Which UV Sterilizer should I buy?

[chicago_jb]

I have a 75gal FOWLR now but I'm looking to upsize to a 150 or a 200 next year. Do I buy an oversized UV for my 75 now so I can use it on a bigger tank later? Or is using a too big UV sterilizer bad for my 75? I'm leaning towards getting the right size for my 75 now because I'll probably keep the tank set up even with the new bigger tank.

Next question is which one to buy? Any suggestions would be greatly appreaciated.

Thank you.....


John

 

[dbosman]

The size of a UV unit is dependent on what you're trying to kill and how much water is passing how fast - past the light.
For example, a 50g tank with a 200 gph flow requires a minimum of 35 watts for bacteria and 60+ watts for serious pests . It will need four hours for complete turn over of water. i.e. Complete kill.

A 150 to 200 gallon tank with a 200 gph flow will require a 60+ watt unit running for a couple of days to insure a killing dose. I'm assuming a 3" UV unit.

Some of the saltwater forums will have more specific examples with name brand products.