Does anyone use inline UV sterilizers? If so, which ones do you like?

[jwcarlson]

I'm thinking about putting a UV sterilizer on my fry tank.  I have a suspicion that my *sometimes* struggles with fry might be partially due to my really hard with high pH water being a petri dish for biological activity.

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions of models that have worked well for you.  This is a 37 gallon system if that matters at all.  I'm not looking for a silver bullet and might not even use it permanently.  So more of an experimental thing, really... want to test some ideas I've got. 

[Guppysnail]

I have used these 9 watt ones in the past for similar hard water Petri dish issues. I like them. They just suction cup in wherever you want them and plug and play. Easy, affordable works well. 

[jwcarlson]

Thank you, @Guppysnail!  Do you run them 24/7 for this type of application or would it be worth putting it on a timer to be on 12 hours/off 12 hours kind of thing?

[Guppysnail]

On 12/7/2023 at 3:21 PM, jwcarlson said:

Thank you, @Guppysnail!  Do you run them 24/7 for this type of application or would it be worth putting it on a timer to be on 12 hours/off 12 hours kind of thing?

24/7. Bacteria multiply fast. I turned them in for 3 month and left them run. Now I don’t have issues. Could be coincidence who knows. 
Plus it’s the on / off all the time that kills them from my understanding 

[Colu]

I use a fluval inline uvc clarifier with my fluval 307 canister filter on my goldfish tank works well it has I timer so you can set it come on for 4-6-8-12 or 24hr I would leave it running for 24hr a day UV sterilisers work by breaking DNA chains of virus and bacteria to stop them multiplying  it also fits smaller fluval canister filter 106 107 206 207

[KoeIC]

I don’t know anything about keeping Fry. But I just recently purchased this one on Amazon (for a cheaper choice). And it cleared a whole tank in 24hours. It is a little strong 

[Galabar]

One thing to note is that UV lamps have a limited lifetime.  If you run them 24/7 they won't last too long (check with the particular product you are interested in to see if they specify a lifespan).

It might be easier to replace the lamp on an in-tank, powerhead style UV unit rather than needing to remove an in-line unit from its hoses...

Edited December 8, 2023 by Galabar

[Rewcolee1]

I use the same Fluval one as mentioned above. I have had it running for almost 3yrs now at 12hrs a day. Works great no complaints at all. When the bulb burns out I’ll certainly purchase another one.

[tolstoy21]

I would also run it 24/7.

As @Galabar, the bulb has a limited lifespan, and running it with the aquarium lite cycle helps extend the bulb's life. The 12-hour cycle works well for clearing water and killing free floating algae but it's not as useful for killing off bacteria. 

I have used the green killing machine in the past and it works well keeping the water clear, but I cannot attest to how well it works against water-born bacteria. My bulb lasted maybe a year at most. I also run a pretty serious UV sterilizer on my larger display tank and I replace the bulb on that every year.

According to the interwebs: "Typically, an Ultraviolet or UV lamp lasts 12 months or about 9000 hours of use. The light stays lit longer than 12 months but after one year of use it's ability to kill bacteria will slowly diminish and it will no longer kill bacteria." My UV documentation also mentions the same.

With bacteria you need a slower flow rate through the sterilizer to maximize the water's exposure time to the bulb. The more expensive sterilizers list the appropriate flow rates in their documentation. I am not sure if the more affordable ones have this kind of information available.

Either way, in the end, it's definitely worth trying.

Edited December 8, 2023 by tolstoy21

[Galabar]

One thing I will say is that, when I was using UV, the tank would achieve that "next level" of clarity... 🙂

[tolstoy21]

Here is some info on UV sterilizers from BRS. Much of what they discuss is geared to larger UV setups, but some of it should be applicable in theory.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/content/post/5-minute-saltwater-aquarium-guide-uv-sterilizer-plumbing#:~:text=The most common rate of,GPH through the UV sterilizer.

[jwcarlson]

I ended up buying a 9W GKM, impressed with the packaging quality, seems like I could have driven a car over the box and it would have been fine.  I don't know that I've ever seen a plastic bubble pack that was so thick.

I wish I could see the light somehow so that I "knew" it was working. 😄

[Galabar]

On 12/10/2023 at 11:05 AM, jwcarlson said:

I ended up buying a 9W GKM, impressed with the packaging quality, seems like I could have driven a car over the box and it would have been fine.  I don't know that I've ever seen a plastic bubble pack that was so thick.

