UV Sterilizer

[s_griffin]

I am adding a uv sterilizer and am needing some advise please.

I purchased a 9 watt, the instruction say nothing about where to install it, except "do not place in water."

I tried adding it to the skimmer pump but created too much head and the skimmer did not make skimmate.

Suggestions? Greately appreciated.

Edited July 1, 2010 by s_griffin

[+Hydro]

What UV sterilzer did you get? They need a specific flow rate to work properly.

[medi]

Pretty simple. You can plumb it into your return, or if you don't have a large enough pump you can always just buy a small pump and run it independently.

[Timfish]

. . . specific flow rate to work properly.

. . . buy a small pump and run it independently.

+1 I would do a small pump and have the supply from your main tank and return to your main tank. Flow rates are real critical to get the optimum kill rate to control parasites and take into consideration the aging of the bulb. Output will probably drop 30% over the THE 8 - 12 month life of the bulb. I think it's better to pull water from your main tank. My reasoning is that's where the larval parasites are hatching and finding host fish.

[August]

Sherri I would do it on your return that way the UV works on the fresh water going straight to the tank instead of it back into the sump

[s_griffin]

Thanks so much for the advice, I have added the uv sterilizer to the last stage of the sump. I did not want to slow down the return pump so I added a small pump to the sterilizer and am depositing back into the sump before returning to the tank. If this seems to work I will add tubing so it will dump into the tank instead of dumping into the sump.

Thanks again

Sherri