Disinfection
Protect your fish stock by making sure that treated water is adequately disinfected before returning it from your filtration system.
Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems has scientific and engineering experts to help solve your disinfection challenges.
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How Our Products Can Help
Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems has water disinfection solutions such as ultraviolet radiation (germicidal) energy. Our UV sterilization technology is unmatched in its efficiency, simplicity and dependability when applied as a microorganism disinfectant.
Determining the Correct UV Exposure Rate
Ultraviolet light can be very effective at eliminating viruses, bacteria, algae and fungi. The required UV exposure rate to irradiate common bacteria is 15,000 µWs/cm², whereas the required UV exposure for waterborne algae is 22,000 µWs/cm². Since it is the intensity of light that is doing the sterilizing, we must know how much light energy to use and how much is reaching the target.
Just as some sunglasses and sunscreens reduce UV intensity, so do discolored water, turbidity, dirty quartz sleeves and even some dissolved salts, such as sodium thiosulfate. Lamp temperatures may even reduce output when operated in cold water (110 degrees Fahrenheit/37.8 degrees Celsius gives maximum UV output).
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Emperor SafeGUARD UV Systems™ CLP Series
CLP Series SafeGUARD UV Systems offer efficient operation, ensuring proper hydraulic mixing inside the UV vessel. This optimizes UV light intensity distribution throughout the lamp field for reliable fluence (UV dose) delivery. CLP models feature Schedule-80 Modified Polymer construction**, ideally suited for corrosive and saltwater conditions. CLP vessels are extremely durable (models NSF-50 Certified/operating pressures up to 150 PSI) and deliver a cost savings of up to 50% when compared to more expensive and corrosion-prone 316 stainless steel.
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Choosing the Right UV Solution Is Difficult. Our Experts Can Help.
Mechanical and biological filtration does not remove bacteria, protozoa and viruses, so treated water must be disinfected before returning it from your filter system to aquariums or holding tanks.
Ultraviolet radiation (UV) is most effective for its germicidal value in a clear-water application at a wavelength of 265 nanometers. With proper exposure, UV light penetrates a microorganism’s cell wall. It then destroys the nuclear material, causing abrupt modification and quickly bringing about its destruction.
We hear from a lot of people who have UV sterilizers and still experience disease problems. This situation can almost always be traced back to inadequate UV irradiation. Because it is so difficult to measure the intensity of UV energy hitting the water, many buyers have improperly sized their UV sterilization systems. Our team of experts can help you troubleshoot the issues and recommend better disinfectant solutions.
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Emperor SafeGUARD UV Systems CUS Series UV Sterilizer
SafeGUARD CUS Series stainless steel UV systems provide reliable protection against harmful waterborne pathogens associated with freshwater. The “U” style UV vessel allows for space-saving horizontal mounting. CUS Series UV systems use either LPHO or Amalgam UV lamps and are available in various models suitable for a wide variety of application sizes.
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Change UV Lamp Bulbs Regularly
Be aware that some UV lamps age rapidly, and the manufacturer probably states the watts produced when the lamp is new. This wattage can be reduced by as much as 40 percent in as quickly as six months. We suggest oversizing the UV sterilizer by at least 40 percent to ensure you have the sterilizing power required as the lamp ages. We also suggest changing lamps every six months.
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All the UV Info You Can Use
For a more in-depth look at UV sterilization and system design, consult the book Aquaculture Engineering (WQB3).
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Recommended UV Exposure
To ensure adequate water disinfection using UV light, first start with clear water, and have a lamp and flow rate that are sized to deliver the correct amount of irradiation for the target organism. If a UV light is flow-rated for 15,000 µWs/cm², and you want 30,000, either double the number of lamps or reduce the flow by half, and so on, for higher dosages.
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See Our Recommended Exposures List
Our expert scientists and engineers put together their best advice for how much UV light to use to disinfect water in a variety of aquaculture situations. Download their recommendations today.
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Technical Talks
Learn more about the best ways to disinfect the water in your aquaculture tanks:
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Emperor Safeguard CLP Series UV System Commercial L-Vessel Plastic
This optimizes UV light intensity distribution throughout the lamp field for reliable UV dose delivery. SafeGUARD CLP models feature Schedule-80 Modified PVC plastic construction, specifically suited for corrosive saltwater conditions. CLP vessels are extremely durable (models NSF-50 Certified/ operating pressures up to 150 psi) and deliver a cost savings of up to 50 percent when compared to more expensive 316 stainless steel.
Disinfection Tech Info
Biosecurity and pathogen control are critical to the successful management of an aquaculture facility. Effective disinfection of water supply is the first and most important step in ensuring protection from disease.
