who runs a UV on there SPS tank

[reeferman75]

I was wondering if any of you run a UV on your SPS tank . What are the pros and cons of doing so .

[reefman77]

i dont run UV but I know it will kill copeopods that happen to flow through it

[MiddletonMark]

Ran one for a year, didn't seem to cause major harm.

Pro:
Minor help with Ich and other fish disease.
Seemed to clear the water, perhaps kill some algae spores.
Seemed to affect skimming somewhat [more effective]

Cons:
Bulbs are expensive, lose power fairly quickly.
Correctly sized UV's tend to be expensive.
One more piece of equipment to have issues with.

I was on the fence. If I added fish regularly [esp without QT] in a big tank, I'd likely run one full time. When I had some issues with the tank, it seemed to help out - and overall seemed to help make my water seem ultra clear.
That said, it was more power use, more clutter around the sump, and didn't seem to be such a positive effect that I could not attain in other fashions.

JMO.

[reefgeek84]

I run a big one on my tank... Lots of people do not like them. I have had no ill effects to running one. I however, have clearer water, and a lot better results with fish health. I would never run a tank with out one.

[SDguy]

I run one when adding fish (QT'ed or not). I'll run it until the bulb is no good (6 months) then take it off. I've seen no ill effects....pods galore in my tank.

[gasman059]

I run one two , no ill effects. Going now for 8 months fish health better for sure. I had a big powder blue dye on me /ich. Treated the tank and inhabitants with garlic as well as tried that "nosick fish" formula ( Should have known better 70 bucks down the drain LOL) Anywyas installed a UV and ever since w/o quarentine tank have not seen any ill effects -Perfect health and my tank and fuge has tons of pods.

[reeferman75]

How do you size the UV for the tank is it a watt per gallon thing or what

[parkavenuereef]

I run one as well no issues runs mint, clearer water and no sick fish..

[Big Boy69]

24/7, I see no ill effects. Loads of pods in tank and sump.

[reeferman75]

how do you know what size to get

[Big E]

I haven't run one but one of the keys in getting one to be effective is to oversize considerably. That way when the bulb is 6 months old & at 60% it's still at a maximum usefulness for your system size. You'll get a year out of the bulb just like your halide lights.

[undertai]

I run one on my tank also. My water takes on the color of the bulbs that are on at the time. Clear water from one side of the tank to the other. I also have it hook up to my skimmer before the water re-enters the sump.

Size it will usually say on the box; but if not go with the measurement for fresh water and divide by half. IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY

[steve414]

how about two 18 watt for a total water of about 200g

[gasman059]

MIne is a lifeguard q 25-
Rainbow Lifeguard UV sterilizers use quartz sleeves to seperated the UV bulb from the source water. Bulbs only need to be changed yearly. The 25 watt model measures 7" x 4.75" x 28" and is rated for aquariums up to 200 gallons and a flow rate of up to 760 gph. Inlet port is 1.25" slip and outlet is 1" slip. I also have a lifeguard in my koi pond and they work great thats my preference.

[steve414]

i should be fine with 36watts

[reeferman75]

I just traded for a 40 watt UV would this be ok for a total water volumn of 450 gallons

[Big E]

I hate to jump in again, cause I'm not a current user. I did a lot of research on UV's. There is a ton of misinformation, especially in UV threads on reef sites.

steve414 & reeferman75.........imo, you guys are way undersizing what you need. I would go with a HO 80w, like Emperor Aquatics on a 450g system.

My best advice would be to try & get an expert on UV's to chime in. Maybe one of our sponsers can help here. They may be able to get one of the top UV manufacturers to clear things up & offer some valuable factual information.

[SDguy]

I agree...I bought a 15W for my original 60g tank. I'm using it on my 115g now, simply because I have it, but would prefer a higher wattage. On a 450g system, I would definitely go with at least an 80W unit. That is a big system.

FWIW, bulbs need to be changed once every six months. We do this with all our germicidal lamps at work too.

Undersizing units and not replacing bulbs often just lead to further examples of "UV units don't do anything for a tank" IMHO.

Also, check and clean the quartz sleeve often....a dirty one will have a HUGE negative effect on performance.

[64Ivy]

I'm currently using 120W of UV on a 650g system so I'm also a wee bit "under-radiated". I consider it more of an aid to prevention rather than a cure with regard to fish related parasitic infestations though.

[Stoney Mahony]

I size uv's for aquaculture and other applications and like others have said, wattages can be reduced by as much as 40% in 6 months. Oversize by at least 40% to be sure you have the killing power you need when the lamp ages and replace bulbs every 6 months. When sizing uv's, you also need to look at what type of organisms are you are planning on killing. Icthyophthirius sp(Ich) takes 336,000 microsiemens/cm^2 to kill but saprolegnia sp only takes 35,000, common bacteria takes 15,000 and water born algae takes 22,000. If your UV is rated for 15,000 uws/cm^2 then your not going to kill the ich. You either need to slow the flow rate or buy more UV's and run them in succession. If your UV is rated for 15,000 uws/cm^2 and you need 30,000, you can cut the flow rate in half and reach 30,000. As if all of this isn't enough, the diameter of the UV housing should also be taken into consideration. Light is diminished as it gets further away from the bulb and most lamps have an effective kill range of about 3/4-1 inch from the bulb. If your using a UV with a 3" housing then 1" of the water flowing through is not being effected by the UV lamp. Emporer came out with the smart uvs that feature a 2" housing wich is much more effective, or...MAKE YOUR OWN

On the larger operations, it also depends on the type of UV bulb used. If it is a low pressure mercury type UV lamp, they typically last 2,500-9,000 hrs, but medium to high pressure mercury type uv lamps only last 1000 hours.

Im no expert but I know a little about them.

[SDguy]

Originally posted by Stoney Mahony


Im no expert but I know a little about them.

LOL, ya think?!

Thanks for the great info!

[Tonga2006]

I'm running a UV 25w on my 120g tank.

[reefgeek84]

Everyone is getting way to into...get a big one for your tank and call it a day. I run a 40w on my 90gal with 20gal in the sump...It works wonders, I had to run with out for about two weeks, and a couple of the fish caught ich...I was then able to get it up and running and the fish went back to perfect health. I will never run a tank with out one ever again...

[SDguy]

Originally posted by reefgeek84
Everyone is getting way to into...get a big one for your tank and call it a day. I run a 40w on my 90gal with 20gal in the sump...It works wonders, I had to run with out for about two weeks, and a couple of the fish caught ich...I was then able to get it up and running and the fish went back to perfect health. I will never run a tank with out one ever again...

Considering the number of posts I see about UV sterilizers being "worthless" and "not doing anything" I think it is very important to talk about sizing the unit correctly for the tank. Unfortunately it may be bigger than what most people are expecting or would like to hear...

[tanya72806]

how big for a 120g with 100g total water volume ?