Internal UV filters

[ScareCrow]

Has anyone got any experience with internal UV filters, similar to this? Doesn't have to be that make or model, just the general concept.

I'm getting a bit fed up with external filters and would like the added benefit of a UV steriliser. Most of these internal filters state that they're sterilisers but steriliser and clarifier often seem to get used interchangeably by companies. I doubt many people are able to or do check bacterial populations so they can get away with it.

 

[erwin123]

During my tank maintenance and water change, I use a razor scraper to remove algae from the glass. while I change 50% of the water, this filter pad shows there is still free floating algae not removed by the water change. My 'solution' is to use an in-tank UV for around 4 hours after water change to kill the algae.

As for effectiveness, pls be careful:

Fish lovers, beware: Singapore man blinded by pond's UV lamp

 

[ScareCrow]

View attachment 209597
View attachment 209598
During my tank maintenance and water change, I use a razor scraper to remove algae from the glass. while I change 50% of the water, this filter pad shows there is still free floating algae not removed by the water change. My 'solution' is to use an in-tank UV for around 4 hours after water change to kill the algae.

As for effectiveness, pls be careful:

Fish lovers, beware: Singapore man blinded by pond's UV lamp

Thanks for your reply.

Yeah I think those exposed UVs are risky. Plus the effectiveness will drop off the further away from the light the algae is but if it's working for you that's great.

 

[seedoubleyou]

UV is a tricky area. It’s used quite extensively in reef keeping but not always to its potential.

I question whether all UV sterilisers actually work. Certainly the cheap ones.
Then you’d have to ensure the correct amount of water flow is passing through it for the job you want it to do.
i.e. sterilising algae cells or sterilising disease and infection. One requiring a high turnover whilst the other requires a slower.

Then there’s the acceptance that people need to have. UV sterilising doesn’t stop algae or disease from forming, it sterilises the cells slowing down the spread.

 

[ScareCrow]

I question whether all UV sterilisers actually work. Certainly the cheap ones.

Yeah my thoughts too. Especially as clarifier and steriliser are used almost interchangeably by some brands.

 

[erwin123]

Thanks for your reply.

Yeah I think those exposed UVs are risky. Plus the effectiveness will drop off the further away from the light the algae is but if it's working for you that's great.

everything is a compromise. I feel that the UVs in enclosed cases are less efficient than free standing bulbs because the full 'range' of the UV rays coming from bulb is not being used in the enclosed casing.

in terms of killing cells, the open bulb makes it easy to test it effectiveness/range. eg: place some unwanted stems / plants with algae close by and see what happens. Some plants are more sensitive than others. Once I placed the lamp 20cm from my Syngonanthus, and supposedly 20cm in water UV ceases to be "effective" - the leaves of the plants nearest the UV turned white, albeit after hours of exposure.

But as I have mentioned, I don't see any use for a permanent UV 'steriliser' in a planted tank. I only use it during water changes to zap the algae that I have scraped off the glass which was not removed by water change.

 

[Hanuman]

I feel that the UVs in enclosed cases are less efficient than free standing bulbs because the full 'range' of the UV rays coming from bulb is not being used in the enclosed casing.

I don't think so. I have eradicated a full blown bacterial bloom with an encased UV filter in less than 3-4 days turned on 24/7.

Free standing UV bulbs are in fact quite damaging for you and for any life in the tank, plants included if exposed long enough. I have read cases of people going temporarily blind or having skin burns due to these UV filters. I mean that's exactly their purpose: to kill any organism that is exposed long enough to UV radiation.
In fact after 3-4 days of use of my UV filter, I found out that the inner plastics had suffered some superficial damage due to the UV exposure. When I wiped the plastic cylinder where the bulb goes, the paper was covered with a black powder. This is simply plastic that has degraded. One way to resolve this would be to add a SS sleeve to protect the plastic.

Thailandia Sunset
Thailandia Sunset

Has anyone got any experience with internal UV filters, similar to this? Doesn't have to be that make or model, just the general concept.

I'm getting a bit fed up with external filters and would like the added benefit of a UV steriliser. Most of these internal filters state that they're sterilisers but steriliser and clarifier often seem to get used interchangeably by companies. I doubt many people are able to or do check bacterial populations so they can get away with it.

Yes that's what I have used and works pretty well. I used the Sunsun JUP-23. This said I don't think it's a good idea to have these filters as a permanent fixture in your tank. For bacterial blooms, to temporarily manage an algae outbreak or to kill some nasty virus/bacteria, why not. If you want to have a permanent UV device sterilizing your water then I think an inline UV sterilizer is probably best as it doesn't take space in your tank. Keep in mind though that no matter the type the bulbs needs to be changed periodically as their efficacy decreases with time. Also something to note. A UV filter will not make your water crystal clear by itself. It will kill anything that is exposed for sure but you need to shove your canister with some polishing pads/floss to remove all the material (bacteria, algae) that is sterilized by the UV filter. If you don't, the remedy might be worse than the disease as you will have loads of organic material in the water column.

 

[ScareCrow]

@erwin123 I think I get your point. Enclosed UVs are only effective if whatever you want to kill passes the bulb. Whereas, open UVs are more widely effective as everything the light reaches will be damaged to some degree. I think for this reason the risk outweighs the benefits. I also wonder what affect being exposed to such a strong source of UV has on the fish.

I found out that the inner plastics had suffered some superficial damage due to the UV exposure

This is quite common. In the UK there was a range of pond filters that would regularly split due to their UV not being sufficiently encased.

