# UV sterilizers for small tanks



## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Are there any UV sterilizers made for small tanks(10 gallons and up)? I would love to get one for my two 10g's but all of the sterilizers I've seen are only for tanks of 40 gallons or more and the flow rates would be far too strong for my fish.

Are UV sterilizers only made for larger tanks? If there are sterilizers made for smaller tanks, where would I find them?

Thanks.


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

The flow rates listed are usually the recommended maximum to kill various types of organisms in a single pass. These are often based on drinking water applications where there's only one pass through the UV sterilizer compared to constant recirculation in an aquarium.

You can have a flow rate as low as you want. A friend of mine has an 8W Aquaultraviolet on a 10 gal tank. It sits externally while a powerhead in the tank pumps water through it and back to the tank. I have a JBJ Submariner also in a 10 gal tank. It is basically an in-tank filter with an integrated UV sterilizer. It takes up a lot more space in the tank but the water doesn't leave the tank, reducing the chances of a flood, and it is a less expensive setup.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Thanks Squint. 

I have guppies in my one 10g and I know they won't be able to handle very strong currents. I do know they would be able to easily handle the flow of an Aquaclear when set at a moderate to low flow. Would I be able to set the sterilizer that you have at that flow rate for them? Also, which one would be best to get? The five or nine watt sterilizer or does it not really matter?


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

Squint said:


> I have a JBJ Submariner also in a 10 gal tank. It is basically an in-tank filter with an integrated UV sterilizer. It takes up a lot more space in the tank but the water doesn't leave the tank, reducing the chances of a flood, and it is a less expensive setup.


Yes, JBJ Submariner is big - even for a 30g tank (I have it in a 30g and 20g). But it is the best that I have seen for an in-tank UV. Since its flow rate is not adjustable and I found it to be too strong, I connected its outflow to a tube that extends all the way to the other side of the tank. BTW, I positioned the JBJ horizontally on the tank bottom and found the lamp indicator a bit difficult to see.

Oh I love the ad-speak, for a pump whose flow rate is not adjustable, JBJ said "We've taken the guess work out of sizing flow rates of pumps to lamp wattages."


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

So I guess this wouldn't be a good choice for a 10g. If the flow was too strong in a 30g I don't want to even imagine what it would be like in a 10!

Can anyone give me some other suggestions on what type of sterilizers I could use for a 10g?


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

For a 10g tank, I had used the Aqua Medic Helix Max 5W with Maxi-Jet Submersible Utility Water Pump 400. That combination worked well but had tubes coming out of the tank.

http://www.aqua-medic.com/UV_sterilizer.shtml

http://www.petsolutions.com/default.aspx?ItemId=51307050&EID=SZ51307050&SID=SHZIL


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

I have the previous version of the Submariner and it does have an adjustable flow rate. It does seem to blow things around too much if left on high...which is probably what the new versions are fixed at.

If your budget allows, I would consider an Aquaultraviolet. The Aquaultraviolet Advantage models have a HOB feature so you only need a hose from a powerhead and not a return hose. You could use a small powerhead like a Microjet (which I've used with UV sterilizers before) that would add very little turbulence to the water.

The regular AquaUltraviolet models don't seem to have the HOB feature but they do have a wiper option which I find handy though I've never found the quartz sleeves to get dirty in UV sterilizers w/o wipers.

Between the 5 & 9W JBJs, I'd go with the 9W. The replacement bulbs aren't that much more and you could probably increase the time between replacements since an old 9W bulb is probably still quite a bit more functional than a new 5W. In the end, the main cost will be replacement bulbs so what I did was find out where there was a big jump in bulb prices as I looked at more powerful units rather than the initial cost of the unit.

All in all, I've owned 6 UV sterilizers. I gave one away, one will be sold one day, one got the heave ho into the dumpster, and 3 are in use today. I settled on the AquaUltraviolets for my main tanks and the JBJ for my planted 10 gal.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Thanks bartoli and Squint. 

I'll bookmark the links you posted. I still can't get over how big the Microjet powerhead is! I had no idea that there was a powerhead that was that small! I also like the idea of having a HOB sterilizer so it doesn't take up a lot of room inside the tank.


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

If you decide to go with a powerhead and external UV setup, make sure you get all the proper size tubing, connectors, and hose clamps that you'll need.

The Microjet can fit 1/2" inner diameter and I think also 3/8" ID tubing. It looks like the Advantage 2000 HOB has a 1/2" barb so you'll need two hose clamps and some 1/2" ID tubing.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Do you have any pictures of your external UV set ups, Squint? I'd really love to see how one is set up. Does the pump just push the water through the sterilizer? Do the units that both you and bartoli suggested not have a built in pump in it or can you just choose not to turn it on and only use the light instead? Also, the Aquaultraviolet unit that you mentioned, you said that you only need to use one hose with it. What did you mean by that? I've never seen any sterilizers aside from the JBJ in a tank before. I know a lot of people use the external units but I'd be so worried about it possibly leaking on me.

I'm so new to this that it's so confusing for me.


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

An external UV typically does not have a built-in pump. Here is a set-up on the front of a 10g hospital tank for illustration:










Hanging on the left outside of the tank is the UV sterilizer (Helix Max 5W). Below the UV you see inside the tank there is a pump (Maxi-Jet Submersible Utility Pump 400). On the right, you see the outflow is fitted with a T-connector to further reduce any possible flow disturbance. The tubing is Eheim 12/15mm. Hope that helps.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

That definitely does help. Thanks, bartoli! 

