UV "filters" on the war against rot.

[Haze_smoker]

Right so as the title sujest. Been haveing a think this morning wile haveing a joint pondering on root rot! Now my question is we add h202 in to try and kill the bad shit in the water, add a chiller and hope. 

IV kept fish for ages and use a UV filter on the tank and it works wonders to nuke all the bad stuff that make the fish sick and kill the alge. 

My question is?!? 

Would it work on a RDWC system the same way. The upfront cost is about the same as 2 grows worth of h202. 

[Dodgee]

I'm pretty sure folks been using uv in nft and rdwc systems for awhile now. 

 

It's not a new idea but is a good one 

[Devon Cream]

Yeah used uv on nft for few years in the summers works well.

 

 

 

 

     TS

[Dodgee]

14 minutes ago, Sinnerman said:

Yeah used uv on nft for few years in the summers works well.

 

 

 

 

     TS

It might even be you I remember using /talking about them actually mucka. 

 

 

I vaguely recall someone mentioning issues with additional heat and running them (the lights) on a timer does the business whilst avoiding over heating the water?? 

 

I maybe misremembering though 

[Devon Cream]

Just now, Dodgee said:

It might even be you I remember using /talking about them actually mucka. 

 

 

I vaguely recall someone mentioning issues with additional heat and running them (the lights) on a timer does the business whilst avoiding over heating the water?? 

 

I maybe misremembering though 

 

yeah was my first ever post years ago mate you’ve a good memory pal! 
 

 

      TS

[Haze_smoker]

@Sinnerman can u tell me more about it mate I got a 100l RDWC system. Prevention is better than cure imo. 

[Haze_smoker]

IV heard it strips out iron do you have to add in extra or you never had a problems?

[zen-ken]

Im getting deja vu the same as you @Dodgee.......we had this conversation not so long back Im sure.

 

I contacted a company called Modular Growth and they do a Tank Bomb UV steriliser (Nice guy)....Only problem is he reckoned I needed 12 of them for my system and they obviously have to be in the header tank....offered me a healthy discount but I just ain't getting 12 in the header atm. (shame, I really liked the idea - maybe on the new system I could incorporate it better)

 

The principal is sound.....a Koi guy tells me there is an easier/cheaper way to do it on the return but I guess you guys probably know more about this than me @Haze_smoker @Sinnerman

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by zen-ken

[Dodgee]

I'm pretty sure they're used in swimming pools/hot tub type situations too. 

 

 

You can buy inline uv filters from around 40quid upto several hundred depending on what sort of flow rate your looking for. 

 

The inline models look like they would be easy enough to incorporate into the return line of a rdwc system but you'd need one capable of the required flow rate. 

 

Iirc the light source needs to be very close to the water surface to work. With nft people would install the strip type lights under the tray where the water spills back down into the rez.. 

[HazyHashMan]

@Sinnerman What uv lights do you use in your tanks mate ? Would love to try it out myself if you recommend it. Having to just do with silver bullet for now touch wood it see's me through the summer.

[Haze_smoker]

54 minutes ago, HazyHashMan said:

@Sinnerman What uv lights do you use in your tanks mate ? Would love to try it out myself if you recommend it. Having to just do with silver bullet for now touch wood it see's me through the summer.

I'm on silver bullet and it's crept it's way in I think I was to keen to get the system going and had them going for 5 days without a chiller my stoopid fault really but now Im wondering if there's another way if I have to pull these.. then to keep it all sterile run a UV plus the chiller maby dose with h202 at Res change just to make sure. 

Is there any drawbacks to running one? 

[Devon Cream]

1 hour ago, HazyHashMan said:

@Sinnerman What uv lights do you use in your tanks mate ? Would love to try it out myself if you recommend it. Having to just do with silver bullet for now touch wood it see's me through the summer.

 

cant remember the name mate this was 2010 ish I was using it iv still got it kicking round in a box in the barn I’ll look later when I go up there. Hand water coco now I found it If I had the lights on over night and had a circulation pump in the tank running 24/7 and dosing every other day with h202  and on warmer days putting 2 ltr pop bottles filled with water and frozen before use didn’t get and probs again. People say about it stripping elements out the nutrients I used house garden aqua flakes back then and didn’t notice any adverse effects on the plants 

 

 

    TS

[badbillybob]

it does strip elements out of the water, but i can remember which one, iron maybe. 

there is one or two nutrient manufacturers who have an additive to put it back into the nutes, "uv balance" from ionic springs to mind.

i have seen a few yootoob vids showing uv clarifiers being used, its a spirl design with the light inside, and it clearifies the nutes as they pass through the tube. looks good, i should really get one and try it out. 

[tokenroll]

Blly is correct in what gets stripped and with the ionic uv balance additive is required, i know off no other firm making it.

Now on the subject of the UV sterlizers for your res. The unit will only clean the water as it passes through which is great. But if any roots have rot in any way it will not control that, so they really only work as a cleaner for the water.

For indivdual or even res i would go with an ozenator which has a little air stone on the end of the pipe which goes into the nutrient. This oxygenates the water and kills literally anything the water touches including any rotting roots, so this is what i would say is the better bet. I have used the uv kits for koi ponds and you will still get rot, if i was to do it all over again i would keep the uv unit connected between pump and chiller and then have the ozenator running also. The ozenators dont need to be run 24/7 i would think 15mins every hour are so. Just keep in mind you will not be able to use any organic additives including root boosters etc, you must stick to salt nutrients from start to finish. So say Ionic Grow / Ionic Bloom and Ionic UV Balance and nothing more is needed.

Toke...

Edited July 22, 2021 by tokenroll

[Haze_smoker]

@tokenroll nice one mate il look into them then.. does that mean that you no longer need to run air stones aswell? The return from chiller to Res drops back in and there's spray bars as the returns into the bubs.. obvs want as much DO as I can get. 

Don't suppose you know if I can use that UV balance nute from ionic as well as a different brand of base nutes. 

Thanks for advice