I don't think so. I have eradicated a full blown bacterial bloom with an encased UV filters in less than 3-4 days turned on 24/7.

Thanks, this is exactly what I'm wanting it for. I currently have a bacterial bloom that will not be resolved by water changes alone. Everything else is doing fine, cories are spawning regularly etc but there's a constant 'haze' in the water.

I'd also like to lower my own exposure risk to pathogens so it seems like a good solution.

 

[Hanuman]

Thanks, this is exactly what I'm wanting it for. I currently have a bacterial bloom that will not be resolved by water changes alone. Everything else is doing fine, cories are spawning regularly etc but there's a constant 'haze' in the water.

I'd also like to lower my own exposure risk to pathogens so it seems like a good solution.

There is usually 2 ways of going through this. Either wait it out or use a UV filter. I can assure you an encased UV filter will solve the situation rather fast. Make sure to chose a model that is sufficient for your tank size else it might take longer. The one I have is a 13W UV bulb. I have 160L. I could have gone with a 9W model but I though bigger meant faster. Go for it. It can always be useful later on for other purposes.

 

[Oldguy]

a constant 'haze' in the water.

I though bigger meant faster

I use an inline UV from time to time. Bigger is better. I use a Vecton 600. You may need a bypass to maintain circulation pump flow and give required dwel time in the UV unit. Calculations assume instantaneous mixing. High flow CO2 injection flow rate of 5 to 10 times tank volume is the best you can get for 'instantaneous mixing' of returned UV treated water into to the tank. This flow rate is NOT the the same as the flow rate through the UV device.

Time = k[Volume/Flow Rate] unit of time (typically hours) Volume is tank volume. Flow Rate is flow rate of circulating pump feeding the UV device.


k is a constant and is determined by the % of tank water required to pass through the device.


k = 4.6 for99.0% 6.0 for 99.9% 9.2 for 99.99%. This last figure is usually taken


The percentage figure is the percentage of aquarium water that is UV treated.

 

[seedoubleyou]

I have to agree with @Hanuman

An enclosed UV system is far more efficient as the water will have to flow through it,

Having an open UV will no doubt sterilise everything within its reach but it’s only effective to that point.

You don’t have to run a UV system permanently, it can be linked to a smart plug and run for several hours a day.

And again to echo what @Hanuman has said. Ensuring you have the correct size steriliser you your system is key. Oversizing helps but only if you can provide the right amount of flow as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.

 

[Hanuman]

I have to agree with @Hanuman

An enclosed UV system is far more efficient as the water will have to flow through it,

Having an open UV will no doubt sterilise everything within its reach but it’s only effective to that point.

You don’t have to run a UV system permanently, it can be linked to a smart plug and run for several hours a day.

And again to echo what @Hanuman has said. Ensuring you have the correct size steriliser you your system is key. Oversizing helps but only if you can provide the right amount of flow as per the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Indeed. I let it on 24/7 as I knew this was just a 3-4 days job and it would speed up the process. If one is to use a UV filter permanently then having it turned on a few hours per day is enough. The general idea is to allow water not to flow too fast so it can be irradiated long enough. I just set the UV filter pump to ~65% of its designed capacity. The Chinglenish instructions do say, if I recall well, not to turn the pump full throttle.
What is also important is to be sure there is a proper seal where the quartz tube fits in. You don't want water getting in there or this could end up, in the worst case scenario, in you getting electrocuted. Because I was a bit paranoid, I added a dab of silicon grease on the o-ring to make sure no water got through. Also very important to clean the quartz glass with a fiber cloth making sure no finger prints are left over.

 

[X3NiTH]

UVC can only penetrate about 1cm of water so it’s a pointless danger to use an exposed bulb in an aquarium, enclosed UV units are designed to channel water around the quartz sleeve with a gap of around 1cm from the quartz sleeve to the enclosure wall to maximise the effectiveness of UVC penetration and sterilisation.

I really like the D-D UV Sterilisers, I have 4 of the 20w units, two running on marines and two waiting on the sidelines to go on a bigger marine daisychained together, these are 1000L/h capacity units. They pack more power than equivalent devices because in addition to the usual internal quartz sleeve the bulb glass is quartz so stronger output.

D-D UV Sterilisers | D-D The Aquarium Solution

www.theaquariumsolution.com

 

[erwin123]

I also ran an in-line UV for a couple of years on a timer (i.e. not 24/7) after 1 year, when I had to change the bulb, I had to consider the following:
(1) It ran for 1 year without leaks. How many more years will it last before it leaks?
(2) reduction in water flow due to added plumbing.
(3) I don't leave it on 24/7 anyway.

For those that are interested in 'temporary use of UV', (those with heavily planted aquariums may not need 24/7 UV) here are some points:

• There is a 180 degree black plastic shield around the bulb so if you place it in the rear wall of your tank (which has an opaque background), it is relatively safe unless livestock swims into it and hangs around for several minutes.
• The range is more than 1cm . (mentioned my Synoganthus 20cm turned white after an hour+) , not to mention the algae on the glass.
• If you have good flow in your aquarium, most of the water in the tank will be exposed to both in-tank and in-line UV , no different from an in-line filter (if you have bad flow, eg: at the substrate level which is often the hardest to get good flow, those parts of the tank won't be 'treated' by the in-line UV as well).
• Thats where the twinstar bubble maker comes in. Its pretty good in checking the flow. Place it anywhere in the tank and see whether the bubbles make it to the in-tank UV.