UV Sterilizer

[cybercron]

Hello,

My Turbo Twist UV sterilizer is shot. Anyone have a recommendation for a good reliable UV sterilizer for a 55 gallon reef tank?

Thanks,

Van

 

[pecan2phat]

I've been using the CSL Double Helix for the past 2 years without any problems but CSL went out of business. If your not too concerned about warranty, I'm sure some online places still have them in stock. I find that the bulbs can be generically replaced.

 

[Brisc0]

I 2nd double helix, I run an 18W on my QT and it seems to help.

 

[fishfreek]

When you say its shot what do you mean? You can get replacment bulbs for them or is teh ballast not working or do you have a puncture in the tubing or water chamber?

 

[captivereefs]

Curent USA is coming out with a UV pretty quick! It will basically be the CSL unit under a new name. If your Cioralife unit is malfunctioning and within a tear old call ESU about it. they take care of people pretty good.

 

[cybercron]

I picked up an 18W CSL Double Helix. My Turbo twist was leaking into the bulb chamber and shorting out. Unfortunately, it was over a year old. I am not too impressed with the seals they used. The seals around the glass chamber were cracking and disintegrating!

Thanks,

Van

 

[pecan2phat]

Wow, that was quick! Only 9 hrs after your post.

 

[SquishyFish]

Are ya'll running those on reef tanks?

 

[cybercron]

Wow, that was quick! Only 9 hrs after your post.

I didn't want to be without a UV sterilizer for more than a few days

 

[Biggen]

I didn't want to be without a UV sterilizer for more than a few days

Heh, I've never owned one...

 

[fishfreek]

UV is over rated if you ask me. I had one and never knew the bulb blew out so i never replaced the bulb and took it off the tank.

 

[mansiz]

Hmm is a 180 gallon per hour powerhead enough for the coralife turbo twist 3x? My bulb is a 9 watt PL compact fluorescent.

 

[pecan2phat]

The slower the gph, the higher the "kill rate" for the UV light. I would suggest anywhere from 100 to max 200 gph for a 9 watt CF UV. I personally run a CSL double helix 9 watt on a 58g tank with a Fluval 104 which pumps about 100 gph. Keeping the same theory, I also run a 18 watt CSL UV on a 90g with another Fluval 104, so you see that I keep my flow rate down for these small non- commercial UVs.
I've had more success with this type of setup than when I followed the manufacturers guidelines of 350 to 500 gph on a 25 watt UV that I used to run on the 90g. Hope this helps.

 

[mansiz]

So would 180 gal per hour kill parasites? Or is the water flows too fast? The water did not get heated up at this flows rate. BTW my 180 gal per hour means the powerhead 's full speed is 180 gal per hour. I did'nt minus the tubing reduction speed. And I got a piece of paper inside the box together with the turbo twist 3x, it indicates that in order to kill parasites, the flow rate have to be 55 gal per hour. Is'nt my water gnna heated up?

 

[cybercron]

I read an article on the net that said you should over size your UV sterilizer by 40% and run it at about 60% of the max gph. It was on an aquaculture web site, I will try to find it for you.

I dont think a 9 watt bulb would heat the water too much at 55 GPH, but that is just my opinion.

HTH

 

[cybercron]

Here is one of the links:

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/popup.techTalkDetail/ttid/80

 

[mansiz]

Hmm, so one last question, should the water be warm or the same temp as the tank water when it flows out from the uv sterilizer? Mine is the same temp as the tank water. And should the water that comes out from the uv fast, moderate or very slow? Mine is like normal filtration speed. Because this brand of uv is created in a way that water inlet is at the bottom and outlet at the top, so water speed is reduced to a certain amount. Thanks for all reply.

 

[Cesspool]

question here. supposed u had a reef and ran halides, wouldnt the uv coming from the halides do the same thing as a uv sterilizer? i mean if they can give u a sunburn wouldnt it kill the parasites also? just a thought...

 

[Biggen]

question here. supposed u had a reef and ran halides, wouldnt the uv coming from the halides do the same thing as a uv sterilizer? i mean if they can give u a sunburn wouldnt it kill the parasites also? just a thought...

Actually most of the UV is is absorbed by the glass envelop of mogul type bulbs. When using a HQI bulb, you have to use a separate UV shield which, again, absorbs a lot of the UV.

Yes they still emit their fair share of UV even after the shields, but no were near what an actual UV unit can do...

 

[Cesspool]

spiffy, thanks for the clarification