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Just wondering, why would it be bad to put even less gph through the UV Sterilizer than suggested by the manufacturer? Is there a negative to UV sterilizer's working too well? I know the debate out there seems to be that they are un-necessary because they usually don't give a long enough exposure time.

The issue is turnover of the whole tank volume. You can run water slowly through the UV and it will kill everything going through it, but 50gph for a 500g tank is not going to cut it.

I don't know what the best is for that.


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Total tank turnover or just turnover through the UV? I was thinking of just adding a super small pump and running it through my UV and directly back to the sump
 
You want to run it slow enough to kill the protozoa, but you also need to move the total tank volume through often enough that you'll capture everything. I look at manufacturer specs for sterilization and then choose the lowest recommended.
 
Also the sterilizer is imparting however many watts of heat into the water, quartz sleeve, and casing, and you need a certain minimum amount of flowing water to dissipate it before it causes damage.
 
Total tank turnover or just turnover through the UV? I was thinking of just adding a super small pump and running it through my UV and directly back to the sump

Tank turn over. If you have too little volume going through the UV sterilizer, then the reproduction rate in the tank will outpace what you're killing in the UV sterilizer and UV will essentially be useless.
 
But all these numbers are "known numbers" if you research it. This is well-developed science used worldwide in waste management, etc

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/m/#publication?id=FA164

"Use of ultraviolet (UV) sterilization to kill theronts has been suggested, based on research involving Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (freshwater "ich"). The recommended UV dose for Ichthyophthirius theronts is 100,000 µWsec/cm2 (Hoffman 1974). However, UV doses required for Cryptocaryon irritans are anecdotal or extrapolated, and range from 280,000 µWsec/cm2(industry numbers) to 800,000 µWsec/cm2 (Colorni and Burgess 1997)."
 
It has one 36" modular marine overflow. I actually own 5 kessil 360's, but am much happier with the growth rate from the Orphek over my frag tank. I have considered supplementing the Orpheks with a couple of Kessils to get some shimmer.

As to rollermat -- ehh maybe , but I actually don't run filter socks on any of my tanks.
I'm not understanding from this why 1 large return pump instead of 2 medium sized ones on independent return paths.

I'm assuming so, but just to confirm, you also lose the 0-10V moving to the EL, but for your wants it seems pretty reasonable. Even if you wanted the 0-10 V or the ORP/a backup pH probe you could get a PM1, a VDM, the probe. and still be ahead vs. the full.
 
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/m/#publication?id=FA164

"Use of ultraviolet (UV) sterilization to kill theronts has been suggested, based on research involving Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (freshwater "ich"). The recommended UV dose for Ichthyophthirius theronts is 100,000 µWsec/cm2 (Hoffman 1974). However, UV doses required for Cryptocaryon irritans are anecdotal or extrapolated, and range from 280,000 µWsec/cm2(industry numbers) to 800,000 µWsec/cm2 (Colorni and Burgess 1997)."
OH, Thanks, much clearer now!
 
What
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/m/#publication?id=FA164

"Use of ultraviolet (UV) sterilization to kill theronts has been suggested, based on research involving Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (freshwater "ich"). The recommended UV dose for Ichthyophthirius theronts is 100,000 µWsec/cm2 (Hoffman 1974). However, UV doses required for Cryptocaryon irritans are anecdotal or extrapolated, and range from 280,000 µWsec/cm2(industry numbers) to 800,000 µWsec/cm2 (Colorni and Burgess 1997)."
so what’s that wind up meaning in watts needed for like 300-400 gph flow rate? I have no idea how to calculate that.
 
What

so what’s that wind up meaning in watts needed for like 300-400 gph flow rate? I have no idea how to calculate that.

It would depend on your manufacturer and model.

For example, Aqua Ultraviolet, a Classic 57W would probably put 300 GPH at ~320,000 uw/cm2.

Screen Shot 2019-05-19 at 11.08.41 PM.png


A PentAir (Emperor) High output 50 watt at 300gph would probably be around 200,000 uw/cm2

Screen Shot 2019-05-19 at 11.12.21 PM.png


A PentAir SmartUV 40 Watt, woudl be around 200,000 uw/cm2

Screen Shot 2019-05-19 at 11.20.51 PM.png
 
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It would depend on your manufacturer and model.

For example, Aqua Ultraviolet, a Classic 57W would probably put 300 GPH at ~320,000 uw/cm2.

View attachment 11959

A PentAir (Emperor) High output 50 watt at 300gph would probably be around 200,000 uw/cm2

View attachment 11960

A PentAir SmartUV 40 Watt, woudl be around 200,000 uw/cm2

View attachment 11961

I found this for the Coralife UV sterilizers. Interesting that Coralife recommends 400-1200 gph (for the 12x), but the chart shows that to kill parasites, it needs to be at 290gph.
UV Sterilizer Flow Rate Chart.png
 
I found this for the Coralife UV sterilizers. Interesting that Coralife recommends 400-1200 gph (for the 12x), but the chart shows that to kill parasites, it needs to be at 290gph.View attachment 11962

I'm sure some parasites will die, but that's a pretty general term.

Ich is one of the larger parasites. In the UV world, the bigger it is, the more UV it'll take to kill it. So at 45,000 uws/cm2, that isn't a level at which marine ich dinspores (free swimming phase) are killed. The studies I've read range a bit, but the minimum was 280,000 uws/cm2.

Unfortunately, it seems to get to that amount of output though, the coralife flow rate would need to be real low in which case you'd run into problems without enough tank turnover.
 
Will Orphek Atlantik cover the 36" width tank? Boun is selling three of his Mitras LX7026, this may do justice for this tank.
Is he? Doesn't like the spread of them? Or something else?

I was seriously considering those as an option for my tank, but it's also 36" wide. Plus think about these fixtures long enough, then BAM they increase in price 10% because, which makes me reconsider the options.
 
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Will Orphek Atlantik cover the 36" width tank? Boun is selling three of his Mitras LX7026, this may do justice for this tank.

It's a good question, but I think so. They indicate they will do 48, and then in the same breath say that 40" is better. My plan is to run three of them lengthwise (long side front to back.) So I think is should be fine. If not, I may add a fourth. Again though, I could supplement with my existing kessils as well.
 
Is he? Doesn't like the spread of them? Or something else?

I was seriously considering those as an option for my tank, but it's also 36" wide. Plus think about these fixtures long enough, then BAM they increase in price 10% because, which makes me reconsider the options.
He is trying to trade Mitras for Radion since the Mitras is over kill for this new tank. I would scope them up if I am that handy and has budget. pm him for more info.
 
I’m curious how people move water effectively in a tank that size. I am a big fan of Gyres in any case but how would you place them? For peninsula tanks, Coralvue has recommended placing both Gyres on the back panel with one placed horizontal in the middle and one vertical toward the side. I wonder if you could treat a tank that long with a peninsula config on one end, and regular config (horizontal near top) on the other?
 
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