Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that
Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? TIA Gill |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Dunno about parasites, but UV is UV (in regards to the bulbs used)
since the bulbs used to rid parasites is the same nm as the ones in the units to clear algae..it would have to have an impact on parasites as well. I swear by the hozelock units....god only knows I have enough of them. IIRC Last count was 8 of themon the wifes various water features. I think and this is what I hear, that in the marine world there is much more beneficial stuff that can get killed especially in a reef type setup so they are not as popular as in a fish only setup or freshwater setup. Using UVC may sound like a cop out in getting rid of algae, and its yet one more item that you need to figure in the annual operating costs for, as the bulb is supposed to be changed annually....and some manufactuers bulbs are kind of high priced. One of the most missunderstood filter specs is the capacity. Hozelock/Cyprio tried to address this problem in one of their enclosed pump / filter booklets, that come packed inthe box. To calculate the EFFECTIVE, Filter and Pump volume of your pond: 'The following factors must be considered when estimating your pump and filter sizes.' EFFECTIVE, Filter and Pump volume of your pond: a. If the average pond water depth less than 2 1/2 feet--increase by 25% b. If the pond is located in full sun--increase by 25%, half day sun 17.5% and so on. c. If you're in Zone 1-5 add 0%--6-7 add 15%--8-10 add 35% d. If the total “fish length” is more than 8 inches per 250 gallons then an extra percentage must be allowed. By example a pond of 500 gallons could contain 16 inches of fish, but if the stocking level was 32 inches then a 50% increase would need to be applied – thus meaning that the filter and pump must cope as though the pond is 750 gallons. Another example: You have a 1000 gal pond, 2 ft. deep, in full sun, in zone 6-7 and have 64 inches of fish. 1000 gals+25% for Depth=1250, +25% for Full Sun=1500, +15% for Zone 6-7=1650, +50%for 64 inches of fish =2150 gallons You need to oversize your filter and pump to take care of a 2150 gallon pond a 115% increase. Cop out or no cop out, I say go with a UVC and get clear water quicker and start to enjoy the pond faster.It can always be unplugged when everythng gets matured and under control. Just my 2 cents worth On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:00:04 +0000, Gill Passman wrote: I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? TIA Gill ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
"Gill Passman" wrote in message ... I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? ================================== I use UV for water clarification. My units wipe out the algae in a few days. -- RM.... Frugal ponding since 1995. rec.ponder since late 1996. My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://tinyurl.com/9do58 Troll free pond and fish Forum: http://www.karlsforums.com/forums/fo...ay.php?fid=104 ~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~ }(((((o |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
I already put my two cents in as to UVC, but just a touch more on
Hozelock. The pump housings have an adjustable grill/grate that is able to be reduced down to less than 2mm in size and the pump intake itself is located a good 3 to 4 inches formn the outer gourd. This is great to keep fry from getting into the pump itself........If the LFS has one ther as to see inside the pump unit, as its only held together with three quick release latches......A standard Pond Master Mag 5 or 7 will also work fine for the Bio_force filters but the guard /enclosure for the pump need a bit of rework to fit, but its doable.....The pump assembly also has an adjustable outlet so yuyr not putting the hose into a hard bend to come up and out of a pond. Its a wellthought out unit. The canister is also easy to maintain and pretty darn quick to clean. A few quick release catches, and the entire top pops off. exposing the three donuts of foam. On the very bottom is the bio media, which remains in place. The sponge media is easy and quick to clean. YOu can always add a later of filter batting to pull extremely small particals out quicker if needed, but the foam is usually sufficieint. I have even played around and you can place a layer of charcoa etc in a mesh bag in place of the middle foam ring if the need arises, so therefore activated carbon is able to be utilized in the filter......The over pressure indicator is also a nice feature......When that red ring pops up its time to change the filter......... One thing is compute your water quantity at the highest amount, and get a unit that will accomplish the filtering rate at its lowest setting. The slower water is pushed through a UVC unit the better the job it does......I have the wifes units all valved as well as sized down to about 50% of their rated output. When