UltraViolet Clarifier

[fishfeind]

I have had a 25 gallon freshwater tank for 3 years now and am getting a little bored with it, I have bought a new 90 gallon tank and have built a wet/dry filter for it. I also have an ultra violet clarifier for it. my question is should I use the UV light in my setup, and should I put it before the filter or after the filter?
any help would be apreciated. thanks.

 

[devinf]

It should be placed as the last stage in your system, so after the wet/dry.

Devin

 

[fishfeind]

I am curious about adding the UVC because I don't want to harm the ammonia and nitrite eating bacteria, if the UVC kills all microorganisims doesnt that include the good bacteria that resides in my tank?

 

[Ob1]

I have just added a 25w uv to my Xp3 (outlet) I put a T pce in and tap to adjust the flow rate (If needed) and placed the new UV output directly in my tank

 

[Lateral Line]

>>> doesnt that include the good bacteria that resides in my tank?

The UV will only kill what is going through it. Since most of your beneficials are sessile, they will not be going through the unit thus will be unaffected by it.

 

[guppymonkey]

What is the point of this UV bacteria killing thingamajig? Is there any real point to it?

 

[Lateral Line]

In a single freshwater aquarium, it has limited use really. It kills or at least badly damages, living organisms that pass through it. It does so by irradiating them with a powerful Ultra Violet source which dissrupts their genetic material amongst other things. Thus it will kill bacteria and parasites small enough to go through the filter.

In a centralised filtration system where a single filter serves several tanks, this can be very useful as it stops the tanks cross contaminating each other.

One of my friends has a large UV unit in the line from his pond to the top of his waterfalls, kills the green algae and keeps his water clear.

In a marine tank it is often placed on the inlet to the filter to kill off copepods and other undesired free swimming/floating animals which might not otherwise go through the filter.