What UV streilizer do you recommend?

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

I'm considering purchasing a UV sterilizer for my next build. Do you have any Pros vs. Cons on which one I should choose? Any personal experiences would be appreciated. I'd rather not have any major bashing here on bad experiences with any particular brand.

I may combine a setup that would feed a 120 gallon and a 125 gallon setup. This is in the pre-planning stage and I need your thoughts on this. I have seen the UV link under Reef Discussion. I would like some thoughts that are current in your recent experiences.

Thanks in advance for your educational experiences.


Wannabee

 

[tinmanunited]

I haven't put mine in operation, but I would suggest Emperor Aquatics. Before I bought it, I was told unequivocally, that they were the best. Major aquariums and Universities use them, so the they just be good.

 

[ripped tide]

tinmanunited;826495 wrote: i haven't put mine in operation, but i would suggest emperor aquatics. Before i bought it, i was told unequivocally, that they were the best. Major aquariums and universities use them, so the they just be good.

+1

 

[skriz]

Emperor or nothing.

 

[swfk44]

alt="" /></a>http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/products/uvsterilizers/classic/8watt">Classic 8 Watt</a>Fresh Water Sterilizer 5-200 gals / Flowrate - 642 gph for 30,000 µw/cm2 Salt Water Sterilizer to 70 gals / Flowrate - 214 gph for 90,000 µw/cm2

i've run this brand for 11yrs works for me, once again you don't always need a vette to cross the finish line.

 

[gmpolan]

Emperor first, aqua uv second...

 

[grouper therapy]

Andrew32;826540 wrote: im gonna play devils advocate....emperor aquatics stuff is SUPER $$$ gonna coast close to $350 for a 65gallon with a 30 gallon sump.


So, why is this one so much better than say a coralife thats 1/3 of the cost?

Hmm.

Edit: Never owned the less expensive models but I have owned both Emperor and Aqua UV and both had ballast issues and both operated well otherwise. I never checked the ICH that was killed by either to see which was more dead.:unsure:

 

[glxtrix]

Andrew32;826540 wrote: im gonna play devils advocate....emperor aquatics stuff is SUPER $$$ gonna coast close to $350 for a 65gallon with a 30 gallon sump.


So, why is this one so much better than say a coralife thats 1/3 of the cost?

Typically due to the bulbs being used. Most Coralife ones use CF bulbs...Emperor use HO T5 which is proven to be more effective at killing parasites and algae. You can get a 40W emperor for about 290....most of the cost is the bulb. Gamma makes good ones too...they aren't running the HO T5...just regualr T5, but I never had any issues with those. If you have the money, Id say go with the Emperor. But the aqua and gammas are just fine too

ps - looking around, seems like the gamma line isn't really around too much. More Emperor and aqua. But again, you cant go wrong with either of those..bith fantastic units!

 

[jj ocean]

Owned emperor and currently own aqua uv. Both very similar, but the aqua uv seems a little bit cleaner of a design (less DIY feel). Can't go wrong with either.

 

[skriz]

Andrew32;826540 wrote: im gonna play devils advocate....emperor aquatics stuff is SUPER $$$ gonna coast close to $350 for a 65gallon with a 30 gallon sump.


So, why is this one so much better than say a coralife thats 1/3 of the cost?

In short, the Emperor does what it states (it works) and the coralife doesn't. You're wasting your money buying the latter.

Obviously, there are many technical reasons for one working and the other not, but the above is the cliff-notes version

 

[glxtrix]

To be honest and fair...the CL ones "work"...however, I think they are more geared for FW systems to deal with green water. For the purpose of what we use UV for...the CF bulbs just don't hold up.

 

[acroholic]

You want to make sure you get the proper UV strength exposure levels (uW/cm2) to kill whatever it is you want to be rid of. As long as you are meeting that requirement, you can use whatever brand you want. Different pests have different exposure requirements. Green algae requires a much less intense UV level than marine ich to kill. Marine Ich requires one of the highest UV exposure levels to kill.

I believe the trick is getting one that strong enough to kill at the required exposure level while still maintaining a decent flow rate through it. The lower the wattage, the slower the flow rate you will have to have through it. Mojo's article really helps one's understanding.