we can see tiny fry 18" to 20" deep the water IMHO is clean enough. We run the UVC part once weather starts to warm up and the sun itself starts to get higher up in the north. Then late summer we can usually turn it off again and just go with filtraton media without UVC......probbaly do not even use the UVC 50% of the itme and we canactually get 2 seasons+ ouit of a bulb. Even with outside covering like a big market / patio umbrella to provide shade, precise feeding practices and using a lot of plants algae had alwys been a problem. We even use submerged plants as typically sold for aquarium use and have thick planted preforms with aquarium plants full of tropical fish doing just fine......in conjunction with the Bio Force filters by hozelok. A pond full of goldies or koi may be neat, but a pond full of Gourami or other tropical is pretty darn neat also..... On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:00:04 +0000, Gill Passman wrote: I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? TIA Gill ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Don't mind all my replys to this post. I have nothing but the best of
recomendations for Hozelock. With the Bio Force, you do need a "device" water fall etc so you can get the proper flowoout of the pump. If the outlet of the hose is too low the water flow is too fast thhrough the UVC, so its typical most folks use a water fall of approx height to regulate flow. Yes, you can use a valve, but why fool with a valve when you can adjust the outlet height when making a water fall. The setup lends itself to supplying water to a veggie fitler or it even works good if you feed a bakki shower or tower with the discharge water.......its easy to setup a shower in a corner up along the house wall or fence hidden by plants and get added benefits of having the bakki shower or trickle tower.......... To adjust height, turn on pump and allow water to flow...hold end of pump up say 2' to start......and direct outflow of hose into say a 5 gal bucket.and time it as to how fast it fills up the bucket. With the amount of water in a known containers size and the time it took to fill it, its easy to do the numbers and find out how much flow the pump is putting out. Too nuch or too fast, rasie hose up say 2" more and try again, too little lower hose and try again. HOld hose at various heights and when yu get the desired flow the height the hose is at is the height yu need to shoot for in regards to water fall height etc........or height for a trickle tower....You can get good clear water all without UVC with a decent veggie filter or trickle tower, but things come together so much faster and you can get much clearer water quicker, that to me if I only used it to get the ponds water clear and allow filter media to catch up, then shut it off, I would stlil go with a UVC. The hozelock uses a standard UVC bulb, nothing special...... On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:00:04 +0000, Gill Passman wrote: I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? TIA Gill ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Gill Passman wrote:
I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? TIA Gill Not much I can add to Tristans replies. I'm also a Hozelock (with UV) person. Effective and good value. -- ßôyþëtë |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Pete
Do you keep your UVC on all the time? On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 18:35:57 -0000, "BoyPete" wrote: Gill Passman wrote: I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? TIA Gill Not much I can add to Tristans replies. I'm also a Hozelock (with UV) person. Effective and good value. ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Tristin wrote:
Pete Do you keep your UVC on all the time? As Pete and I live somewhere between 30-40 miles from eachother I would be very interested in this.....we share a similar climate with slight micro-differences that relate to city dwelling and landscape - LDN is pretty much flat whereas I live in a valley (frost hollow).....but in the greater scale of things pretty much the same when compared to the great regional variations experienced in countries such as the USA..... I'm pretty much convinced that I may as well go and buy the combined system that includes the UV - especially when it is only a few pounds more...which is very little in reality on the greater scale of things.... Gill |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Gill,
We use a Tetra UV to kill the algae. Works fine and is not really needed all season. It is much nicer for us than waiting for the algae bloom to pass. Some would feel that it is better to let the bloom kill itself off. That can take a long time, so we have gone to a UV. With great results. We would support the idea of being on the hogh side for strength. Killing algea faster is fine. Failing to kill it off is a bummer. Jim |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Phyllis and Jim wrote:
