Hey Y’all. I found myself recently fighting a phyto bloom in my 24 gallon AIO.
While I understand there are some very excellent inline and canister UV options ( I run both on my 20 foot x 16 foot x 4 foot goose pond) I also understand that people like myself who choose to set up nanos and AIO’s often have space issues or renters may have gallon restrictions etc. I know there are other options, but I wanted something I could set up without adding pumps and lines or haven’t to pull out my return etc.
With that in mind, I tested two self contained units, the Green Killing Machine and the Aquatop SP nano on my tank and wanted to share my experiences in hopes it can be useful to someone looking for easy UV.
Both units have integrated pumps that are ostensibly optimized for the proper amount of contact with the UV light. Both units act as a low flow power head in the tank and both units contain a filter sponge.
I first tested the green killing machine 9 volt light. MSRP 69.99 usd. Rated for tanks up to 50 gallons. The product is available in 3 watts (treats up to 10 gallons) the 9 volt (up to 50 gallons) and an 24 volt (up to 120 gallons treated). Installed by suction cupping on the glass and plugging it in. Phyto/algae outbreak was bad. It cleared the tank noticeably in 18 hours. Tank was pristine in less than 36 hours.
What I like: ease of use. I had it running in 30 seconds.
Effectiveness. It did what it’s designed to do in a short amount of time.
Unit is fully inclosed so there is no visible light in your tank. (LED light on power pack lets you know UV light is activated)
When the bulb burns out you replace the entire UV assembly (34.99 USD). No opening up compartments and pulling bulbs.
Things I don’t like: 1) Size. The unit is bulky for a small footprint. You have some adjustment you can do but it was a lot in an 18 inch cube.
2) Power supply: the pump and UV pigtail into a power pack which then feeds a single very large power supply plug. The plug gets very warm which makes me nervous to run it over night.
3) Suction cups could be stronger.
The Aquatop SPNano 5 watt treats up to 30 gallons. They offer submersible units in many sizes and shapes. 59.99 USD MSRP for the light I tested. In fairness, I did not let the bloom get as bad as the one the GKM cleared but water was noticeably cloudy. It cleared the tank in about 12 hours. It’s a similar plug and play system. Suction cup it to the glass and pug it in.
What I like: The foot print is Much smaller. It tucks in behind my scape easily.
1) Effectiveness. Even though it didn’t have as heavy a load to clear, I think it’s an effective product.
2)Power supply. This unit has two cords, one for the pump and one for the UV. When I’m not running the UV I can still use it as a low flow power head (which I actually have found helpful for a little dead spot I had.
3) It comes with an extension tube and a duck bill outlet in case you need to direct flow out further.
Suction cups are viciously strong.
What I don’t like:
1)The UV light is visible at the bottom third of the unit. This is annoying. I only run the UV at night now so it’s not a deal breaker but I’d love to not see it.
2)You take the unit apart to change the bulb (replacement cost $26.99). It’s not a complicated ordeal but I do think the GKM has an easier change design.
3)Power supply runs a little warm as well.
Both have pros and cons. If the GKM had designed the 9 watt the way they did their 3 watt I would probably say it was the superior product. I feel like the way it contains the bulb is safer and likely offers more exposure to the UV. But the form factor just kills it for my tank. I had no option to hide the unit but some of that is my scape design. I couldn’t mount it on the back of the tank where it would kind of disappear. And I think they should scrap the 3 watt for a 5 with a slimmer profile.
Aquatop has a number of submersible UV products for everything from nano lights to units large enough for 2000 gallons. A lot of turtle keepers I know use Aquatop submersible UV and that is some dirty water on a different level than our reefs. So again, I think they are close in efficacy but aquatop may handle debri and solids a little better.
If they fully encased the UV so I couldn’t see it we’d have a clear winner on design. But they don’t so it’s really about tank dimensions and personal aesthetics.
