Turbo-Twist 3X UV Sterilizers

[cougaran]

I will be setting up a 90 gal sw with fish and live rock. Now it seems like the Turbo-Twist 3X UV Sterilizers are sensible buys.
My choices are:

9W 11" x 2-7/8" 1/2" or 5/8" 100-200 gph up to 125 or the

18W 13-1/2" x 5-1/2" 5/8" or 1" 200-300 gph up to 250

Now there is only about a $50 diff in price and a $10 difference in replacement bulb cost, which have to be replaced every year.

THE QUESTION: Do you think i should go with the higher watt unit? or is the 9 watt sufficient. I'd like it to be able to take out ich if possible.

 

[IfoundNemo]

9 watt is just fine for a 90 gal. You won't completely take out the ich. The whole idea of using a UV is to shorten/slow the life cycle of a harmful parasite. Therefore,it reduces the chance of an outbreak in the main tank.

 

[IworkatPSP]

We just hooked one up at work, the turbo twist are a great design, but feel cheap. It's made of chincy looking plastic. Also, finding just the right amount of waterflow is difficult. For best results you have to use about 80% of the recommended flow to get it to work properly.

I'd recommend shelling out the extra bucks and getting a different brand.

 

[phishead]

I recently bought a turbotwist 3x 9watt for my 75. It seems to be one of those insurance items. You never really know if it is working, but hopeful it is. I have had a difficult time getting the correct flow rate.

Maxijett 400 won't get the water to the tank. 1200, way to fast. 900 and 600 still overflow the tank, so I have to turn down the return pump. I think I will run a T off the return pump and splice into it with the 400.

I think I would get the larger, just so that it is easier to get the flow right correct. THe slower the better.

I have no problems with the quality of the unit. Seems fairly durable.

 

[cougaran]

i found this site http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/sterilizers_Turbo.html

Selling them and recommend the following:Rio 400 for the 3x 9w and rio 600 for the 6x 18w. The rio 400 flow rate according to site is 144 gph and the rio 600 is 200 gph.

I'm really interested in seeing which is the better unit to get. So far for comments i have one 3x is fine, one no way on any, and one 3x with problems getting it to work properly.

I also read another forum post or article somewhere and the author recommends using a u/v light 50gph less than its max, this adequately will kill more and give better exposure to the uv light.

EDIT: found it-- http://aquariumadvice.com/showquestion.php?faq=2&fldAuto=31

 

[asaint]

A great UV sterilizer which I've had excellent results from. There is a full review of the Turbo Twist UV Sterilizer at the link below

http://www.cloudytanks.com/index.htm

Best of luck,
Asaint

 

[taz291819]

I've got some before and after shots of my tank with the Turbo Twist 3X. I'll try to post them this afternoon. All I can say is, WOW! I bought it due to an on-going algae bloom problem and this unit clean it up. It took 5 days but now my water is crystal clear.

I used a 250 gallon/hour powerhead in reverse (125 gallon/hour) to pump water through the unit. Now that the water is clear, I've installed the sterilyzer inline with my canister filter's return line. I've turned the flow to about half it's output. If the algae doesn't come back within the next week or so, I'll know the flow is ok.