# Plumbing a UV Sterilizer to FX5 Filter



## Chronados (Jan 28, 2013)

I believe the GPH rating on a UV sterilizer pertains to how much flow you can have before it starts losing effectiveness (ie water moving too fast for 100% sterilization). I don't think it is related to how much flow it can physically handle without bogging things down. The FX5 has a 1" diameter tube, so if the cross section inside the UV unit is any smaller than that area, it will reduce flow. UV sterilizers also usually have a ton of loops/bends/kinks, so you would want to go with a really oversized unit if you didn't want to reduce the flow by too much. I created a in-line heater/reactor contraption for my FX5 and used all 2-3" pipes, and the flow does not seem to slow down.


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## Aqguy (Oct 30, 2013)

I was going to plumb my fx6 with a uv , but decided not to did not want to impair filter flow at all , i have a odyssey 18 watt that rated for high flow.
Going to use a turbo twist and a marine-land canister instead.


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## Fiftymeatballs (Mar 30, 2011)

The 36 watt UV I bought is for a pond. These are the stats given for this particular unit. 

Up to 8000 Gallon Pond
Through Flow: 4500L/H (1,118 gallons/H ) 
Max Pressure: 0.3Bar (4.4 psi) 

The FX5 is rated at 563 GPH so I think I more than over compensated. I didn't measure with a flow valve to see what the difference was with and without. Now that I'm doing the math this UV shouldn't have slowed down the filter by much at all. But I'm still left with the problem of too short exposure of water to the light.


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## Aqguy (Oct 30, 2013)

Fiftymeatballs said:


> The 32 watt UV I bought is for a pond. These are the stats given for this particular unit.
> 
> Up to 8000 Gallon Pond
> Through Flow: 4500L/H (1,118 gallons/H )
> ...


Like u said it will work but how effective with shorter uv time ?


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## Fiftymeatballs (Mar 30, 2011)

I found the chart below online for effective UV flow rates. Based off this chart the 36W bulb I have works to kill bacteria/algae at around 730GPH and under. The fx5 runs 563gph so I'm fine in that zone. But when it comes to parasites I need to slow the flow of the FX5 to around 235gph (less than half speed). Since I bought this to kill possible mycobacterium in my tank I am pleased to say I will be hooking it back up inline. I am probably going to be buying a powerhead to run this separately down the road to achieve full sterilization but for now it will serve it's main purpose. 


Maximum Flow Rate to Control UV Bulb

____Bacteria
____& Algae Parasites Max Gallons
8W	120 gph	N/A < 75 gal
15W	230 gph	75 gph	75 gal
18W	300 gph	100 gph	100 gal
25W	475 gph	150 gph	150 gal
30W	525 gph	175 gph	175 gal
40W	940 gph	300 gph	300 gal
65W	1700 gph	570 gph	570 gal
80W	1885 goh	625 gph	625 gal
120W	3200 gph	900 gph	900 gal
130W	3400 gph	1140 gph	1140 gal


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## Aqguy (Oct 30, 2013)

With your media in the filter you are most likely closer too those numbers anyway that 500 sothing is a empty filter running


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