# Sterilizers and Powerheads



## appak (Apr 9, 2014)

Hi guys,

Looking to replace some hardware in the new year.

220 gallon FOWLR (for now), with a 40 gallon sump.

UV: 

I currently have a piece of crap Jecod UV sterilizer that trips the GFCI if it's left running for too long, so it basically stays unplugged and acts as a tube for water to run through.  Considering an AquaUV classic 25 watt. This will be plumbed directly to the return (unless I have good reason to branch off a line for it).

Powerheads:

Currently have a couple of Koralia 3G (1950gph) on one end, as well as a Maxspect Gyre (think original model, the smaller of the two) on the other end.

I know this is a touchy subject, so please keep it civil  I've looked at the vortechs, and don't really want to spend 8 million dollars on a couple of chunks of plastic with magnets that spin things. Not totally against the idea, though, may have to sell a kidney to bring it to fruition... Anyone got their hands on the new Jebao SOW series yet? Should I just get a newer/bigger gyre? Keep the koralias and add more, get rid of the gyre? Any other suggestions? 

Thanks!


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## kem (Oct 19, 2015)

From my experience:

- The Koralia have a tendency to decrease flow as they age (fairly quickly in some cases). They are not expensive but you should overestimate the initial flow rate to compensate for the decrease over time. I personnaly use them only for mixing salt or in LPS tanks.

- Two out of three Jebao I own(ed) died in less than two years. Not sure if durability improved with newer models. I bought a Coralbox QP16 on black Friday, and the flow is very impressive. It is also totaly silent. We'll see how long it lasts.

- The Gyre FX130 has been running great for the past years, but recently, the magnet housing on the wet side broke. I will replace it with a newer magnet from Coralvue.

The third generation Gyres have recently been announced, and are supposed to be much better according to Reef Builder. They will be pricy, but Glamorca might then get the license to sell 2nd generation gyres.

At the end of the day, it will depend on how much you could spend, on your risk tolerance, how much flow you'd want to achieve in your tank, and of course the reason you are not satisfied with your current set-up. 

Two Jecod/Jebao/CoralBox in alterned mode will be enough to lift detritus from the bottom without breaking the bank, but with the risk of stopping once the warranty expires. 

The same could be achieved with two gyres for significantly more money, but should last a lot longer, and with replacement parts easily obtainable.


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## mmatt (Feb 12, 2012)

I'll start by.saying My tank is a mixed reef so I need lots of flow. 

I originally started with some hydros on my 75gal. Had to replace them and componets here and there. They did lose some of their flow/power over time and especially since I can get lazy with maintenance and would.get.gummed up. So I did spend some money replacing things. Also they just have one speed which isn't natural. Tired their controller and it sucks. I debated jabeo and tried one and didn't work out of the box. So.i scraped that idea right then and their. I started also hearing about the controllers catching fire and other issues. At the time they also were not CSA approved. 

They gyre was just coming out when I decided to spend good money on power heads so I debated between those and the vortechs. Ultimately decided on vortechs because they were cleaner looking in the tank and had a great track record. Bought a used one at a great deal and started with one vortech and one hydro. Then found another great deal on another used vortec and now have a pair that are working together. I've had to replace.one wet side but that's it. Otherwise I'm very happy with my decision. 

Spending big money.on an important component of your tank sucks but in the end is worth it since it is a quality product that will or should last a lot longer than the cheap stuff. A couple hydros is def not near enough flow in a 220 mix reef but maybe a fish only. 2 mp40s running near full should be good. And can create some good currents.the fish will love it. I run my mp40s at maybe a 3rd power in my 75gal and will run a pair in my 180gal build on higher power whenever I get.it done. I wouldn't even consider hydros for it. 

Hope that helps


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## noy (Nov 19, 2012)

UV - I am probably one of the few ppl who run a UV system - I have a 36W coralife that is fed using a small pump from the display. This is in a 84x29x30 system. 
The 25W AquaUV looks fine - UV operation isn't that sophisticated (path of water through a UV lamp). One thing I will say most the literature on effectiveness of UV cannot provide a lot of data about optimal parameters (i.e. how long does a particular type of pathogen/bacteria need UV exposure at what intensities to kill it off). I have found that its better to run a smaller pump/flow through the unit to make sure there is enough passage time to kill off pathogens. I run a 400gph pump (probably less with headloss) for my UV which is rated to allow for a higherflow. I think your 25W system is rated for 400gph - and most return pumps run a higher flow (even with headloss). If your flow is too high - the pathogens going through the system don't get killed off (not enough exposure time) and you really don't have an practical effect.

Powerhead - never been a big fan of the hydor's but in theory - you should have enough (2x hydro 3G and a XF-130). Its all about placement and flow control. I do believe in using an controller to generate different flow patterns - this will go a long way to eliminate dead spots. If the hydros cannot be controlled externally you may want to upgrade those. I never had a problem with Jebao powerheads. I have a a single WP60 (20000lph) and I don't ever set that to max. I also have a XF-150 and a XF130 but don't use them - I have the Icecap control for using them with a Gyre at the end of the day (and a lot of testing) I went back to a Jebao powerhead.

hope that helps.


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## Hamish (Apr 18, 2014)

The UV, not in my tank, the Jebao is a good pump, ive used them in the past infact my return pump is a Jebao 5000 and its great, it,ll shut down if it runs dry and it,s a DC so it,s got a soft start, the Coral Box pumps are nice, DC again, controllable. I have 2xCoral Box 9.


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