Above: Cloverleaf SMARTSTART Germicidal Lamp With Integral Ballast Unit

The life form of single cell pond algae’s (which form green water) are such that they only need to be in contact with ultra violet UV-C for a very short exposure time in order to be destroyed, and this is why the majority of UV Clarifiers on the market are successful in varying degrees.

It’s a worthy example to make mention of a past Cloverleaf small commercial installation involving a 1,000 gallons of water with a small fish load where the goal was to provide 100% disinfection via Ultra Violet. In relying upon 20 years of experience Cloverleaf opted for a design which was based on a flow rate of around 600 GPH through a 440 watt 8 bar UV unit. The end result achieved the objective, but ONLY because the exposure time when passing through 8 continuous 55 watt radiation chambers was sufficient to do the job. To put this into proper perspective we are talking about a radiation chamber around 16 feet long (4.8 metres) - basically meaning 16 feet of UV for every 1,000 gallons.

Of course in being precise it would never be technically possible to eradicate 100% of detrimental micro-organisms from a garden fish pond environment when many of these bodies would remain resident on the pond surfaces or on the fish themselves - thus never passing through any UV device.

The background to the alleged “killing power” of UV’s goes back to the around the 1980 period when all aquatic UV’s were described/marketed as a “UV Steriliser”. Such a description was really technically inaccurate (for the reasons as set out), and in the years which followed European countries changed the product description to “UV Clarifier” - although still today the USA frequently use the hyped up term of “UV Steriliser”. Perhaps some sources today simply use the reference “UV” in the hopes that any prospective purchaser will assume the classification as a “UV Steriliser” ?

Of course the terminology of “Clarifier” to a UV device could in itself be regarded as somewhat of an inaccurate description when such pieces of equipment can never remove/clarify all foreign particles from the water. This can only be achieved by genuine mechanical filtration.

From the above account it should hopefully be appreciated that Cloverleaf act professionally & honestly in not making any claim that their UV’s have a marvellous killing power to all forms of bacteria or viruses. Yes, the claim could be technically possible in stretching the imagination, and the example 440 watt UV installation noted above illustrates this point, however this is not the circumstances or background facts under which the average pond keeper selects the purchase of a UV unit.

The potential purchaser of a Cloverleaf Ultra Violet Clarifier can however be fully assured that the product incorporates the use and technology of the best components available, with the Smarstart Germicidal 254nmLamps (with built in ballast/starter units) being the very best and most consistent performer that is on offer within the international marketplace. The UV devices which are designed to provide clear water by attacking single cell algae's do exactly just that, and any other minor attribute is just a small bonus.

If focus is attached to what is likely the biggest killer of pond fish the answer stems from ammonia toxins, and no UV device (regardless of flow rates/exposure times) can do anything to reduce such threats. It is only through quality biological filtration mediums that such dangers can be minimised - with Cloverleaf’s fluidised bed filters being super for the task.

In conclusion it must be accepted that even the best UV devices fitted with the finest germicidal lamps (like the Smarstart UV) are NOT a magic panacea to achieving a healthy pond. it’s a shame, but true.

 

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