What Pump for UV Filter???

[jd4g]

For Christmas, Santa (aka the little woman) got me a Coralife 18 watt Turbo Twist UV filter. Must have been a good boy this year. Now I'm trying to decide which pump to use for it. You can see my present tank setup in my signature below. Right now its stocked with 3 Blue-Green Chromis, 1 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp, and an assortment of snails.

What pump would you folks recommend? And should I replace one of the powerheads with the UV or add the UV to what I have? The back of the tank is getting crowded and I don't have room for a sump/fuge.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[Brenden]

If space is a issue just get a small external pump and place the UV under your tank.

 

[jd4g]

Sounds like a good idea Brenden. Any pump in particular?

 

[fishrfreinds]

quiet one

 

[rickh]

You don't particularly want a powerful pump. The manufacture should have recommended a maximum flow rate through the UV. If the water moves too fast the contact time is too short to be effective. R

 

[melosu58]

You are right that you dont want too powerful a pump or the kill ratio will be diminished. Find out the suggested flow rate and go a bit slower and you`ll be OK.

 

[Snoopybdb]

For my uv i'm using a maxi jet. To figure out which one is right for you check out the flow rate of the different pumps compared to the flow rate youre looking for. Mine is inside my tank with plastic tubing running from the output to the uv sterilizer then tubing running back into the tank to use as a sort of power head.

 

[Feron]

I think the 18watt UV turbo twist is listed at 100gph (hey, check drfostersmith.com, they gots a great article for the accurate specs). I use a pump in my sump rated at 125 gph, that has a regulator.. I just run it at 3/4 flow and I assume all is well (I'll keep you posted if there's an ich outbreak hehe)

(the pump goes through the uv and back to the return area of the sump...in your case, the pump hides somewheres with a tube in the tank and back up, so you might need a bigger pump to go back up to the return point, with some sort of ball valve throttle in the return to keep the flow regulated to what the uv calls for)

EDIT -
gah..forgot to note...the turbos come with (well, mine did!) a way to horizontally 'mount' (aka hang on brackets) the unit on the back of the tank, you could divert or use a powerhead (regulating the flow!!!) through the unit back into the tank. I'd think a t with a valve of some nature might get it right through trial and error. Taking the ph and the t and valve and tubes and all that into buckets with measured water (while being a pita) would give you a semi-accurate assesment...

 

[ace1uno_00]

The 18 Watt is rated at 200-300 GPH and up to 250 Gal tank.

So,i think this pump: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4609&N=2004+113040


(The model 900 for your set up) may work out great.