The Aqueon Quiet Flow UV is the most plug and play ultraviolet sterilizer available, with what could be described as a full size UV lamp. It may look like a power filter and UV sterilizer in one but the Aqueon Quiet Flow is strictly a germ killing and algae reducing aquarium machine.
Most UV sterilizers follow a very familiar recipe of an external device with an inlet and outlet for another water pump or source to feed water through, and back to the aquarium. In many cases, the way these are installed is inline with a canister filter or separate powerhead, requiring space and sometimes additional mounting outside the aquarium.
Other newer form factors of UV sterilizers have been mostly of the internal filter variety, but seeing as they are inside the aquarium there’s a reasonable upper limit to how large of a UV light you can (practically) waterproof for safe use in a home aquarium.
The Quiet Flow UV filter from Aqueon is an interesting merger of a power filter and a UV sterilizer. Looking very much like a normal power filter with a very deep external chamber, the Quiet Flow requires no other accessories to make it work and begin sterilizing the aquarium water.
Even the internally mounted feed pump of the Quiet Flow UV, like other Aqueon power filters, ensures that water will instantly flow to the aquarium without the need for priming. Another added advantage of the power filter form factor is that it is possible to disassemble the entire unit for very easy cleaning and servicing, especially the cleaning of the water tube which exposes aquarium water to the UV lamp.
Aqueon Quiet Flow UV sterilizers are available in a 9 watt for tanks up to 40 gallons and an 18 watt model for tanks up to 150 gallons; we’re not sure how that math adds up but users can also adjust the dwell time of the Quiet Flow UV to increase the germ killing power of the ultraviolet rays it produce.
