The TMC Vecton 400 UV Steriliser is a must have bit of kit for any fish keeper. Adding a UV Steriliser hugely reduces the risk of diseases and parasites which creates a healthy environment. Top Tip change your UV bulb every 6 months to ensure its running to its full potential. The Vecton 400 UV Steriliser Ticks All the Boxes. Ultraviolet sterilisers can be built in different ways in our opinion this design is correct. The water jacket, made from white ABS, reflects Uv unlike black plastics or stainless steel that adsorb it. The water jacket surrounding the UV light source in this unit has the correct diameter. Meaning the ultraviolet power does not become too weak over distance as in units with large jackets. Just like moving further from a fire the further away the less it can burn. The Vecton 400 UV Steriliser is easy to maintain and gives a long trouble-free service. We have units over 20 years old still going strong. Uv Units Rated So differently even with the same wattage, Why? Uv can be applied at different rates depending upon what you are trying to control. Most Ultraviolet steriliser manufactures state the maximum litreage the unit can cope with. However, using terms such as “approximately” or “up to” can be misleading. The high numbers that they throw about are true in some ways but misleading in others. This unit is 15 watts and will easily control water born algae, in aquariums of 400 litres and more. However, if you want to control protozoa i.e. whitespot then the maximum litreage changes dramatically. It takes roughly 15 times more ultraviolet radiation to deal with protozoa than water bourn algae. Likewise, it takes around 100 times the Uv to kill the bacteria that causes Dysentery than needed to control Ichthyophthirius multifilis (white spot). How Much Uv Do I need? Here at the Abyss we are firm believers in the values of ultra violet sterilization. We have used it for on our own systems for more than 30 years and highly recommended it for same time. We have found that the Vecton 400 UV Steriliser is able to control protozoa ,which is the number one reason we want install ultra violet sterilisers, for aquariums no more than 185 litres. If your aquarium is larger you can run 2 in series or we can supply larger more commercial units for extra-large tanks. Flow rate for the Vecton 400 UV Steriliser We find that circa 3 – 3.5 times aquarium volume through the unit per hour works best. TMC Vecton 400 UV Installation. For sumps, the unit should always be fitted between the sump and aquarium and never just circulated around the sump. When an external filter is used simply fit the UV if possible, on the output side but the input side is fine if it works out easier. The TMC Vecton 400 UV Steriliser can also be fitted using a pump in its own separate circuit. Commonly asked for spares. The UV comes with one elbow but some people find they need two depending on their cabinet space. You can grab an extra elbow from us here. The black ones supplied with the titans will fit as well. Brand new elbows are prone to leaking so we modify all the elbows (including the one that arrives in the box, as standard) to prevent leaks. Changing bulbs and quartz sleeves every six months is recommended. Some people prefer to isolate the UV using double taps to make changing the bulb a bit easier. https://www.abyssaquatics.co.uk/?s=double tap&post_type=product Sometimes wear and tear, or editing the set up, can mean picking up hosetails is necessary. Here are some examples, make sure you have the right size for the pipework. It is always handy having a couple of spare Orings and seals.
