I have a 25 watt UV sterilizer that I have been thinking about plumbing into our 75. Are there any benefits to having one or are they a waste of time? Also if you do run one do you keep it on 24/7 or do you run it for a specific period of time then shut it off?<u></u>
UV Sterilizer question.
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One school of thought is that they do indeed kill good stuff.
I ran one for awhile and I noticed no difference in water clarity as some claim they do.
I'm not sure that UV will help with your algae either.
I ran one for awhile and I noticed no difference in water clarity as some claim they do.
I'm not sure that UV will help with your algae either.
skriz
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I don't like UV at all. There are far too many negatives for my liking.
1. You have to change the bulb every 6 months
2. You have to keep the glass absolutely clean (constant cleaning)
3. It adds heat to the water.
Ozone is a much much more viable option.
1. You don't have any parts to change/replace.
2. Adds no heat
3. WILL make your water crystal clear.
Of course there are some possible negatives for ozone, but overall, if done right, it's the better option.
1. You have to change the bulb every 6 months
2. You have to keep the glass absolutely clean (constant cleaning)
3. It adds heat to the water.
Ozone is a much much more viable option.
1. You don't have any parts to change/replace.
2. Adds no heat
3. WILL make your water crystal clear.
Of course there are some possible negatives for ozone, but overall, if done right, it's the better option.
skriz
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In high enough concentrations, yes! O3 breaks down organic material; since we are organic material, we're fair game. This would take a substantial amount of ozone though. You would need all of your carbon to fail, have no ventilation in your house and have a high powered ozonizer.
You can also go blind by staring at the UV bulb directly; I don't think many people are going to try that though
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Skriz;289808 wrote: You can also go blind by staring at the UV bulb directly; I don't think many people are going to try that though
All the fun things make you go blind :boo:
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HA!......thats an inuendo.....
Sorry for not getting back on my own thread for a day and a half.
OK. Sounds like Ozone may be the way to go. Dont know much about it though. Thats one of the things I love about this hobby....always new things to learn.
As always thanks for all the responses.
OK. Sounds like Ozone may be the way to go. Dont know much about it though. Thats one of the things I love about this hobby....always new things to learn.
As always thanks for all the responses.
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That's a great observation. I never noticed this.
As far as changing UV lamps every 6 mo. Its a safe approach (Especially if you sell UV lamps for a living) but I look at UV Lamp life the same as MH lamps. Most lamps lose a lot (15-20% ish) of output in the a very short while, usually in the first month or two. The output decline after that is much slower. The output after 2 years for some MH lamps around 25%. so IMO if you oversize or slow flow the UV sterilzer by 25- 50% the lamp may still be able to do the job you want them too for a year or more.
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I dont run my UV 24/7 because i think UV has some down sides in a reef tank. IMO runing a UV on a timer is a good opption. There is stuff i add to the tank that i dont want killed, changed, cooked or sterilized. So i make sure its off when these are added. For me runing UV once a week for 48 hours makes sence. If i add fish i may leave it on 24/7 for 30 days
That was going to be my next question. Is there any certain size I should look for. I have 75 at the moment however in the very near future we are going to a 150-180. Are the ozonizers with the ORP meter built in good or should I get them seperate?
I hope you don't mind me jumping in your thread with a question. I'm thinking about trying a UV and move it from one system to another. If I do this what size should I get and is that even practical? Systems I would run it on are 120G display with another 110G in sump and refugium; 65G with a 30G sump, and a 30G with a 30G sump.
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IF the job is just clarifying water yes you cant beat Ozone. if the goal is to minimize parasites im not to sure which is better. I would think UV would be more effective. I think most folk use ozone in skimmers, which is not as effective as using it in a reactor. So i think "may" also applies to ozone.
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I have my UV on a timer. It only on once a week for 48 hours. There are many things in a reef tank that i dont want cooked, changed, neutralized or sterilized. The only time i leave it on is if i see a problem or adding new fish.
I'm a fan of 40 watt sterilizer for any size tank, Best bang for the buck, i would not mess with any uv smaller than 25 watts. The Current Gamma brand is a good one IMO. Moving it from tank to tank may work for you but it seems like that ma get old fast.
