Help with selecting UV sterilizer.

[DaveK]

The new UV Sterilizer thread started by monkeyman164 has been merged with out general thread on UV.

[curtswearing]

I see no reason not to use a UV Sterilizer on a reef tank.

Here's the WRONG reasoning people have used before regarding UV. It kills food that could be used as part of the food web. And then they proceed to add DEAD food to their tank on a daily basis. Beyond that, Dr. Adelaide Rhodes (who knows more about bugs than most obviously) has stated numerous times that UV won't kill most copepods nor amphipods.

[DaveK]

I have copied the post by curtswearing here, since it has good information on UV, and represents reasons for using UV.

[Dubed]

Hello,
i have a 200 gallon tank and i am confused about wat size uv i need on a tank this size. So i was wondering if anybody could point me in the right direction. thank you Chris.M.

[DaveK]

In addition to the pros and cons of UV on this thread, I believe your specific question was already answered on this thread. See this specific post - http://www.reefaquariumguide.com/for...tml#post798582

[ReefDoctor]

Water sterilization is a function of time exposure to UV wavelengths. Different "Bugs" need different doses of UV to be erradicated. Simplified..This means that flow rates to wattage exposure gives you Zap dose units. section 4.2 table 4.1 Escobal "Aquatic Ecosystems Engineering" pages 35. Consider how fast do you want your water to be "sterilized"? Then back size to your tank size and according to the efficiency you want, realizing that you can never really sterilize your tank. See Escobals "purity coefecient" discussion page 19 table 2.1 and the preceding discussion in chapter 2.