Put a hose from the UV output into the bucket. BRS has some good videos. They arent large enough to properly sterilize micro organisms although they will cause the water to become clearer. Want to grow your business and reach a wider audience? Simply time how long it takes to fill a 5-gallon bucket of water after passing through your UV. Because UV Sterilizers are separate from the aquarium, they will only kill things that are small enough to float through it. Earn 2,840 Reward Points, Earn 4,020 Reward Points Then go to the nearest bathtub or faucet and turn it on. Another consideration to be aware of with the flow meter is having a much straight, uninterrupted pipe before and after it as possible, with the pipe length before the flow meter being more important. Pentairs can be turned if space is tight. Second, you can run two UV sterilizers, tuned at different flow rates to target bacteria, algae, and parasites, and achieve the most complete UV sterilization. When he stops at my house I will be the proud owner of a new shiny Emperor Aquatics Smart UV 25 Watt. Visible light, radio waves, and x-rays are some of the other wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum. Bacteria, parasites, and some algae fall into this category and can be kept under control by an appropriately sized UV sterilizer. Less than that is ok. More is not ok as some of the UV's will crack and leak with too much pressure. And a tank needs consistent flow and water boxes are designed for specific flow rates. Here are some things that can cause cloudy water or negatively affect your fish and coral health. 6325 Sandburg Road, Suite 400 Golden Valley, MN 55427. As much as 50-75% less flow compared to killing off bacteria and algae. What are the 3 types of Aquarium Filtration? JavaScript is disabled. Here are some of the reasons why they arent more popular: The best way to know if a UV Sterilizer is suitable for you is to weigh the basic pros and cons. 18W-40W UV Diagram The effective flow rate of a UV sterilizer is the flow of water, usually listed in gallons-per-hour, through the sterilizer. $56.90, Earn 560 Reward Points We use a ball valve for intake to the UV, and flow it back into sump at the return because that is the way Emperor Aquatics -who originally designed the Pentairs- recommended. I had the advantage of having my storage/furnace room directly behind my tank. The Pentair Smart UVs are also badged as the BioShield UV Disinfection Sanitizers for swimming pool sterilisation. Not sure if that helps you or not lol.just throwing it out there as an option. You can use that time to calculate the gallons per hour. After the first year in our new home we started to realize that something wasnt just right with the water. All Rights Reserved. Proper installation of your UV sterilizer is important because when done wrong, you can drastically reduce the effectiveness of your UV. You must log in or register to reply here. I would put the ball valve between the upper and lower pipes of the UV as per instructions. Thx because I need to do that for everything as this will be all new plumbing and I still think my return pump is borderline, """If I put a gate valve in place of the ball valve and then put another ball valve in front of to then it would work right?"" The flow rate of water through the unit is essential to ensure the marine organisms such as harmful bacteria, algae spores, disease-causing parasites, protozoa, etc., are exposed to the UV radiation long enough to prevent their ability to reproduce. Which one would you recommend for 93g DT, and how do you suggest plumbing it in? $1, $5, and FREE CORALS** This Sunday, New to Saltwater & Reef Aquariums? But all 3 valves closed no flow at all as the middle Bypass is the return? 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If I don't have to hook it back into my return line it will make things easier. Earn 30 Reward Points, Starting at: Smart UV Brochure My UV light system requires a sediment filtration housing with a compatible 5 micron filter. Make sure to take into consideration the space above the UV light since the bulb will need to be removed and replaced every year. But, many folks believe in a closed loop to the tank or plumb like you drew direct back to the tank. This just so happens to be the very common rate of turnover we run through our sump and return pump which works out for the common application of installation the UV inline using your return. $24.99, Earn 60 Reward Points The balance of these things will ultimately control the rate of sterilization. TSA's Summer FLASH SALE **Over 2,000 Corals** HUGE DISCOUNTS!! We also limit UV time and dont run 24/7 unless there is a specific issue. Did you find this article helpful? In this case, you could increase the wattage of the UV sterilizer to accommodate the flow rate you have running through your sump/return pump or simply run a separate dedicated pump tuned to the slower flow rate. Once this is adjusted, open the exit of the UV all the way. What are you trying to achieve with it? It does require some added maintenance and an understanding of how it works to take full advantage. Sizing the light properly will make sure the water gets the correct dosage of UV light but there is one other thing that could hinder the effectiveness of this type of filtration, shadows. This device can ensure that all water entering your DT has been effectively treated with UV, which is why connecting it to your return is crucial. Running a UV Sterilizer will help ensure the clarity of your water and will stay crystal clear. UV clarifiers are similar to UV sterilizers, but the key difference is their power. Earn 630 Reward Points, Starting at: Trapping air can cause things to heat up and damage the UV. How do you decide how much to spend on used reef equipment? These high-quality UV sterilizers feature a watertight sealed design and can be used safely both indoors and outdoors. If you want a more precise method to calculate the flow rate from your well pump watch this video.I ended up around 12GPM so I ultimately decided to go with the 14GPM UV light to be safe. $5.99 economy shipping on orders under $49. All trademarks property of their respective owners. After some research, I decided on a UV light filtration system. Earn 590 Reward Points Here are some times you might want to turn off your UV sterilizer for a while: Ultraviolet radiation is just one of many wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum. Just dont open it all the way. Earn 280 Reward Points, Starting at: Servicing is easier with easier access especially for lazy reefers like myself. Most UV sterilizers are designed to be mounted vertically to avoid air getting trapped inside. The cost of a unit can be