper sizing of UV sterilizers thread is a good read if you haven't done it already.

 

[jef4y]

Kris, as well, I will tell you to get the Emperor or NOTHING. They are not cheap, but neither is killing fish. And they make a SIGNIFICANT and IMMEDIATE DIFFERENCE! I have ich in my tank. Always have. Only lost 1 fish to it, but when I added the tang & tusk, both immediately showed spots. I picked up an Emperor 40w from SEA (for my 150) and within 24 hours they both looked remarkably better.

While I understand that it will take a while to get the ich under control even with a UV, I completely and totally believe that without this UV I would have one if not 2 (expensive) dead fish right now.

I'm of the school that believes that you will NEVER rid a tank of ich, and that most fish can fight it off successfully, but it's a risk. Using a proper UV sterilizer will keep Ich manageable. I view this as a "must have" piece of equipment and would not consider another setup without one. Just my $.02