# Flow rate UV sterilizer?



## Forester (Jul 30, 2006)

*Effective flow rate for UV sterilizer?*

I just ordered the turbo twist 9 watt uv sterilizer to put it on my 29 gallon tank. To kill parasites it says the flow rate should be only 55 gallons per hour, but the lowest rate of flow for pumps was 80 gallons per hour. Do you think that this will still kill parasites? Am I going to fab up some kind of valve to control the water flow? 

I am trying to get the ich under control here. I am currently up to 3 1/3 tbsp of salt per 5 gallons of water, and am afraid to start putting more salt in there (freshwater tank). It has been around in the tank for at least the last 2 months and is getting quite annoying.


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## mr.dark-saint (Aug 16, 2005)

With UVs longer the exposure the better their cleaning rate. At 80 GPH I'd say it's not at their "optimum" effect rate. It'll just take longer to kill. Instead of one pass it'll need two or three trys but eventually it'll do it's job. 

If you're trying to get ich under controll, you do know ich has to be free floating to get zapped, right? Salt alone will not be quick and effective (did you raise the temp up to 82+ degrees F?). I'd get a thing of Rid-Ich and be done (just make sure you read the instructions). 

Tell me how you can keep ich running in your tank for two months? Everytime fish dies you replace it? Or not fully run the Meds course and let the tank relaps?


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## Forester (Jul 30, 2006)

Thanks for the reply. I did figure out the gallon per hour thing though yesterday. That flow rate is when the output is level with the pump. As the head rises the GPH falls. With the 1 1/2 foot rise it should be around 40GPH flow, well within specs there.

I have only been using salt to get rid of it, as I don't care much for chemicals, and haven't had any deaths for about 1 1/2 months. On occasion some spots will show up on the fish and they will sometimes scrape their gills and twitch around. Temps are at 82 actually.

Did you ever get that big tank set up you were working on a few months ago? I was thinking about doing something similar and was wondering if you had any pictures.


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