Who uses ozone?
- Thread starter johnwin84
- Start date
I don't have any pictures but can certainly share my experiences. I ran ozone on my former 150 with success. Ozone should be used with caution since it can be overdosed as well as possible harmful to your health if you fill your house with it... but it would take quite a bit. Don't let that statement deter you, its no different than dealing with CO2 as far as dangers go.
Using ozone requires monitoring regardless of what some may say. To monitor and control you need an ORP meter which measures water quality in mV. I'm no expert on how ozone works but its my understanding that the ozone oxidizes wastes which can then be removed by your skimmer. It cannot be used if you are running Zeo.
I was using an Enaly ozone unit along with a Milwaukee monitor/controller and it worked great. Just be sure to start off slow and bring up your mV over time. Soon I will be using ozone again on my new system and will hopefully have some pictures then.
Using ozone requires monitoring regardless of what some may say. To monitor and control you need an ORP meter which measures water quality in mV. I'm no expert on how ozone works but its my understanding that the ozone oxidizes wastes which can then be removed by your skimmer. It cannot be used if you are running Zeo.
I was using an Enaly ozone unit along with a Milwaukee monitor/controller and it worked great. Just be sure to start off slow and bring up your mV over time. Soon I will be using ozone again on my new system and will hopefully have some pictures then.
From my readings/experience you have to be careful with it,...ORP probes need to be cleaned at least weekly for accurate readings. I dont trust the ORp probe so i dose very little Ozone each day (eyeball it). Im really not up to to the task of calibrating/cleaning the orp probe so often, but if thats not an issue for you then thats definitely the way to go.
I run Enaly too. You can find them on ebay for cheap
I run Enaly too. You can find them on ebay for cheap
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ORP is a VERY tricky measurement. When we were measuring it in our aquaculture labs, we found it to be:
A a very unreliable measure of tank health
B not very well correlated with any other param in the tank (nitrate, phosphate, ammonia etc...)
As Mac said, you need to calibrate and clean the probe often for it to work well.
P
A a very unreliable measure of tank health
B not very well correlated with any other param in the tank (nitrate, phosphate, ammonia etc...)
As Mac said, you need to calibrate and clean the probe often for it to work well.
P
Yes, forgot to mention about the probe and cleaning. I was cleaning my Orp probe once a week in a small amount of diluted vinegar. My own experience with the monitor/probe was that the readings would drift upward if not cleaned on a regular basis. The good part was that a drift upward would lead to underdosing rather than overdosing. At least that is how it worked out for me and my particular equipment. I know many others combine the use of a controller along with a timer for set dosing to prevent the ozone generator from continuously running unchecked. Having it on a timer in addition to the controller/monitor adds a level of safety that I would highly recommend and utilize myself.
Another thing to keep in mind is the method of dosing. You don't want to simply let the ozone bubble into the tank or sump water as this will release it back into the air. Many have their ozone T'd into their skimmer air inlet so that the skimmer acts as a reactor. Its a good idea to have some carbon in place where the skimmer's output exits. This will catch any excess ozone.
Others use ozone reactors which are just sealed tubes or containers that provide dwell time for the ozone to mix with the water before exiting through carbon. I built one before using a TLF phos reactor and some bioballs (turns out they are good for something). I then connected this to the skimmer to further eliminate any remaining ozone. Make sure that your skimmer or anything else in direct contact with ozone is actually ozone safe. Regular vinyl tubing and cheaper plastic castings will become brittle or deteriorate when exposed to ozone. Here's another discussion about ozone reactors:
http://www.thesea.org/reef_aquarium/DIY/reactors/reactors_ozone.php
Ozone is not for everyone, and there are as many who like it as there are those who argue against its use (at least it's not as controversial as Zeo). I would recommend talking to those who use it and reading up on any actual documented use before making your decision.
A good article can be found at reefkeeping.com by Randy Holmes-Farley. It's broken into a 3 part article so happy reading.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php
Another thing to keep in mind is the method of dosing. You don't want to simply let the ozone bubble into the tank or sump water as this will release it back into the air. Many have their ozone T'd into their skimmer air inlet so that the skimmer acts as a reactor. Its a good idea to have some carbon in place where the skimmer's output exits. This will catch any excess ozone.
Others use ozone reactors which are just sealed tubes or containers that provide dwell time for the ozone to mix with the water before exiting through carbon. I built one before using a TLF phos reactor and some bioballs (turns out they are good for something). I then connected this to the skimmer to further eliminate any remaining ozone. Make sure that your skimmer or anything else in direct contact with ozone is actually ozone safe. Regular vinyl tubing and cheaper plastic castings will become brittle or deteriorate when exposed to ozone. Here's another discussion about ozone reactors:
http://www.thesea.org/reef_aquarium/DIY/reactors/reactors_ozone.php
Ozone is not for everyone, and there are as many who like it as there are those who argue against its use (at least it's not as controversial as Zeo). I would recommend talking to those who use it and reading up on any actual documented use before making your decision.
