Setting up a UV Sterilizer.

[mc524]

Okay. I am new to the whole UV light situation. I picked up a Coralife Turbo 18W. I have a few questions I was hoping to get answered before I set it up.
1. Is clear vinyl tubing okay to use? If not, what is the suggested tubing?
2. Where should the outlet tube end up?
A. Into the return pump section of the sump.
B. Directly into the display.
3. Should this be something that runs 24/7, or on a time cycle?
4. What problems that I should look for in regards to running a UV, as well as what type of maintenance is regarded.

More may come up, but these are some immediate questions I have before setting this thing up.

Thanks in advance

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[elfloyd]

1. Clear tubing is ok, but I am moving toward black tubing to prevent algae growth in the tubing.
2. Put the outlet tube in the sump... Perhaps a different section than the inlet tube.
3. Run 24/7
4. I've used UV for three years. No problems. Don't run water thru it too quickly. Find the thread on ARC about properly sizing a UV

 

[mc524]

I heard about algae growth in the tubing...which is why I thought I would ask. See if it had any merit. Where do you find black vinyl tubing?
How does one judge the flow?

I will go back through that thread. I didn't get all the way through it.

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[elfloyd]

Think I got my black tubing from BRS.
Time your water flow into a gallon milk jug. If it fills in one minute that equals 60 gph... Two minutes = 30 gph... 15 seconds = 240 gph... Etc. A five gallon container works too.

 

[reef coffee & curly hair]

<span style="font-family: Arial">After set-up is complete, put the drain side of the UV sterilizer into an appropriate sized container where you can later take measurements. Fill container from UV drain side with respect to time, say 10 seconds, then take the ratio up to the mfg chart and tweak (gate/ball valve) from there. Or install a flow-meter from LFS or online. Its worth doing this to achieve recommended "dwell time" otherwise you may be wasting your time/money. You can find black hose at any homedepot, lowes, LFS, etc... Black hose will neutralize/reduce algae growth. Good luck.</span>

 

[mc524]

Thanks for the quick answers!
I will take a look again at The Home Depot...the only Black tubing I saw was really thick and didn't look flexible.
This unit came with a pump that has two adjustments on it...I'm guessing for flow. Not my ideal way of metering the flow, as I will need to mess with it while in my sump.