shaywood Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 Thinking about adding a UV sterilizer to reduce algae glass cleaning. Anyone have advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuncrestReef Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 I'm using an AquaUV Classic for my Reefer XL 425. I like the AquaUV product line because they offer both 3/4" and 2" fittings, and spare parts (bulbs, quartz sleeves, power supplies) are readily available at a variety of vendors. They have models suited for 70 - 1800 gallons. https://aquaultraviolet.com/products/uv-sterilizers/classic-series/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaywood Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 What benefit do you see in your tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuncrestReef Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 1 minute ago, shaywood said: What benefit do you see in your tank? I'm in a difficult position to answer that question because I started my tank from day 1 with the UV sterilizer, so I can't say how much (if any) improvement it makes. When I was researching how to set up an aquarium, I ran across many articles discussing the benefits of UV (along with other articles disputing any benefits) so I decided to incorporate it into my plans from the beginning. Hopefully others can chime in with before/after experiences with UV. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 A UV will do next to nothing to keep your glass clean. Now if your water was green..thats a different story. I put a UV on my pond and it was like magic! I have an 80? watt jebao on my tank. they are pretty cheap and work just fine. Its just a light bulb in a tube, no need to go overboard. At least that is my take on them.Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexaReef Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 A UV will do next to nothing to keep your glass clean. Now if your water was green..thats a different story. I put a UV on my pond and it was like magic! I have an 80? watt jebao on my tank. they are pretty cheap and work just fine. Its just a light bulb in a tube, no need to go overboard. At least that is my take on them.Sent from my SM-G930V using TapatalkWhat he said^^. I got one for water clearity (and at the time i had dinoflagellates) . Since i got it i still have to clean the glass every 3-4 days. It basically clears water of certain bacteria not algae. Thats my understanding Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 I guess a good question for the OP is how often do you clean your glass? Also, what are your water levels? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaywood Posted January 11, 2019 Author Share Posted January 11, 2019 (edited) Twice a week. Just the normal growth. Levels are normal, about an inch from the top Edited January 11, 2019 by shaywood 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snappy Posted January 11, 2019 Share Posted January 11, 2019 4 hours ago, HexaReef said: What he said^^. I got one for water clearity (and at the time i had dinoflagellates) . Since i got it i still have to clean the glass every 3-4 days. It basically clears water of certain bacteria not algae. Thats my understanding Sent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk did the UV sterilizer help with the dinoflagellates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HexaReef Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 did the UV sterilizer help with the dinoflagellates?It did! In conjunction with a 3-day blackout, turning the skimmer off. Actually I did away with the skimmer altogether because to clean of water was part of the problem. And then adding the UV filter.I can message you more about it so we don't completely hijack this thread, but basically dinoflagellates is a bacteria, not an LG like some people think it is so at night dinoflagellates releases itself into the water column because during the day they are photosynthetic and that's why they show up in the day not at night. Since the UV filter kills bacteria it kills dinoflagellates or at least assists in killing dinoflagellates. If that makes any senseSent from my SM-G930P using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntero1975 Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 I have run them on my reef tanks for years. I would agree with the water clarity. It makes the water uber clear so you can see threw the side and out the other with no color change when look out the other side. I do feel it does help keep algae under control but not as a main purpose. Just a slight bonus, If i remember correctly it does kill proteins in the water which is what feeds the algae. Dont hold me to that tho cause it was a long time ago i did my uv research. Flow rate is the most important part of making a uv light work at its most efficient levels. I have a 18watt uv light and use a 100gph pump for the flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 algae spores are EVERYWHERE in your aquarium. you could never mutate all of them with a UV to the extent that would prevent algae growth. once one particle of algae is on the glass, it is on the glass and is not going to pass through the UV. alage feeds on chemical combounds that are not effected by UV light. ergo.. phosphorous, nitrate, etc. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Don’t waste money on UV for clean glass...buy the ultimate in laziness...robosnail (aka algae Roomba) AquaGenesis Robosnail Automatic Aquarium Glass Cleaner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZ9Q17A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_q2toCbFKNC29F Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 2 hours ago, Blue Z Reef said: Don’t waste money on UV for clean glass...buy the ultimate in laziness...robosnail (aka algae Roomba) AquaGenesis Robosnail Automatic Aquarium Glass Cleaner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CZ9Q17A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_q2toCbFKNC29F Had it, fell off my tank several times, returned it! Love the concept for sure though! 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 15 hours ago, TheClark said: Had it, fell off my tank several times, returned it! Love the concept for sure though! Maybe that MOAI thing will take off? I am loving the oceanswipe360 but the price is pretty steep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted January 12, 2019 Share Posted January 12, 2019 Maybe that MOAI thing will take off? I am loving the oceanswipe360 but the price is pretty steep.i have been following the moia... i think many of the kickstart funders think its a scam at this point. they said july, then october, then in time for christmas. i sent them an email mid december saying that i was going to do a "reef club presentation on cleaning robots" and the email bounced address not found. looks promising. but for know, i just ordered new velcro and felt for my mag scraper :( Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zalick Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 A UV sterilizer will not only help with water clarity but it will kill free floating algae spores, among other things, depending on what UV wattage you have and the flow rate. Most hobbiests use too small a unit with too high of flow. aquaUV has a flow chart for each unit to show you what it will kill at each flow rate. Will a UV fix an algae issue by itself? No. But it will help. Its a very easy component to add to the system and is low maintenance. I have an auqaUV 114w on my setup and run about 700gph through it. Its plumbed to feed the output directly in to my skimmer to skim off the now dead organic matter. I change both bulbs yearly because they lose effectiveness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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