Ultraviolet Sterilizer homemade

["Roger Hawthorne" <albanyaquarium at msn_com>]

My first UV sterilizers were homemade units in the early sixties.
I used standard 36" 30 watt bulbs. They are still readily available
for about twenty to thirty dollars each. I used standard ballasts
from a shoplight that had a crumpled reflector. I purchased
several of those damaged units for a very low price. The 40 watt
ballast from the shoplights works well for 2 30 watt U V Tubes.  
I found some gaskets that fit tightly over the ends of the thin
tubes. I added another larger gasket that fit tightly inside a 3"
PVC pipe. I then added an additional smaller gasket. 3/4" holes  
were drilled into the sides of the 3" pipe a few inches from each
end. I inserted a short 4" piece of 3/4" into each and glued them in.
I used Vaseline on the gaskets to improve their sealing, and removal  
easier. I opened and cleaned the bulb every six months. Since the
ballast was for two bulbs, I put them in seperate systems alongside
each other. That reduced cross-contamination. I normally ran them
at 600 gph. I slowed that flow to 100 gph one day per week. That
really improved their efficency for the tuff guys, yet kept algae and
normal counts very low. If you had to buy a brand new shoplight and
two bulbs, you could have two units for about $70. Do not get the  
LOA (Lights Of America) units. They seldom last long and will destroy
an expensive bulb. Get one with the old fashioned heavy ballast. I
prefer the ones from Sears. Mine have continued to last for over 20
years. And the new ones are still working too. Bulb life will diminish
in a few years. Do not operate bulb with water flow off. Allow them
to cool prior to turning water back on. A flush with chlorine (household
bleach) of maybe 2 cups per gallon for an hour will alleviate the need  
for cleaning the bulb unless dirty water is passed through. Chlorine is
easy to rinse with warm water. This system nearly stopped problems
with Discus eggs. If you are inept at building things, plave a good UV
bulb into an aquarium hood (30 watt fit many 36" hoods). Place that  
over a drain gutter (plastic) that is white inside. Have an outlet at one
end. Pump water into the other. This will waste about half of the U V  
output as the water does not surround the tube. Bit it is very simple
and easy to clean. Plus the air in the fishroom will smell a little less
fishy. Somewhat akin to fresh rain on a hot street. U V works well at
replicating fish when you don't have the proper male. It kills the info
from the male. Look into the zfin web site at the University of Oregon.
Or simply type my name 'Roger Hawthorne' into 'search' then hit 'Go'.
That should lead you directly to a most interesting site. It covers
George Streisingers early work, plus current, with a lot of helpful info
in the K-12 site. I don't have enough learning to even be able to read
most of the other sites. But many of you can. You can use an old bulb
for ten years with slower flows or to purify the air. Little 15 watt units  
are almost a joke. The newer circular models use compact bulbs. But  
the circular water tubes get brittle in the UV and break. 36" are an  
industrial size and use standar ballast saving a lot. They are cheap.

 Fishyman1957                                                 
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