Hope this is of help to anyone considering plug and play UV for smaller tanks.
While I understand there are some very excellent inline and canister UV options ( I run both on my 20 foot x 16 foot x 4 foot goose pond) I also understand that people like myself who choose to set up nanos and AIO’s often have space issues or renters may have gallon restrictions etc. I know there are other options, but I wanted something I could set up without adding pumps and lines or haven’t to pull out my return etc.
With that in mind, I tested two self contained units, the Green Killing Machine and the Aquatop SP nano on my tank and wanted to share my experiences in hopes it can be useful to someone looking for easy UV.
Both units have integrated pumps that are ostensibly optimized for the proper amount of contact with the UV light. Both units act as a low flow power head in the tank and both units contain a filter sponge.
I first tested the green killing machine 9 volt light. MSRP 69.99 usd. Rated for tanks up to 50 gallons. The product is available in 3 watts (treats up to 10 gallons) the 9 volt (up to 50 gallons) and an 24 volt (up to 120 gallons treated). Installed by suction cupping on the glass and plugging it in. Phyto/algae outbreak was bad. It cleared the tank noticeably in 18 hours. Tank was pristine in less than 36 hours.
What I like: ease of use. I had it running in 30 seconds.
Effectiveness. It did what it’s designed to do in a short amount of time.
Unit is fully inclosed so there is no visible light in your tank. (LED light on power pack lets you know UV light is activated)
When the bulb burns out you replace the entire UV assembly (34.99 USD). No opening up compartments and pulling bulbs.
Things I don’t like: 1) Size. The unit is bulky for a small footprint. You have some adjustment you can do but it was a lot in an 18 inch cube.
2) Power supply: the pump and UV pigtail into a power pack which then feeds a single very large power supply plug. The plug gets very warm which makes me nervous to run it over night.
3) Suction cups could be stronger.
The Aquatop SPNano 5 watt treats up to 30 gallons. They offer submersible units in many sizes and shapes. 59.99 USD MSRP for the light I tested. In fairness, I did not let the bloom get as bad as the one the GKM cleared but water was noticeably cloudy. It cleared the tank in about 12 hours. It’s a similar plug and play system. Suction cup it to the glass and pug it in.
What I like: The foot print is Much smaller. It tucks in behind my scape easily.
1) Effectiveness. Even though it didn’t have as heavy a load to clear, I think it’s an effective product.
2)Power supply. This unit has two cords, one for the pump and one for the UV. When I’m not running the UV I can still use it as a low flow power head (which I actually have found helpful for a little dead spot I had.
3) It comes with an extension tube and a duck bill outlet in case you need to direct flow out further.
Suction cups are viciously strong.
What I don’t like:
1)The UV light is visible at the bottom third of the unit. This is annoying. I only run the UV at night now so it’s not a deal breaker but I’d love to not see it.
2)You take the unit apart to change the bulb (replacement cost $26.99). It’s not a complicated ordeal but I do think the GKM has an easier change design.
3)Power supply runs a little warm as well.
Both have pros and cons. If the GKM had designed the 9 watt the way they did their 3 watt I would probably say it was the superior product. I feel like the way it contains the bulb is safer and likely offers more exposure to the UV. But the form factor just kills it for my tank. I had no option to hide the unit but some of that is my scape design. I couldn’t mount it on the back of the tank where it would kind of disappear. And I think they should scrap the 3 watt for a 5 with a slimmer profile.
Aquatop has a number of submersible UV products for everything from nano lights to units large enough for 2000 gallons. A lot of turtle keepers I know use Aquatop submersible UV and that is some dirty water on a different level than our reefs. So again, I think they are close in efficacy but aquatop may handle debri and solids a little better.
If they fully encased the UV so I couldn’t see it we’d have a clear winner on design. But they don’t so it’s really about tank dimensions and personal aesthetics.
Hope this is of help to anyone considering plug and play UV for smaller tanks.
