uv

psychadelicdrea

psychadelicdrea

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Oct 6, 2004
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i installed my uv on my 125 gallon tank.....its a 9watt twister....and its been like 3-4 days and im starting to notice the green is dying off...i thought it would go away quicker....but im assuming that its still floating in the water? perhaps my filters in my emps arnt filtering down small enough to get them out....so im assuming if i do a few larger water changes and keep running the uv it will eventually clear up? any suggestions? .....i need to find somthing that will filter down to smallar particales so i can pick up what the uv is killin off
 
If you are using UV to get rid of green water, dont expect it to go away over night. If you understand the principle behind these devises it makes it a little easier. UV kills algae, bacteria and parasites by using ultraviolet radiation at the specific wavelength of between 250-280nm, usualy called UVC. Various waterborne microorganisms such as bacteria and algae require specific UV exposure rates to to achive successful UV sterilization.The bacteria/algae has to be in direct contact UV radiation for a certain period of time,when done correctly the UV will penetrat the microorganism's cell wall and cell membrane, destroying the cell's inner workings . Different types of microorganisms (bacteria, algae and parasites) require differing contact time, so dont be too concerned that your sterilizer has not got everything in one go. Give it about 2 to 3 weeks and then see if everything is going smoothly, if not maybe you have the flow rate up too high. I always recomend going about 2/3 of the recomended flow rate , that way you can be sure you have sufficient contact time.
 
well i was worried that maybe i didnt have enough flow rate.....im useing a 600 rio pump/powerhead its what the lfs recommended...i think its like 200 gph...and the twister uv says 100-200 gph so im at the top of what it suggests.....but i am noticing a differnce now...i can actually see the lil neons in the water ....so im assumin if i do a water change it will get clearer..and eventually even itself out

the twister is designed to give the water 3x time the exposier time since the water twists around the light...and dosent just pass though it
 
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psychadelicdrea said:
the twister is designed to give the water 3x time the exposier time since the water twists around the light...and dosent just pass though it
Click to expand...

Yes the twister dose give you about three times the contact time, but again they use this as a selling point, for much less wattage you can get the same UV sterilization. This statement is true, whether it is three times as much I don't know, but like I said before they over rate the flow to seem better than there competion.If you are going to use UV I stand by my advise of using 2/3rds of the recomended flow rate. :)
 
yah id have to buy a new pump...cause i dont think i can adjust the rate of flow on this rio.....but i hear yah ......i just did a 30 gallon water change and its 10x clearer...so hopefully with the uv running it will kill off anything that might wanna flar back up....that was my problem id do a big water change and it would be clear then it would just come back so hopefully this will work?
 
No I would not buy a new pump those rio pumps are rated to what they flow on the box, but in reality, taking into consideration the lenght of the hose ,scum build up inside the hose and also as the pump ages the flow will decline, what the box flow rate says will not really aply for very long. Leave it as it is you will be fine.
 
thats cool....im trying to figure out the best way to have it setup...right now i have the uv on the top of the tank.......i was planing to get a couple of elbows so that i can hide the hose alil be better.....and i was thinking maybe i could put the return hose flowing into my filter box....perhaps filtering the water rite after its been though the uv....i dunno
 
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