From some of the sterilizers I've looked up(including the ones posted in this thread), I'd have to say that I'm really leaning towards the Aquaultraviolet Advantage. I like the fact that there's only one hose needed and that it hangs on the back of the tank like a HOB filter would.


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

Aqua UV Advantage 2000 does look very interesting. There is a product description at:

http://www.marinedepot.com/uv_ultraviolet_sterilizers_ozonizers_aqua_uv-ap.html

The description includes a flow rating of 1000 GPH for the 8W model. Does that mean it comes with a pump? If so, even better. However, 1000 GPH is very strong (as a comparison, the Submariner UV is rated at only 211 GPH). Don't know whether the flow rate is adjustable.

Another thing worth noting is that the dimension listed is 18"x4"x2.5" Thus, the unit's height is 18-inch - taller than a typical 10g tank. Make sure that your tank placement has enough clearance on the side for hanging the unit.


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## clearleaf (Oct 4, 2008)

Here's a thread I plan on trying to replicate.

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/diy/33922-plumbing-portable-uv-sterilizer.html

looks the same as bartoli's setup, basically


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Yes they do, but I forgot where I saw it. It is a in tank underwater power head with build in UV.



Red_Rose said:


> Are there any UV sterilizers made for small tanks(10 gallons and up)? I would love to get one for my two 10g's but all of the sterilizers I've seen are only for tanks of 40 gallons or more and the flow rates would be far too strong for my fish.
> 
> Are UV sterilizers only made for larger tanks? If there are sterilizers made for smaller tanks, where would I find them?
> 
> Thanks.


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

The Advantage user manual has a good illustration of the possible configurations:

http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/

Most UV sterilizers are intended for in-line installation in larger aquariums or ponds. Using them with smaller tanks can be somewhat awkward:










That could be done better but a HOB UV sterilizer eliminates the need for a return hose and fittings since it hangs on the side of the tank and water falls out a spout directly into the tank.


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## armedbiggiet (May 6, 2006)

Squint said:


> The Advantage user manual has a good illustration of the possible configurations:
> 
> http://www.aquaultraviolet.com/
> 
> ...


This one acually looks pretty cool, does that power head strong enough to do the job?? are you going to hide it in the back of the tank?


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

bartoli said:


> Aqua UV Advantage 2000 does look very interesting.
> 
> The description includes a flow rating of 1000 GPH for the 8W model. Does that mean it comes with a pump? If so, even better. However, 1000 GPH is very strong (as a comparison, the Submariner UV is rated at only 211 GPH). Don't know whether the flow rate is adjustable.


The flow rate for the Submariner is what the small pump inside it is pushing through the unit. Since most UV sterilizers are not standalone units and depend on a filter, pump, or powerhead to move water through them, they specify the maximum recommended flowrate.



bartoli said:


> Another thing worth noting is that the dimension listed is 18"x4"x2.5" Thus, the unit's height is 18-inch - taller than a typical 10g tank. Make sure that your tank placement has enough clearance on the side for hanging the unit.


Well, the hanger isn't at the very end of the UV sterilizer so you probably don't need a whole 18" of clearance.


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

armedbiggiet said:


> This one acually looks pretty cool, does that power head strong enough to do the job?? are you going to hide it in the back of the tank?


That's not my setup. It's just a random pic I found on the 'net. I think it could be setup behind the tank. Just about any powerhead should be able to push water through a small UV sterilizer unless there's a lot of pumping head, e.g., you put the sterilizer on the floor and make the powerhead pump the water all the way back up.


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## bartoli (May 8, 2006)

Squint said:


>


Hi Squint,

Thank you very much for posting the image. When I looked up the reference page it included assembly parts as well - making it very convenient to put together a portable system. I may end up putting together just such a portable UV for ad hoc use in other tanks.

http://americanaquariumproducts.com/CompactUVSterilizer.html


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

For the return, I would use something like this:










Although the two that I have don't fit 1/2" tubing like they're supposed to. But if you're using 5/8"...

In the past I've just let the flexible hose between the powerhead and the UV curve instead of using a bunch of bulky fittings.

Of course, drilling the tank and installing bulkheads is the cleanest way to install...


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Thank you for all of this information, everyone. 

Even though tubes coming out from the tank isn't very aesthetically pleasing, I think I'd rather do that then to drill a hole into the glass! Knowing my luck, I'd end up breaking the tank! lol

This site says that the Aqua Ultraviolet Advantage would just be enough to fit onto a 10 gallon. It says the length of it is 12-1/4" and that would just fit onto my tank. Is this information correct?


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## ray-the-pilot (May 14, 2008)

In my 10 gal marine aquarium I have a Current Gamma model 1401, 15 watt UV sterilizer hooked directly in line with my Eheim 2213 canister filter. The water output into the tank is through a surface diffuser; so, there is no strong direct output flow. The only down side to overpowered UV is that it tends to heat up your tank especially with lots of lighting.


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## Squint (Aug 13, 2009)

Red_Rose said:


> Thank you for all of this information, everyone.
> 
> Even though tubes coming out from the tank isn't very aesthetically pleasing, I think I'd rather do that then to drill a hole into the glass! Knowing my luck, I'd end up breaking the tank! lol
> 
> This site says that the Aqua Ultraviolet Advantage would just be enough to fit onto a 10 gallon. It says the length of it is 12-1/4" and that would just fit onto my tank. Is this information correct?


The key is where your tank is situated. One of my 10 gal tanks is on my kitchen counter and if I had a HOB UV it or the hose might hit the countertop (unless I had it close to the edge so it could hang down over the edge). My other 10 gal tank is on a stand so anything hanging off the back could theoretically be as long as could be until it hit the floor.


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