Gill, We use a Tetra UV to kill the algae. Works fine and is not really needed all season. It is much nicer for us than waiting for the algae bloom to pass. Some would feel that it is better to let the bloom kill itself off. That can take a long time, so we have gone to a UV. With great results. We would support the idea of being on the hogh side for strength. Killing algea faster is fine. Failing to kill it off is a bummer. Jim Do you use it just to kill off the algae or do you find that, as it does in a marine tank, that it also kills off pathogens, parasites and other nasties....or do you use alternative control methods for these such as PP dosing? Gill |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Put it this way.....Don't get UVC and I pretty well bet with the first
algae bloom, you wished you had it. You will soon spend more time combating and trying to knock back the algae than enjoying the pond and fish...... I live in a hollow here too, but it seems to work opposite as it seems to shelter this area from frosts. There is a very small strip of land that runs along the rivers bott0om land area that just never seems to get any of the heavy frosts or cold weather. Anyway, The fisheries dept here has told me that algae laden water to a point is fine, but after a point it soon bevcmes a hot bed for problems.......so what I have found with the UVC is I use it for killing algae, and have yet to have a need to dose most anya of the preforms due to a sickness or problem, even though I do a PP treatment just to celan up water etc after the idle period of fall and winter is over.....so I still use PP in conjunctin with UVC. On Fri, 23 Feb 2007 16:00:04 +0000, Gill Passman wrote: I was looking at the Hozelock products in my LFS and noticed that Hozelock have a combined Pump, Filter, UVC combination product - the price isn't exorbitant (but I guess that is subjective). Now my question would be on the UVC side...... My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? TIA Gill ------- I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know! |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Gill Passman wrote:
My understanding of UV usage in the marine aquatic side is that it is used for prevention of parasites etc. Does the same theory apply to Ponds as well with this UVC unit? Or is it just a water clarifier? Just addressing this question to my understanding, mostly they are used as a clarifier. They have to be of high wattage to kill parasites, and considering the volume of water, not many people go there. Not to mention we're talking outside where lots of parasites can enter the water at all times. Thus it is more important to make sure water parameters are great and fish have healthy immune systems. I don't use UV.... if the plant to fish ratio is balanced it isn't needed. Unfortunately most tend to hit a pond shop and go, "Oh pretty! I'll take 10!" And it isn't plants they're looking at. ;-) ~ jan |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
Tristin wrote:
Pete Do you keep your UVC on all the time? This is my first year with a pond. Contrary to advice I read, because it has been a mild winter, I've kept pump/filters/UV running all the time. The pop-up on the filter is half way up, so it must have been doing some good. I have a newlamp ready to put in .......prob at easter. -- ßôyþëtë (SE London) |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
~ jan wrote:
Gill Passman wrote: I don't use UV.... if the plant to fish ratio is balanced it isn't needed. Unfortunately most tend to hit a pond shop and go, "Oh pretty! I'll take 10!" And it isn't plants they're looking at. ;-) ~ jan So, do you routinely treat the water for parasites, with PP or an off-the-shelf product? Or do you find it a sufficient safeguard to trust on the health of the fish and the water parameters? It is unlikely that I will keep making new fish additions (except any they care to make for me - lol) but there is no way of preventing frogs, newts etc from making the pond their home....now plants are a different matter - he, he Gill |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
The benefits of UVC - newbie question
"Gill Passman" wrote in message ... I'm pretty much convinced that I may as well go and buy the combined system that includes the UV - especially when it is only a few pounds more...which is very little in reality on the greater scale of things.... Gill ========================== Wait until you're ready to put your pond in. They may have better technology by then. -- RM.... Frugal ponding since 1995. rec.ponder since late 1996. My Pond & Aquarium Pages: http://tinyurl.com/9do58 ~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~ }(((((o |
Reply |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Bioforce 500 UVC replacement bulb | Ponds | |||
benefits of bees | North Carolina | |||
benefits of life | sci.agriculture | |||
Any benefits of adding coffee grounds into veg garden soil? | Edible Gardening | |||
UVC Sterilizers/Clarifiers | Ponds (alternative) |