Uv And Chillers

[tomstanks]

I need a chiller for a 150 gallon salt reef. It has a wet/dry filter system with in tank overflow boxes and a protien skimmer in the sump.

I need a UV sterilizer for the same 150. I need a really good one that will be easy to plumb into my set-up.


I need a UV sterilizer for a 57 gallon salt reef. This system has a hang on protien skimmer and a canister filter so I need something that will be easy to plumb likely in a hang on capacity. I have limited space to work with as well.



SUGGESTIONS?

 

[Aquascaper]

Vecton for the UV units, as for the chiller - too expensive for my taste so haven't researched them

 

[superman]

Why go with a UV? Many, and I would even say most marine aquarists don't even use UV. Keep in mind that UV kills the bad and the good stuff, whatever flows through it gets zapped. As far as a good means of water quality enhancement you could look into ozone (I swear by it) Ozone is going to run you in the neighborhood of about $200-$300 for a tank of that size for an all in one unit like red sea makes. As for a chiller, I don't think you will need one of those either. Using evaporative cooling works quite well, so put a fan on the tank and let the heater make up the difference. Spend the money on ozone and a good fan that you were planning to spend on UV and a chiller and I think you will be VERY happy.

 

[Aquascaper]

I run UV constantly and never (touch wood) had any illnesses in any of my tanks or other associated problems since doing so. I only use Ozone in emergencies as Ozone wipes out everything in the water column that it touches, at least with UV somethings get through unscathed.

Just wanted to put up the arguement for the defence

 

[superman]

That's the myth about ozone, ozone does not kill everything, especially in the dosage that we use in our tanks, UV is MUCH more harmful.

 

[Aquascaper]

Ozone wipes out everything in the water column that it touches, at least with UV somethings get through unscathed

I've run both...........sponges died using Ozone, sponges live using UV

As sponges are micro-filter feeders I choose to believe that Ozone is more indiscriminate than UV

JMO

 

[superman]

If one is having a lot of problems with disease in their system then UV is the way to go, but not without possible bad side effects to filter feeders. If someone wants to make their water crystal clear then Ozone is the way to go. Ozone simply is not able to kill most small organisms that may come in contact with it unless it is in VERY high concentrations (I would imagine 400+mg/hr in a very small reaction chamber) UV is able to kill off beneficial things like phytoplankton and other small organisms that would otherwise be eaten by filter feeders.

 

[Aquascaper]

Well all I was saying was that my filter feeders (the sponges) did not like it when I ran Ozone on my system but have increased in size whilst UV has been on constantly, to me that's a good enough reason not to use Ozone but to stick with UV as I love sponges and have quite a few in my tank.