Why Don't People Use UV Filters In Their Reservoirs?

  • Thread starter Bobby Smith
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
B

Bobby Smith

1,378
0
I know for the people running bennies this wouldn't work because it would kill all the good stuff, so no Roots Xcel or anything like that would be able to run in the system.

But I know there's lotsa people like me who don't let anything live in their system and use 35% H2O2 religiously to make sure.

So why wouldn't people like us use UV filters - they're designed for aquariums, but from my research they seem to be the machine equivalent of H2O2 - it just kills shit.

Is there any drawback other than not being able to run bennies? I don't anyways, so that's not a biggie to me.

Asking because the chiller I'm gonna buy tomorrow has a UV filter attached to it and I wanted to know if I could use it or not.

Thanks.
 
B

Bobby Smith

1,378
0
sure, I haves used uv with my chiller in the past...

Details? Did they seem to work for you? If they did seem to work, why do you no longer use them?

I realize that running my chiller at 67F and using H2O2 should be more than enough to combat any root issues, but if I can use a filter as well and it helps, why not?

Redundancy is the name of the game.
 
C

cannagirl

74
0
We use a UV filter to fill the res and then since the water is sterile we add back on good bennies. I know a few people running massive grows like 300kw+ and they run a UV filter on every system, seems to work great for them
 
B

Bobby Smith

1,378
0
We use a UV filter to fill the res and then since the water is sterile we add back on good bennies. I know a few people running massive grows like 300kw+ and they run a UV filter on every system, seems to work great for them

You two have given me all the info I need and was hoping for; sounds like a UV filter will be getting purchased tomorrow :winking0067:

Thanks again to the both of you.
 
L

Lost

2,969
38
Sik! Sterilize then benifize!! now were talk'n!

Benifize... I like it!


I also ran it during my Tub Girls grow and had the biggest buds I have ever harvested..... 98 bubba bigger than 13 dawgs.. yup it happened.. Tho I had troubles during the 13 dawgs grow but then again tub girls was no walk in the park. Gunna go dead res with uv next run if I get to do another run :)
 
squarepusher

squarepusher

959
43
any links on a good priced UV filter? Price is really what is setting me back.

btw, UV is just Ozone correct? Would a corona discharge ozone unit bubbled into nutrient solution do the same thing?

If running UV/Ozone, maybe you can just forget bacteria alltogether, may not be worth suppin bene's if you just gunna kill them.
 
purpleberry

purpleberry

633
43
I think if you colonize your root zone with bennies, then run the uv filter to keep the water sterile wouldnt the bennies still servive in the root zone, esspecially the mycrorhize that live in the roots? The uv filter only kills what passes threw it, and would be better than adding something to the water to sterilze it.
 
L

Lost

2,969
38
I would agree, I used great white on the roots and ran the uv. I figured that whatever stayed on the roots would colonize. It was still my biggest bugs ever, but I did use UV and poured mico's onto the netpot. I dunno if it worked or not, it was a killer strain..
 
C

cannagirl

74
0
any links on a good priced UV filter? Price is really what is setting me back.

btw, UV is just Ozone correct? Would a corona discharge ozone unit bubbled into nutrient solution do the same thing?

If running UV/Ozone, maybe you can just forget bacteria alltogether, may not be worth suppin bene's if you just gunna kill them.

here is the UV filter we use, single canister
http://www.purauv.com/purauv20.htm

I think it was around $350

Its obviously not inline through a system though, which is why we inoculate with bennies, also. And I think the bennies help with flavor
 
J

Jalisco Kid

Guest
If you sterilize your water as it leaves the rez what does that do to the pythium/algae in your root zone.For this to work you would have to assume the bad stuff will enter into your rez first. Having nothing to defend your root zone leaves them naked. A hydro system is not the best environment for bennies but they to work. JK.
 
squarepusher

squarepusher

959
43
i wonder if an ozone sterilizer would be effective, they actual saturate the water with ozone and the ozone would goto the root zone and kill fungus/bacterias ... I was thinking about this before but never got around to running a test system.
 
M

mrdizzle

1,895
48
^^^I hit it will the physan20 first so I dont know for sure, but I know it cleaned off teh roots which physan didnt do
 
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

Living dead girl
23,596
638
any links on a good priced UV filter? Price is really what is setting me back.

btw, UV is just Ozone correct?
No. UV = ultraviole(n)t light.
Ozone = O3.
One is chemistry, the other is physics.

If running UV/Ozone, maybe you can just forget bacteria alltogether, may not be worth suppin bene's if you just gunna kill them.
I ask again--do you wish to oxidize your nutrients? People need to be careful when playing around with such an unstable compound as three molecules of oxygen. It WANTS to oxidize, something, *anything*. So, what happens to nutrients if they're the first thing that extra atom of oxygen runs into? What about roots? I can't answer those questions, but I do wonder if perhaps someone's already run an experiment. Have you done a search of Google Scholar for any papers?

If you're going to run O3, you also want to be able to measure ORP to be safe in my opinion, aka oxidation reduction potential, aka redox. You want to know where it's at and you need to be able to control it or you run some other risks. I have a friend, chem prof at a well known UC near the coast, who runs reef tanks and used to run O3. Until he had a fire. He insists he never wants to encounter an ozonizer fire ever again in his life, so that's another issue to be considered very carefully. Moreso than the risks inherent with lighting and mixing electricity with water to my view (he made a convincing argument with his description of the event).
I think if you colonize your root zone with bennies, then run the uv filter to keep the water sterile wouldnt the bennies still servive in the root zone, esspecially the mycrorhize that live in the roots? The uv filter only kills what passes threw it, and would be better than adding something to the water to sterilze it.
Yes, this is why it works in aquatic applications where benthic microbes are relied upon 100% for conversion of nitrogenous wastes.
 
B

BenjaminSocks

16
0
I would like to use a UV filter in my nutrient tank for drain to waste.

I want to keep my rez clean so it does not clog my drippers, but I do not want to use Zone or Bob's Brew Watermax. I have bennies in my grow media and I apply humic tea by hand.

Does the UV light cause iron to drop out, or is the wattage low enough not to cause problems.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom