My 29 gallon tank developed a chronic algal bloom that I could not get rid of. The water was murky even after daily 30% water changes. I even removed the snails and plants and used an algicide, which worked quite well until the algae came back a week later. I was ready to give up and scrap the tank altogether when I found out about this product. It is pricey, but it seemed worth the risk to save the tank, especially after I read the reviews.
IT WORKS.
You need to be using powerheads or a canister filter with 1/2" or 5/8" tubing. After I insterted this into the output line of my canister filter, the floating algae in the water died. Within 24 hours I noticed the water was definitely clearer, as my filter had been able to remove some of the dead algae. After 2 daily water changes, the water became and has stayed CRYSTAL clear, like a brand new tank all over again. Since the dead algae can't reproduce, when it is filtered out or removed in a water change, IT STAYS GONE. The best part is that you don't need to worry about the UV Sanitizer damaging your canister's biological filter, because it sanitizes the water that LEAVES the canister any nitrifying bacteria trapped in the filter remains unharmed, free to keep breaking down your ammonia.
HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION!!!
I have had this unit for several years now, and it seem to do a good job at keeping illness out of the tank. Since I've installed it I haven't had any issues with ick or any other illness. I am using a Fluval 404 and the hoses match up perfectly. It's on a 75 gal. fresh water tank and as far as the leeking mentioned in other reveiws I have had any issues.
The only major complaint I have is that it likes bulbs. If you buy the manufacture bulb it can rack up the $$$ quickly. Costing anywhere from $34 to $54 a bulb. I've found that any 9watt PL type germicidal bulb will work. I went to our local electric contracing supplier and they were able to match up the bulb and sell me bulbs for around $16 a bulb. A big cost down that my wallet loves.
The unit as a whole has worked out well for me, but the cost is a little much. I would only recommend this unit to people that are truely in to fish and don't mind spending money on them.
Buy Coralife 77070 3X Turbo Twist UV Sterilizer Now
I actually use this on a 1,000 gallon pond. It clears the entire pond in one night. I've got a separate small pump set up just for the turbo. This year, I tried doing without it and using barley. But the pond looks like mud right now. By tomorrow it will be totally clear.
Read Best Reviews of Coralife 77070 3X Turbo Twist UV Sterilizer Here
UV sterilizers are a good thing, especially in the reef tank where most medications will kill expensive corals.
I purchased two 9 watt units (for a freshwater and a reef setup). Below are the problems encountered:
(1) assembly it would appear that it would be a very simple procedure to attach the hoses from the canister filter to the input / out put of the coralife unit. This in fact was the main reason I purchased this over other models. The problem, this seal is NOT at all water tight. Expect water everywhere. The units I was attaching were fluval canister filters (which are the predominate unit in the market place). I was able to remedy this with several units of plumbing tape, but be prepared.
(2) One unit broke in less than three months, I discovered the other unit was not working several months later when my reef tank fish came down with ich after I introduced a new fish. I tried new bulbs but it was the ballast from the units that was defective. I spoke about this to a friend who informed me his two units lated less than a year.
(3) instructions are vague on hook-up specifications, only stating the estimated tank capacity these units can accommadate . Instead before you purchase ANY UV unit make sure you know it's flow rate and the flow rate of your filter. Even though they say a coralife 9 watt unit can accommadate a tank up to (I believe 100 gallons), the flow rate required is that of a fluval 105, which no one would use as the primary filter for a tank this large.
In conclusion a good design with the "twists" increasing dwell time with poor exacution. If you purchase a unit check it frequently to see if it still works, also do not expect it to continue working past the 6 month time frame!!!!!!
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First off, shipping from my seller was incredible. Ive never recieved an item so fast! The performance of the serilizr is top notch, helps clear water, and since 2 days after I turned it on my fish has not had the slightest symptom of ich, which he was fighting for a week before! They say on message boards that these items are not a fix for ich, I say otherwise. They point out that it dont kill ich on the fish, Well No Kidding, its not going to suck the fish through it and kill the ich, but ich drops off the fish to reproduce. It is during these times that the ich is killed by the sterilizer. If its dead it cant attack your fish again, so this is a fix for ich. Anyway the reason I didnt give it 5 stars is because it dont come with everything you need to hook it up. You have to go to the hardware store and buy tubes to hook this thing up to your pump. How STUIPID is that! couldnt it at least come with some tubing that is the right size for hooking it up to the sterilizer, then an adaptor or 2 to hook it up to different pumps! I had to make 2 trips to the hardware store to get the right stuff to connect this, once for tubes, and another time for elbows so my tubing isnt going from one side to the other. Very stupid not to include these simple items.
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I own five filters that use these cartridges and they work very well, however I found that if you buy the Tetra 26160 Whisper Bio-Bag Cartridge, Unassembled, Medium, 12-Pack you're going to save $$$.
