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UV FILTER FLOW RATE

N

nige2473

Seedling
Joined
18 May 2008
Messages
9
Howdo,
Just a query,i have a Teratec 1200ex filter operating in a 180l aquarium and im using a 15w TMC UV lamp with brand new bulb.Are the flow rates to high on my Tetratec for the uv lamp and is the filter sufficient for my fully planted aquarium with 15 rummynose tetras and four discus? :rolleyes:
 
To be honest unless you have a plethora of free swimming parasites then you don't need to worry about the flow rates too much. If you puch too much water through the UV then it simply becomes less efficient at killing the tougher micro-organisms. If this 'sterilisation' is your aim then you will need to stick to the manufacturers recommended flow rates which should be in the instructions or available from their website. To use to battle green water the flow rate becomes much less critical. My pond UV is only 22W for a 3,500 gallon pond and has cleared the green water bloom I had in there in about 4 days. I also run about 1,200 gph through this unit!

The real crux of this is why are you using a UV?!
 
To be honest ,the reason for using the U.V. is for water clarity and the belief that they are a good addition for water quality etc.I have had no underlining issues that have led me to use one.I intend to add Discusto the tank so im opting for the best water quality i can get.Are they worth using?
 
nige2473 said:
To be honest ,the reason for using the U.V. is for water clarity and the belief that they are a good addition for water quality etc.I have had no underlining issues that have led me to use one.I intend to add Discusto the tank so im opting for the best water quality i can get.Are they worth using?
Click to expand...

Well, to be honest, not in my opinion, but equally (apart from reducing the flow from the filter slightly by increasing the resistance to the water flow) they can't do any harm either. Some people do use them and swear by them. If you want to play it extra safe and you've already got the unit then you may as well run it. Otherwise spend the money on more or bigger filters as discus will get large and need excellent filtration.

The only way a UV should improve water clarity is if you have algae or bacteria in the water column and they shouldn't regular occurences.
 
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