UV Placement

[nassar0505]

I finally got my 40w gamma uv sterilizer online on my 150 and was doing a little research on placement...everybody seems to say put the feed pump in the return section of your sump as to flow the most clear/filtered water through it.

I'm a little confused because I run filter socks to my sump and feel as though any free floating ich/algae will be trapped in the sock before it even reaches the U.V...obviously the sock wont catch every bit of it, but I feel a U.V. would be more effective in the front line of all the filtration??

My first time running U.V. looking for some expert insight on the most effective placement of a U.V.?

 

[jef4y]

I have my feed pump where the overflow comes INTO the sump. The water goes through the filter sock & then into the sump and that chamber is where my feed pump is.

Ich is smaller than 100 microns for about half its growth/life. That is what you want to kill.

Regardless of where you put it, the key is getting water through it at the correct rate.

 

[enderg60]

Low flow, you want about 300gph for it to kill ich. And make sure the outlet is on the top so no air gets trapped inside.

Other then that put it wherever you want.

 

[nassar0505]

Excellent...

OK so I hooked an older maxi-jet 1200 up to it, they claim 295gph on it, plus a small amount of head loss that should be a proper flow to kill ich right?

 

[acroholic]

I have my feed pump in the skimmer section, after the filter socks. It flows through the UV, then empties in the return section. I did mine this way for convenience because the UV is so big.

If you can swing it and keep the proper flow rate, plumbing it into your return path to the tank is the preferred way, I think. You would need to plumb it with unions/valves/bypass plumbing to allow the UV to be removed for maintenance, bulb changes, etc.

 

[jef4y]

EnderG60;840220 wrote: Low flow, you want about 300gph for it to kill ich.

Not sure what the difference is, but Raj calculated my 40W Emperor at 150gph.

 

[enderg60]

When I did the calcs for my gamma it came out to 330gph....dunno what to tell ya

 

[nassar0505]

JeF4y;840248 wrote: Not sure what the difference is, but Raj calculated my 40W Emperor at 150gph.

Hmmm yea I don't know... the emperor and the current appear to be pretty similar in size and shape..


I just looked at currents flow charts claiming 938gph for protozoa control on the 40w... wowie talk about over shooting.

I know the slower the better but I guess finding the balance between water processing and killing is the key here.

 

[enderg60]

Find the UV sizing thread here, all the info on sizing and flow rates is in there.

 

[seth the wine guy]

JeF4y;840248 wrote: Not sure what the difference is, but Raj calculated my 40W Emperor at 150gph.

That sounds conservative for that unit if it's the 40w HO. He probably factored in what condition the bulb would be in after 6-12 months use. You should be able to do 300gph at 100% bulb efficiency and kill ich. I have the 80w HO and it can do 600gph at 100% bulb efficiency and kill ich. Or 450gph at 80% efficiency (Bulb is at 80% after 9,000 hours or 1 year of continuous use). I only run about 300-400gph through it though and only when the lights are on. I should be able to get about 4 times the bulb life out of it than if I was running a smaller unit. My bulb is 1.5 years old and still nuking ich. I keep a spare bulb ready but I doubt I'll have to change it for a long time.

Ultimately, if you have a unit that can take enough gph flow through to turn your TWV once an hour and kill ich, that's what I feel safe doing. I feel even safer knowing I can turn my entire TWV once an hour with the bulb at 33% efficiency and still kill ich. Incase anyone's wondering, I over size equipment to make up for inevitable human error. Not to waste money. (I've made enough human errors to learn from a few!)

 

[jef4y]

I don't have the HO unit just the standard. And at 150 I've got 1x turnover so I should be good and conservative. I may open it up a bit in another 4-6 weeks.


iPad, Tapatalk, Tpyos

 

[delloman]

Dose the UV not kill pods? I don't think I could put a UV on my reef fish only yes but my on a reef I just don't think its a good idea . If ich is the problem there are other options.

 

[acroholic]

Delloman;841679 wrote: Dose the UV not kill pods? I don't think I could put a UV on my reef fish only yes but my on a reef I just don't think its a good idea . If ich is the problem there are other options.

You won't have many pods in open water. They are going to be on/in live rock or macroalgae. A UV kills what passes through it.

 

[delloman]

Ya but I know my pods move I put them in my fuge and now they are every where so they do move about the water

 

[kirkwood]

EnderG60;840276 wrote: Find the UV sizing thread here, all the info on sizing and flow rates is in there.

can anyone point me to this thread?

 

[seth the wine guy]

Kirkwood;844162 wrote: can anyone point me to this thread?

It's the big sticky near the top of the Reef Discussion Forum