[drummerguydw]

Hi people, I am planning on getting a uv sterilizer just because I have my tank pretty close to a window and have been having a bit of trouble controlling the free floating algea. My question is, I have a 55 gallon tank with a 10 gallon wet/dry sump filter, with a pump that is pumping about 600ish gallons per hour because the tubing goes up bout 4 feet. I am wondering what wattage I will need for it to be effective for algea killing and parasite killing also, I want to keep my tank in tip top shape.

 

[Toby_H]

I’ve been using UVs for about 5 years and have been using them in conjunction with Blue Dempseys (susceptible to parasites) for over 2 years…

I use the at:
1W per 10 gal of tank volume…
10 gph per 1W of UV light…

All numbers actual not rated…

To control free floating algae about ¼ that strength should be sufficient although in my opinion if your going to use UV you might as well go all the way…

For delicate fish or for a truly crystal clear tank UV lights are well worth their investment…

 

[drummerguydw]

well, since I have a fairly crowded malawi mbuna tank, I want the best for them, so I went for the wet/dry sump, and uv sterlilizer, nice lighting ect. I want my babies to be nice and healthy. Plus, what fun are fish if you cant see them through the murky water, lol.

So, would it be ok to buy a sterilizer that may be 10ish watts, even though my flow rate is around 600-650 gallons per hour. Or should I go with a bigger sterilizer then.