UV Sterilizer on a reef tank

perchpsk

Member
Just curious if you guys use a UV on your reef tanks. What are the pro's and con's of using one? I have used UV's on my FOWLR, but not on reef and am considering setting one up.
 

rainbow aq

Member
U.V. lights are definately somehting to have in a reef tank....Most U.V. sterilizers connect to canister filters...If you are going to be using this on a canister filter connect the uv were the water is being taken in. If you are not using a canister filter you will most likely hook it up to a pump. U.V. sterilizers will not work if water is being passed through too quickly so buy a small pump!
Ultra violet lights help keep harmful parasites out of the water....Also the help keep algae down to a minimum!
but they can be a little pricey.
 

who dey

Active Member
i run one on my reef. some say it kills photoplankton but my corals have never looked healthier and ich is non-existant. won't unplug it
 
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italianwjt

Guest
what brand U.V's does everyone use? i just bought an aqua 40w :D
 

schubert

Member
I was thinking of putting one in my 40g. I don't have any sort of external plumbing, pumps, etc. However, my heater is literally never on because my powerheads and lights heat the water to around 82 degrees. Is there a kind of UV that I could place into the water in replacement of the heater, or is that risky?
 
Originally Posted by Schubert
Any submersible UV sterilizer for a 40 gallon? Do they exist?
:notsure: submersible u/v does not exist because of the risk of the direct u/v light exposure destroying your eyesight. everything that i've seen in person or in catalogues show inline setups.
 
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lockemup

Guest
I am using a Lifeguard 40W UV on my 90 gallon. I am running a 3300 series return and the water goes through the UV after leaving the fuge and before going into the display. According to Lifequard, the 40W can handle up to 650GPH and still obtain a 100% kill rate.
 

schubert

Member
Is there a really simple inline setup I could make with a relatively small pump for just a UV? Or should I go ahead and go wet/dry all out? The only problem is the tank is in my bedroom, so does the pump and filter get very loud?
 

1bigboy69

Member
I run one on my reef, it's a 13watt Jebo. I have it hooked into my return line on my canister filter. My water is more clear then ever and not a sign of ich, knock on wood.
I'm tempted to get a hippo now and see how it does. Every time i got a hippo before, it got ich and i lost each one. There was 3 total. I said to myself 3 strikes and you're out, so i don't know if i want to try another.
 

ophiura

Active Member
Not worth it, IMO. Is this all for Ick control? :notsure: Just can find something else to spend the money on to improve water quality for algae. Things may be going great, but it may have nothing to do with the UV. And things may be going terribly, and having nothing to do with a UV. JMO, though.
 

gregm779

Member
I'll never run a reef tank without one. A far as cost it's about the same as one nice fish. I run a 25w on my 125g. Helps wih algae, water clarity, and fish illnesses.
 

schubert

Member
To a canister filter eh? Do you need a pump for a canister filter or does it pretty much have all you need within itself? I was thinking of the best way to put a UV on my tank...how many watts for a 40 gallon?
 

ophiura

Active Member
Keep in mind that you need a particular - often quite slow- flow rate on these things. If you put it inline on a canister or something that is pumping say a couple of hundred gph, that may be far too fast to be effective. Flow rate is of primary importance when using a UV.
 

perchpsk

Member
So how do I get a slow flow rate on my UV? Should I just hook up a weak pump from my sump to my UV sterilizer???
 

1bigboy69

Member
Just run the powerhead that you get with the UV.
You would just have to get the correct tubing to hook it up.
As far as running it through the return line of my canister filter, it does 300gph and i think it's the same if i only ran the powerhead supplied with the unit.
Since i didn't run the supplied powerhead, i now use it as a regular powerhead in my 29 reef in the basement.
 
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