UV Sterilizers and Bio Cube Aquariums or Internal Wet/Dry Bio Filters
Updated 9/24/13
The Bio Cube Aquarium is a popular style of aquarium nowadays, although I have to laugh a little here as these are highly touted as a new way to keep small marine reef aquariums or planted freshwater aquariums while in reality the basic built- wet/dry filter system is nothing new to the hobby and in fact there is a new Internal Wet/Dry Bio Filter (made by the same manufacturer in China) that is less than half the cost of many Bio Cube Aquariums WITH the cost of an aquarium.
Product Link:
http://americanaquariumproducts.com/ReSunPowerFilter.html
The ReSun BF 100 is the exact same filter/pump and can be used in (for example) a 20 gallon aquarium to turn it into a Bio Cube style aquarium.
The addition of good lighting such as CFL/SHO, T2, or LED Lights are also necessary for a "higher end" or advanced aquarium.
For more information on these lights, please see:
- High performance SHO and economy CFL aquarium lights
- Superior T2 Aquarium lights and fixtures
- New Generation LED Aquarium Lighting from AquaRay/AAP
Anyway, the other point of this article/post is to point out that whether you use a Bio Cube Aquarium or a ReSun BF Wet/Dry Bio Filter, both of these filters systems lend themselves nicely (& easily) to a simple UV Sterilizer set up unlike say a HOB ("Hang on the back", Aquarium Power Filter) filter set up.
The advantage of a Bio Cube/BF 100 is that you can add a UV Sterilizer too. Not only lower the incidence of diseases, but just as importantly (or maybe more importantly) improve Aquarium Redox and improve fish disease resistance.
Aquarium Redox Reference Link:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Redox_Potential.html
This is easily achieved by simply purchasing additional 1/2 to 5/8 inch ID tubing and running this tubing out of the aquarium to a UV Sterilizer (a 7 watt Terminator is pictured in the diagrams) and then inserting the return tubing back into the return slot on your BF 100 or Bio Cube Aquarium.
See this product link: 7 watt Terminator UV Sterilizer
Please click on pictures below for a better view
This picture shows a 5 Watt Terminator UV Sterilizer connected to a 14 gallon Bio Cube Aquarium.
You can see how the tubing simply comes out of the aquarium slots in the back of the aquarium (the slots can also be enlarged with a keyhole saw) and that the UV Sterilizer hangs easily on the back. My suggestion for most Bio Cube aquariums is a 5, 7, or 9 Watt UV Sterilizer.
This picture shows the simple mounting of a ReSun BF 200 with a Terminator 5 Watt UV Sterilizer. As with the Bio Cube application the way you add tubing is quite straight forward and as well the 5 and 9 Watt Compact UVs or the High Performance TMC 8 Watt Vecton UV Sterilizer would also be my suggestion (the Vecton is an excellent choice for those desiring a UV Sterilizer that is second to none in Sterilization abilities & reliability).
As a final note, for maximum UV Sterilizer efficiency, it is important to change your UV Bulb every six months.
See this product link for premium hot cathode, low pressure UV Replacement bulbs:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/UVCReplacementLamp.html
Labels: Aquarium Filter, Bio Cube Aquarium, Bio Cube UV, Internal Wet Dry, TMC Vecton, uv filter, UV Sterilizer
3 Comments:
thanks
Great write up, looks like this post is about using the Biocube as a freshwater aquarium thought, correct? With modern saltwater aquariums you use live rock as the main source of biological filtration, so there isn't much of a a need for the wet dry filtration. I've actually just wrote a post about using a biocube as a beginner saltwater aquarium:
http://saltwateraquariumbasics.com/2017/07/23/best-saltwater-aquarium-for-beginners/
Let me know what you think!
Actually we have been using live rock as a source of bio filtration for three decades. The idea for the wet/dry is simply for additional filtration, including chemical and anaerobic
Reference:
Saltwater Aquarium Basics from the perspective of an Aquarium Professional
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