I wish I could see the light somehow so that I "knew" it was working. 😄

Some UV filters have a semi-opaque region so that you can see if the bulb is working.  I'm surprised that the GKM doesn't have such a thing.  How would you know when the bulb burns out?

[jwcarlson]

It might, it has a little LED on the control box outside the tank, but that's really just power indication, I would guess.

[Galabar]

It seems like the LED does signal when a new UV bulb is needed:

 

[jwcarlson]

Maybe I should read the manual. 😄

[Galabar]

On 12/10/2023 at 6:19 PM, jwcarlson said:

Maybe I should read the manual. 😄

Yeah, let us know. 🙂

[Guppysnail]

On 12/10/2023 at 9:19 PM, jwcarlson said:

Maybe I should read the manual. 😄

Funny I own several of these and I never seen an LED light. Guess I did not read either 🤣

[jwcarlson]

On 12/10/2023 at 9:08 PM, Guppysnail said:

Funny I own several of these and I never seen an LED light. Guess I did not read either 🤣

It's on the transformer/power unit that sits outside of the tank.

[Colu]

Just think about the fluval inline uvc clarifier at 3w it's better for clearing green then killing bacteria and viruses 

[PineSong]

On 12/7/2023 at 2:08 PM, Guppysnail said:

I have used these 9 watt ones in the past for similar hard water Petri dish issues. I like them. They just suction cup in wherever you want them and plug and play. Easy, affordable works well. 

@Guppysnail, I have recently added these to two of my tanks and I have a question. On the smaller one (for 20g tank), I notice that the output creates a noticeable flow in the tank--the fish play in the current and I can see movement among the plants. But on the larger one (50g size in a 29g tank) the water just flows out at a slow rate and creates no movement. If I raise the periscope-shaped output tube above the water line, I can see that water isn't coming out at enough speed or volume to create any flow. Can you tell from this description whether my unit if faulty or is this just typical of the larger size GKM?

[Guppysnail]

On 4/5/2024 at 1:26 PM, PineSong said:

@Guppysnail, I have recently added these to two of my tanks and I have a question. On the smaller one (for 20g tank), I notice that the output creates a noticeable flow in the tank--the fish play in the current and I can see movement among the plants. But on the larger one (50g size in a 29g tank) the water just flows out at a slow rate and creates no movement. If I raise the periscope-shaped output tube above the water line, I can see that water isn't coming out at enough speed or volume to create any flow. Can you tell from this description whether my unit if faulty or is this just typical of the larger size GKM?

Sounds typical. Mine do not create flow. The water flows out but with no speed or pressure.  You really do not want speed and pressure.  The longer the water is in contact with the bulb the better.  Also check the intake sponge and area. Mine used to clog really fast. 

[jwcarlson]

Mine are pretty slow flow as well, @PineSong.  I, too, have a 9W and a 24W.  The smaller one does seem to have a bit more flow, but neither one of them is blasting anything around the tank.

[dasaltemelosguy]

This may be overkill but I find the best deals in UVC sterilization are the whole-house units. They easily hook up to inline aquarium filters (I have mine on 2 of my Fluval FX6's). I haven't seen any algae since installing these.  

For example, this light has a huge, 55W UV. It can output 700GPH at 99.99% sterilization and it comes with 3 bulbs and 2 quartz sleeves for under $85. Although the bulbs are rated for 9000 hours, if they are kept cool (i.e. not allowed to run when dry), they can still disinfect for up to 2-3 years. My bulbs still output germicidal levels of UVC after a year of continuous use. 

VEVOR Water Purifier Filter, for Whole House Water Purification, 12GPM 110V 55W, 2 Extra Lamps + 1 Extra Quartz Sleeve: Amazon.com: Tools & Home Improvement

As for knowing when to replace the bulbs, this test card will light up if there is a germicidal level of UVC present. It makes it a quick and simple task to know if your light is still disinfecting. 

Amazon.com: QuantaDose® UVC Light Test Card with UVC Light Wavelength Indicator and Photochromic UV Intensity Test : Industrial & Scientific

Even if you do not need this amount of output, the efficacy of sterilization goes up in exponential proportion to the bulb length. The reason is known as "shielding" where bacteria fall in the shadow of debris. The longer the bulb, the lower the probability that bacteria escape the light.

 

[jwcarlson]

How are you adapting those those long tubes, @dasaltemelosguy?  A threaded x barb fitting and a hose clamp?