UV Sterilizer

[moga]

Which UV Sterilizer is easy to install and maintain?..8W is enough?
i have 55 G fish only tank without Wet/dry filter.
should i buy pump with it?
thank you for your experty.
MOGA..

 

[tacks]

Your wattage depends on the flow. To much flow... Not as much killed, To slow of flow, to much killed. It's all about contact time. Don't get wrapped up in the size of the tank. I have an "Aqua Ultraviolet". 15w rated at 700 gph. My pump is 950 gph but with head loss I figure I'm pretty close. Besides, I'd rather not kill enough than to much. Anyway, I didn't use a seperate pump. I installed it in my return just after the filtered water. If you have a utility knife and a few tie wraps, its a piece of cake.
Good luck to you...

 

[caymanlovers]

I agree with Tacks that you should match your UV to the flow. I am not sure you can kill too much with a sterilizer since all it will get is free floating algae and microbes like bacteria. That is one of those never ending aquarist debates.
I bought a Vecton (recommended by Fenner) and am pleased with it. It comes with inlets that can be cut to the size hose you are using. I too put mine in my Fluval filter return line (that was a bit of work converting the Fluval ribbed hose with adapters so I could add regular hose due to distance.) I went with the Vecton because it houses the sterilizer chamber and the transformer/ballast and a fuse in one housing rather than having a big transformer at the end of the power cord like some units. (Due to my space I cannot have a lot of "stuff" at the ends of electrical cords.)
Good luck!