Filtration idea, your thoughts...

[kalebjarrod]

so if the UVS kills all what do you paln to achive with a UVC. surley with the correct quarentine and hygiene, do you need this?

correct me if i'm wrong

[Merrilyn]

Purely for insurance mate - as I understand it, bacteria (both good and bad) are everywhere and even floating in the air, so even with the best quarantine and hygiene, you can still end up with an unwanted bacteria in your tank. If you have a tank with several breeding pairs and juveniles, you could have several thousand dollars worth of fish tied up in that glass box. A UVS is only added insurance. I wouldn't suggest it for every tank, but in some instances it would be justified. It won't affect the bacteria in your bio-filter, just free floating bacteria in the water. I'm no expert, but this is what I understand of the operation of UVs.

[Proteus]

Started a new thread to keep all UV info together...

hopefully this can be turned into an article to help others.

http://www.discusforums.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=929

[DeKa]

Hi everyone,

Just thought I'd clarify a few things about the Hozelock Cyprio Bioforce UVC filters.

Ladyred,
There is no minimum flow rate - you can put the water through as slow as you like. It's important not to exceed the max flow rate (or at least not by too much). The Bioforce 9000 models have a minimum head requirement of your pump of 3m (or 4psi). The Bioforce 1100, 2200 and 4500 do not have a minimum head requirement for the pump.

Proteus,
You're right, the pump is separate, you can use any pump you like that suits the minimum/maximum requirements.

Escher,
These filters work very well providing you don't exceed the "fish centimetre" specifications. The Bioforce 9000 series filters can handle up to 480cm of fish (add the lengths head to tail) with no problems. They are far more effective than drum filters because they run under pressure (min of 4psi in the case of the 9000 series), meaning there is more oxygen in the water in the filter, promoting biological filtration.

happydiscus,
As I described in my note for ladyred, you don't require a particularly powerful pump with the exception of the Bioforce 9000 filters which requires a minimum of 3m head from the pump (even that isn't particularly much). The filter foams should not shrink. I still have ~4 year old filter foams in my personal filter. If they shrink, it means you've probably washed the foams in chlorinated tap water. You should always wash the foams in tank/pond water (just a 10L bucket will do). If the foams do shrink, re-invigorate them by steaming them over the top of a kettle after you clean them. They always come back to shape and size.

flukes,
The UVC is a UV Clarifier - it clumps algae together. It's not a sterilizer. I think proteus summed it up well though, in his reply to you.

I hope that helps everyone I've been around these products forever and a day so I know the answers to most questions

Derek

[Proteus]

Thanks Derek, your input is appreciated