I'd read this sticky about properly sizing a UV in the Reef Discussion Forum by Mojo:

http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=36805">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=36805</a>

Personally, I would buy an Emperor based on all the marine research facilities and public aquariums that use them.

 

[skriz]

glxtrix;826755 wrote: To be honest and fair...the CL ones "work"...however, I think they are more geared for FW systems to deal with green water. For the purpose of what we use UV for...the CF bulbs just don't hold up.

Na, in order for them to "work", even for algae, they'd need to emit x amount of uv (much less for FW, as you've indicated). CF lamps just don't cut it.

 

[glxtrix]

Skriz;826929 wrote: CF lamps just don't cut it.

For our SW use, correct.

 

[seth the wine guy]

I will share my experience. Not an opinion.
I had an Aqua UV 40w on my 200g twv tank and had the entire fish population wiped out by ich/velvet

After that, I replaced it with an Emperor HO 80w UV and have not lost a fish to disease since. (1.5 years)

I did have a ballast fail on the Emperor and they replaced it under warranty. While I was without a UV my PB Tang was riddled with ich within a week while without UV. I saw other fish getting a spot or three. After getting the UV back up and running the ich quickly disappeared and is kept at bay.

The steep price of my Emperor has paid for itself already if I consider the replacement cost of my livestock.

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

Seth The Wine Guy;827018 wrote: I will share my experience. Not an opinion.
I had an Aqua UV 40w on my 200g twv tank and had the entire fish population wiped out by ich/velvet

After that, I replaced it with an Emperor HO 80w UV and have not lost a fish to disease since. (1.5 years)

I did have a ballast fail on the Emperor and they replaced it under warranty. While I was without a UV my PB Tang was riddled with ich within a week while without UV. I saw other fish getting a spot or three. After getting the UV back up and running the ich quickly disappeared and is kept at bay.

The steep price of my Emperor has paid for itself already if I consider the replacement cost of my livestock.

Seth:

Can you PM me the price and where you purchased the Emperor HO 80w UV? Thanks in advance.

Wannabee

 

[brandonmason]

I use a aqua on my 110 (cost around 300) and my fish had gotten eat up with ich before I got it and after I put it on I only suffered the loss of one fish and the tank has been doing great since... no complaints

 

[ripped tide]

I saw a bunch of Emperor UVs in stock at SEA the other day. I was picking up a new bulb and some spare parts for my 40w Emperor Smart UV.

 

[ichthyoid]

FWIW-

The tubes used in a UV sterilizer were developed around the same technology as fluorescent tubes.

The biggest difference between the two is that a UV tube (the envelope) is made of quartz which is transparent to the UV light.

A fluorescent tube is made from silica as that is a less expensive material, but it blocks (absorbs) UV.

As long as the 'irradiance' (a unit measure of intensity) is high enough, any make/model will work.

Irradiance is measured as:
watts/square centimeter (W/cm ^2).
This is an SI (international) unit of measure.

Using an HO (high output) tube allows for a higher irradiance from the same size tube. So there is some advantage to that, especially for a larger system.

It is also worth knowing that the size (irradiance) standards were developed around drinking water requirements. Why does that matter?

Drinking water treatment standards are based on a 'single pass' through a UV unit.

On most aquariums, we use them in a recirculating mode, so that the water is treated many times.

I ran a regression analysis based on research literature, and found that in a recirculating mode, you can 'get by' with a somewhat smaller unit.

That being said, there are advantages to using a higher output unit. Mainly that there is more room for error. For instance, it's not as critical to change the bulb on time.

The saltwater parasite cryptocaryon irritans had the highest reported irradiance kill requirement of any organism studied. That irradiance is reported as 280,000+ W/cm ^2, BUT is based on extrapolated or anecdotal dosages.

Based on personal experience, lower dosages can be effective. Although there are other factors that influence the efficacy of UV, including stress and water quality.

See page 3 below (University of Florida)

 

[wannabeeareefkeeper]

How long is the average life of a ballast for either an Aqua or Emperor UV? Your personal experience with either brand would be appreciated. Just state the brand UV you use and how long your ballast lasted.