Inbuilt UV canister filters

[Mitch]

Hi everyone, just wondering if anyone uses a canister filter with a built in uv filter inside, like the aqua one models? If so are they effective and economically better than just a normal canister and an in line pondmaster? Thanks

[scott bowler]

hi mitch i have a resun 2800 with the built in uv and it does a great job. i havent had any problums with it and it runs like clock work. i dont now if it is more Ecnomic but it does the job for me .hope that helps mate .

[Greggy]

I run an Aqua One 2450 UV-C and an Eheim 2228 on my 6x2x2

The UV of the 2450 definitely works, as the UV destroys water borne algae - as soon as I added the 2450 the amounts of algae in my tank was greatly reduced. No doubt it also kills other nasties in the water.

However I would not say the Aqua One 2450 is an efficient filter at 62 Watts. I'm also unsure if the UV is good with a planted tank, but I keep the UV on all the time and things seem to plod along ok.... at least the fish are very healthy at the moment, never been better actually! Has the UV helped? yes. Is it needed? maybe not. Would an external UV be better? Not really assuming you can easily get replacement UV globes for the filter (Aqua One say to change it every 12 months).

Is the Aqua One 2450 UV-C good value? Definitely! But use Eheim biological media instead of the cheap rubbish Aqua One provide.

Regards,

Greggy

[taksan]

Cannisters with inbuilt UV's are a complete waste of money and just a marketing gimmick.
Not one cannister with a built in UV actualy has a correctly sized UV to flow rate ratio for anything other then mild algae control.
If you want a UV to STERILIZE (ie: to kill white spot and other nasties) you need a high output and low flowrate.

To give a example the Resen 11watt UV cannister has a pump rating of 2800 l/ph and actualy gets about half that in real life.
A flow of 1400 l/ph would require a UV of at least 30 watts to have any effect whatsoever on any protozoa present the Resun has only 11watts so its not doing anything at all.

Far better to get a separate UV properly sized to the flow rate.

[Mitch]

Thanks for all the feed back everyone. Now i have to decide which way to go!