UV Sterilizer

[FishSticks]

I really really have had enough of this algae scum!!! I have lost several battles first with brown algae, then with green algae, THEN with hair algae, and now that i have gotten rid of all these, i start getting GREEN WATER!!!! Arrggghhhh! I will now have to take out the big guns and win the war for good. Does anyone have any experience with the Coralife Turbo-Twist 3X Pond UV Clarifier 9W? I have a couple questions...

Just because the word "Pond" is included in the name of the product does it mean that it's only for ponds? Would I be able to use it in my 55 Gallon Planted Tank?

What else do i need to use this UV Sterilizer? I'm not even quite sure how they work.

 

[chkltcow]

I just helped my father hook one of these up on his 75g planted tank. It worked AMAZINGLY well. We hooked it up on Sunday afternoon, and he said when he got home from work on Monday, the tank was crystal clear. Same model as you're looking at, the Coralife.

As for other required parts, you'll need some way to push water through it, such as a canister filter or powerhead. We just used a ViaAqua powerhead I had lying around, about 125gph.... hooked it up with 1/2" vinyl tubing... and piped it back into the tank. It was a temporary setup to see how well it worked, and now that he knows... gotta find a more permanent solution.

Anyway, here's his thoughts on it: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=91454&hl=

 

[FishSticks]

I went to PetLand a couple days ago and I found the Coralife Turbo-Twist 3X Pond UV Clarifier 9W for $160. I asked someone who worked there if I could run it on a powerhead and she told me no, that it requires a canister filter. But they were all over $180 So now I'm having one of those fish dilemas where I don't know what to buy...what would be more beneficial for my tank? a uv sterilizer or a Fluval Canister Filter?

 

[rdd1952]

I went to PetLand a couple days ago and I found the Coralife Turbo-Twist 3X Pond UV Clarifier 9W for $160. I asked someone who worked there if I could run it on a powerhead and she told me no, that it requires a canister filter. But they were all over $180 So now I'm having one of those fish dilemas where I don't know what to buy...what would be more beneficial for my tank? a uv sterilizer or a Fluval Canister Filter?

I'm sure there is a difference between the pond and regular one. I bought the regular Turbo Twist 3X (for up to 125 gallon tanks) for aquariums rather than the pond one and I am running it off a power head and it's working fine. All you are really doing is making sure that the water passes throught the sterilizer and it doesn't matter how it is done. You just need at least 100 gph for it to be effective. Also, look online. I bought mine through Big Als' for $77.99 plus shipping. Here is a link to the item. If you can run it off a cannister filter (which I will end up doing off one of my Fluval 304s) it just eliminates some hardware from hanging around. But there is no reason that you have to have one.

 

[FishSticks]

rdd1952 you are the BEST That's a great link you gave me there, they have pretty good prices at Big Al's I can get the uv sterilizer and the fluval for less than $200! That's a great deal...Thanks!

 

[rdd1952]

You are quite welcome. Hope it works as well for you as it did for me.