UV sterilizer help :)

[Jason]

Ok, so I have been thinking about getting a UV light Sterilizer for my very small pond. I found this one for a great price on Ebay (Where I buy most of my pond supplies) and I needed to ask some questions that are not answered on the page. Here is the Product: http://www.ebay.com/itm/9W-UV-STERI...994?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484612c6e2

Q1: Do I even need a UV sterilizer since I am only 300 gallons?
Q2: Is a 9w big enough for my pond or am i overdoing it?
Q3: Is there a Flow Rate that I need to take into account for this particular piece being 1/2'' inlet?

Thanks! :goldfish:

 

[koiguy1969]

9 watts is plenty for a 300 gal pond...i used a 9 watter on 1200 gals. if you cant keep your water from greening up. using U.V can be the answer no matter the size of the pond within reason. meaning too big of a pond, it may be impractical.. i ran 1000gph thru my 9 watt U.V for my 450 gal pond .. same on my 1200 gal pond.. it shouldnt take more than 4-5 days to clear the water. it would clear mine in 3 days. make sure to install the unit so there wont be any air trapped inside..this slows its effectiveness.
side note: you need not run a U.V all season, just untill the water clears...

 

[Jason]

9 watts is plenty for a 300 gal pond...i used a 9 watter on 1200 gals. if you cant keep your water from greening up. using U.V can be the answer no matter the size of the pond within reason. meaning too big of a pond, it may be impractical.. i ran 1000gph thru my 9 watt U.V for my 450 gal pond .. same on my 1200 gal pond.. it shouldnt take more than 4-5 days to clear the water. it would clear mine in 3 days. make sure to install the unit so there wont be any air trapped inside..this slows its effectiveness.
side note: you need not run a U.V all season, just untill the water clears...

Thanks Koi guy! I will go ahead and purchase this then, One more question, Does it help with Brown water too or just Algae green water? You said no air trapped inside? Can i submerse the UV sterilizer? Thanks

 

[koiguy1969]

brown water is usually tannins from decaying plant matter..(leaves mostly) releasing color into the pond. U.Vs are for single cell algeas (green water only)... some U.Vs are submersable some are'nt.. good luck

 

[crsublette]

Jason, run the UV however often you want. UVs also help with killing harmful pathogens and also any free floating spores and free floating bacteria. UV bulbs do degrade fast if you run them 24/7. I put mine on a electricity timer where the UV is only allowed to be turned on for the weekends if you do not have the "pea green" floating algae bloom. There is always some algae floating around; ya just don't see it until its population becomes high enough so you can see it, which is then what we call a "bloom". Once it appears the "pea green" floating algae is "fixed" by the UV, then I would get a timer for the UV, or just be aware, of turning on the UV for a couple to few days on occassion so you can kill any lingering pathogens, bad spores, and any free floating bacteria. There is a very slight chance of UV affecting your good nitrosomonas bacteria only when it is dormant or reproducing in a high water shearing bio-filter environment. I have often read of overcrowded ponds becoming diseased due to the pathogens, lack of UV, and lack of water changes. There are also pond treatments to knock down these pathogens if you know its the cause of your fish becoming sick . The pathogens are what must be fixed as soon as possible whenever a pond becomes overcrowded.

 

[Jason]

Thanks Charles, I might just wait till spring to order one then since the weather is getting a little cold down here lol

 

[kougs]

I have found that turning the lights off and on will shorten the life of the bulbs. It was discussed on a separate topic "lessoned learned about UV filters".