UV Sterilizer Question

[Oshanickreef]

Hello,

I have an Aqua UV 57 watt for my 350 gallon tank mixed reef sps dominant tank. I installed it on my return line for my frag tank with a Neptune COR15 return pump. The water from my display tank and frag tank are shared via one sump.

My question is: at 60% output on my cor15, the measured GPH i get is around 200 GPH. I can turn it up to 100% but it doesn’t make too much difference. I think my complicated plumbing restricts the performance of the Cor15 pump. But is it okay to run my UV at such a low GPH? My total system volume is around 350 gallons, frag tank is 50 gal, display is 240 gal, and sump is 50 gal. Current gph on UV sterilizer is 200 gal.

I just don’t want to do more harm than good but i assume it should be fine. Tank is about a year old.

On BRS it says:

Recommended Flow Rate for Saltwater Applications:

Saltwater Reef Applications: 2133 GPH -3200 GPH

Protozoa Bacteria Water Flow Rate: 1066 (min), 3200 GPH (max)

The max flow out of the box without complicated restrictive plumbing is 1500 gph. So i would have to upgrade the pump just to hit recommended values which is not something I want to do.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Nick

 

[cilyjr]

Jeez, I wonder where they came up with those numbers.
With UV contact time is what kills.
My flow through the same unit is probably about 400gph.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hello,

I have an Aqua UV 57 watt for my 350 gallon tank mixed reef sps dominant tank. I installed it on my return line for my frag tank with a Neptune COR15 return pump. The water from my display tank and frag tank are shared via one sump.

My question is: at 60% output on my cor15, the measured GPH i get is around 200 GPH. I can turn it up to 100% but it doesn’t make too much difference. I think my complicated plumbing restricts the performance of the Cor15 pump. But is it okay to run my UV at such a low GPH? My total system volume is around 350 gallons, frag tank is 50 gal, display is 240 gal, and sump is 50 gal. Current gph on UV sterilizer is 200 gal.

I just don’t want to do more harm than good but i assume it should be fine. Tank is about a year old.

On BRS it says:

Recommended Flow Rate for Saltwater Applications:

Saltwater Reef Applications: 2133 GPH -3200 GPH

Protozoa Bacteria Water Flow Rate: 1066 (min), 3200 GPH (max)

The max flow out of the box without complicated restrictive plumbing is 1500 gph. So i would have to upgrade the pump just to hit recommended values which is not something I want to do.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Nick

I have mine at 240gph
You dont want slow movement not do you want too fast as you want the water to pass through channel and allow lamp to do its thing

 

[Oshanickreef]

I have mine at 240gph
You dont want slow movement not do you want too fast as you want the water to pass through channel and allow lamp to do its thing

Ya i wonder why the recommended flow rate is so stinkin high!?! I assume that 3 gallons per minute is enough to keep the unit cool? And as for what it kills i guess i can assume it kills everything? lol

My main issue is algae in the frag tank and also i have 7 tangs so ich control is another bonus. can i assume that at this rate the UV will handle that since it’s so much slower than the recommended flow rate? And is there any serious negative to consider for it being lower than the recommended flow rate?

 

[Oshanickreef]

Jeez, I wonder where they came up with those numbers.
With UV contact time is what kills.
My flow through the same unit is probably about 400gph.

Have you noticed any significant improvements since the addition of the Uv? Would love to hear your real observed benefits.

 

[cilyjr]

Have you noticed any significant improvements since the addition of the Uv? Would love to hear your real observed benefits.

Hard to tell, I have never run a system without it. It well at least not since 2005.

Water clarity is the focus though.

 

[Oshanickreef]

Hard to tell, I have never run a system without it. It well at least not since 2005.

Water clarity is the focus though.

So I’m three days of running the UV and i must say barely any green phyto film has accumulated since the last cleaning on Sunday. I culture and dose phyto 1 liter per day and the glass used to be merky after 4 hours. This is a great improvement! I also notice my torches seem to be happy for the first time in months. Been battling a bacterial issue and it almost completely wiped out all my torches. It has spread to multiple acro colonies and zoas and other corals. Meanwhile i have 50+ sps colonies that look fine. It’s very unnerving to say the least. But enough venting and more hoping the UV is killing the coral bacterial issue!