surprisingly high, although it isnt unreasonable compared to other reef tank hardware. Thats right, if you have any sediment in your water the bacteria can hide in its shadow and not be completely disinfected. Overall, this wasnt difficult to install and projects like this help me get more and more comfortable with plumbing. As you increase the size of UV sterilizers, you can increase their abilities, but the performance increases begin to drop until there is essentially no return on your additional investment. Are the ball valves just for maintenance of the sterilizer? I hear u on the rock and agree with u and the mess with the Mud I think better than sand but all the same. It does so by damaging their DNA and preventing them from multiplying.Ultraviolet lightbulbs are often used for their disinfecting properties, and aquarium UV sterilizers are an excellent example. Figure out exactly where you want them to go on the wall. Earn 3,140 Reward Points, Earn 5,680 Reward Points The first thing to do after laying out the system is to mount the UV light and sediment filter. To ensure your UV sterilizer can meet your needs, you need to ensure that the effective flow rate will equal 1.5 times your total tank and sump water volume. Use a flow meter to monitor the flow rate and confirm you got it right. So much so, that the PEX to the sides of it glows. That is easy to fix with a power head or 2. Rogue Engineer has made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions provided on this website. With the lights off you can really see how bright that light is. In other words, I write plans for awesome looking furniture that are so easy it will blow your mind! Ultraviolet radiation can help control several issues in a saltwater aquarium. Running the Pentair off the main pump and using ball valves is a good way to control flow. First, they help keep your water crystal clear and fish and coral healthy. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. A 50-gallon tank would require 25 - 75 GPH through the UV sterilizer per hour to kill parasite. The Pentair SMART UV Sterilizer (formerly Emperor Aquatics SMART UV Sterilizer). That said, it requires a dedicated pump to feed the UV and is not as easy to disguise the whole setup. It also means you wont have the added expense of a separate pump if you were to not include it with your main loop. Hi everyone I'm working on setting up new and have an album with pictures and questions and was hoping someone could take the time to read and help me out? It will likely help with clarity and algae control. Ultraviolet is on the shorter wavelength end of visible light, and infrared is on the longer wavelength end of visible light. I think I have read through the owners manual about 5 times now and I am trying to make a decision on how to plumb it. Oh OK you just dump it right back into the return chamber of your sump? Content on Reef Tank Resource is copyrighted. So you want to aim for 2 gal per min to be close to your 130gph max. So if you want to reduce the time you have the water off in the house then you can wait until everything else is mounted and ready to be spliced in. The flow thru the sump will be fine. Simply put, when plumbed incorrectly a UV will work but you're just not reaching the full potential and a larger portion of the pests and algae can still survive. A UV sterilizer needs to be plumbed using a "closed-loop" on your display tank. Harness the instant neutralizing power of Ultraviolet Light to virtually eliminate all unhealthy microorganisms in your pool in a matter of seconds. Below are the steps I took to install my UV light. While it might seem like a bit much, if protecting your tank is the goal, this is the way to go. Make sure to adjust the flow from the input side of your UV. I love our Pentair UV sterilizers, but I would never put them in a cabinet upright if we could not remove the bulbs from the housing easily. The easiest way to get a close estimate is to fill a 5 gal bucket from the tap closest to the well pump, using a stopwatch determine the time it takes to fill, then perform the following calculation.5 gallons / (seconds to fill) X 60 seconds = ____ Gallons per minuteDo this a few times to make sure you get an accurate rate. Easy-to-remove UV lamp and quartz sleeve assembly allows for lamp removal without disrupting the water flow and UV Light. I'm a Christian, father, husband and former aerospace engineer. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. You will need some way of determining this. The exit of the UV will go into your display tank just like the diagram. Join our list of interested reefers to get the latest updates, Also, dont forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, & Pinterest, We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Clarifiers are not as powerful as sterilizers. JavaScript is disabled. yes, I just need to get everything to where I need it an do my math to see approx where I am at and then that all depends on what uy need as far as flow through the sump or the loop? There is a lot of debate over the effectiveness of UV Sterilizers, so it is good to know the facts. Many different schools of thought and depends on how you want to use the UV. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Water clarification or sterilization? If you don't have access to a flow meter, you can measure the flow by doing a manual bucket test. For a 50 gallon tank, you should be moving 150 - 225 GPH through the UV sterilizer. Always default to the manufacturers instructions as not all UV lights are same. Then use the supplied hardware to mount the units. I hope this answers some of your questions. A UV sterilizer can eliminate these problems and produce crystal clear aquarium water. Even if this means drawing a diagram on paper, trust me, its worth it.The sediment filter should be installed just after the well pump or main water shut-off and the UV light should be the last water treatment component in the system. Now set up your durso with "no" water going thru the UV part of your system. Disclosure: The links provided in the materials and required tools sections are affiliate links. UV Sterilizers can eliminate floating bacteria, parasites, and algae as it passes into the light. To avoid this we need to make sure there is a sediment filter installed just after the well pump. For example, if the flow can fill a 5-gallon bucket in exactly 1 minute, it will be moving 300 Gallons of water per hour. Rogue Engineer will not assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create. Earn 1,365 Reward Points, Starting at: It can get into pretty tight spaces and even has a light that will turn green to assure you get a proper crimp, or red if there is a fault.