Attention: UV sterilizer users

[regal]

I've running a 80W UV for my tank. It is made by lifeguard and comes with quartz sleeves. I added a few things and made a few changes to the tank recently, including different light bulbs, fish and rocks. Did not quarantine b/c I did that before with no help except the UV. (For ick) My PBT was the one most susceptible to it. Since I installed the UV in Feb this year, within a few weeks, his icks were all gone. Recently, my tank has a slight outbreak again even with UV running. I was wondering if the new changes and additions are the culpit. Finally, I decided to take the UV apart to look at the quartz sleeves. :shocked1: To my surprise, the sleeves were completely white, covered by salt creeps. It took me an hour to clean it off with hot water. When I checked the manual, it called for yearly cleaning of the sleeves but I did not expect it be like this so soon. I guess it is referring to fresh water tank and for salt water tank, it needs to be cleaned more often. Now the fish are all recovering and back to normal.

 

[House of Laughter]

Whew that was a close call.

Good catch Regal and glad to hear all is back to getting better

House

 

[Falco]

I had the same experience with my 57w Aqua UV unit. If I don't keep up on the cleanings I get major salt build up on the top of the unit.

This reminds me its due for a cleaning

-Chris

 

[nycmat]

Whew/. 80W WOW that is a huge one. i have the aqualight 25 soon to be 65watt with the twist. i dont run that in line i am curious do you? and if so why? Its suppose to have a slow rate through it that is why

 

[pecan2phat]

Regal,
That's not salt creep.
That is the calcium buildup adhering to the quartz glass due to the attraction caused by the heat generated by the lamp.

The inspection/cleaning schedule gets bumped up quite considerably if your running a reef tank with high calcium and alkalinity levels.

 

[regal]

Regal,
That's not salt creep.
That is the calcium buildup adhering to the quartz glass due to the attraction caused by the heat generated by the lamp.

The inspection/cleaning schedule gets bumped up quite considerably if your running a reef tank with high calcium and alkalinity levels.

I know it is not pecan, just a matter of speaking. If it was, it would come run off. But this thing like you said is bonded to the sleeve. The first one, I cleaned it with my dremel tool. No kidding. Then, I decided to try really hot water. It worked.

 

[House of Laughter]

Regal,

For that build up I use hot water and vinegar and it just melts off.

House

 

[regal]

Regal,

For that build up I use hot water and vinegar and it just melts off.

House

Don't have any vinegar sitting around. No italiano.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

Don't have any vinegar sitting around. No italiano.

come on ova.... got plenty... lmao

 

[regal]

Whew/. 80W WOW that is a huge one. i have the aqualight 25 soon to be 65watt with the twist. i dont run that in line i am curious do you? and if so why? Its suppose to have a slow rate through it that is why

I don't run it in line. I feed it by gravity with a 1-1/4" inch pipe. Don't want to replumb my return pump to run it in line. Besides, in order to kill the parasites, the flow has to be considerably lower than my baracuda pump. With gravity, the flow is just right. No extra pump or electricity.

 

[regal]

Man! Less than a month and the sleeve is white again. What's the best way to get them off? Just plain white vinegar?

 

[drunktank]

UV's dont cure ick- so dont to much on it

 

[cali_reef]

Get a Aqua UV with a wiper, pull the wiper once every few days and you should not have calcium build up.

Otherwise vinegar bath is the best way to get rid of it. I use a 2" PVC pipe a bit shorter than the quartz tubing and cap one end, best container to soak the entire tube without using a lot of vinegar. Cap the other end after use if you want to save the vinegar for reuse.

 

[regal]

Get a Aqua UV with a wiper, pull the wiper once every few days and you should not have calcium build up.

Otherwise vinegar bath is the best way to get rid of it. I use a 2" PVC pipe a bit shorter than the quartz tubing and cap one end, best container to soak the entire tube without using a lot of vinegar. Cap the other end after use if you want to save the vinegar for reuse.

Good idea. Finally find some use for those left over PVC pipes. Thanks.

 

[Falco]

Thats a great idea

I have heard in the past that the UV units with the wipers start to leak after awhile because the seals go bad.

-Chris

 

[regal]

My lifeguard 80W unit uses 2 40W lamps so there are 2 sleeves. I ordered the extra sleeves from my buddy LFS guy $40 for 4 extra. I thought they cost much more than that so when I got 4 of them instead of 2, I was pretty surprised. Any how, I can swap them out and let the dirty ones soak in the vinegar bath for days.:biggrin: Take that you fu^king calcium deposites.