A good article can be found at reefkeeping.com by Randy Holmes-Farley. It's broken into a 3 part article so happy reading.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php
I run ozone. Not much to it. Small airpump, connects to air dryer, connects to ozone unit, connects to skimmer air injection method, or ozone reactor. Air/water leaving the skimmer or reactor run through carbon. Note: checkvales may be necessary depending on setup and location of the airpump and/or ozonizer.
I keep my ORP probe (pinpoint unit) in the tank overflow box, not the sump, BTW.
I do plan to add another dryer, since the one only lasts about 5 days before needing to have the beads baked.
I keep my ORP probe (pinpoint unit) in the tank overflow box, not the sump, BTW.
I do plan to add another dryer, since the one only lasts about 5 days before needing to have the beads baked.
i've been running ozone for over a year now and don't use a controller or ORP monitor or anything. I think people over analyze it IMO. I have a small air pump feeding my sanders 50 mg/hr ozone unit and it Tees off to my skimmer air tube through the venturi. I keep it at about 25-50% and it keeps my water crystal clear. Other than that... not much to it.
You're gonna need a 200mg/hr unit at least...luckily enalys are that size ($40 units).
On a smaller tank a 200mg/hr unit would quickly raise the orp so people use a time to prevent it from running 24/7 if the controller fails.
For a system you size it would take a lot longer to raise the orp to dangerous levels.
They also make adjustable units that let you control the mg/hr but they cost much much more ($400+ units)
Definitely get an orp controller & be prepared to clean the probe, as Ken stated the reading will drift upwards
Read this:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php
You will need to pass any water & air exiting your ozone chamber through carbon to remove excess ozone and to remove the toxic byproducts left in the water after oragnics get oxidized...
On a smaller tank a 200mg/hr unit would quickly raise the orp so people use a time to prevent it from running 24/7 if the controller fails.
For a system you size it would take a lot longer to raise the orp to dangerous levels.
They also make adjustable units that let you control the mg/hr but they cost much much more ($400+ units)
Definitely get an orp controller & be prepared to clean the probe, as Ken stated the reading will drift upwards
Read this:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php
You will need to pass any water & air exiting your ozone chamber through carbon to remove excess ozone and to remove the toxic byproducts left in the water after oragnics get oxidized...
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The way I understand it ozone is more of a clarifier that converts organics and often fragments them into smaller particles through oxidation. Because of how some of these organics are converted its possible that skimming could actually decrease. However those smaller fragments would then be eliminated by bacteria in the tank rather than skimming, which is probably why ozone is not used with Zeo. I have read that ozone when combined with carbon is the best method for removal of organics.
To answer your question about killing disease, no, not directly. In the water treatment industry ozone is used to disinfect the water by killing bacteria but the size of that dosing is far higher than we would ever use in an aquarium. Use of the much lower amounts of ozone used in an aquarium has the ability to convert organics which in turn are taken up by some beneficial bacteria, which in turn uses up other organics that would typically feed some unwanted organisms. Even the concentration of ozone within the reaction chamber isn't enough to kill any bacteria that passes through, unlike UV that kills anything that passes through (good or bad).
My primary reason for using ozone in the past has always been to clarify the water. When combined with a small amount of GAC my tank often looked like there was no water in it, it was that clear. The benefit to this clarity is better light penetration and I believe this aided in better coral coloration.
I think UV is probably the preferred method of disease control for some but to me it has the adverse effect of killing even the beneficial organisms which could do as much harm as it does good. I personally prefer to guard against introducing disease up front through quarantine and letting the natural bacteria in my tank act as its own immune system. Just like the human body, a healthy tank has the amazing ability to take care of itself. I try my best to keep everything healthy and most of the time the living aquarium does the rest. JMHO
To answer your question about killing disease, no, not directly. In the water treatment industry ozone is used to disinfect the water by killing bacteria but the size of that dosing is far higher than we would ever use in an aquarium. Use of the much lower amounts of ozone used in an aquarium has the ability to convert organics which in turn are taken up by some beneficial bacteria, which in turn uses up other organics that would typically feed some unwanted organisms. Even the concentration of ozone within the reaction chamber isn't enough to kill any bacteria that passes through, unlike UV that kills anything that passes through (good or bad).
My primary reason for using ozone in the past has always been to clarify the water. When combined with a small amount of GAC my tank often looked like there was no water in it, it was that clear. The benefit to this clarity is better light penetration and I believe this aided in better coral coloration.
I think UV is probably the preferred method of disease control for some but to me it has the adverse effect of killing even the beneficial organisms which could do as much harm as it does good. I personally prefer to guard against introducing disease up front through quarantine and letting the natural bacteria in my tank act as its own immune system. Just like the human body, a healthy tank has the amazing ability to take care of itself. I try my best to keep everything healthy and most of the time the living aquarium does the rest. JMHO
Kenny... an Enaly 300mq/L would be ideal for you and safe with that size. They are available on Ebay and usually shipped directly from China, unless you find a used one. They are cheap also.
It's good to use ORP controller for it and top out around 400. I sold my Enaly300 to Greg Carroll because I am using ZEOvit. I believe the Enaly units don't need an air drier and they have a small built in airpump to push the ozone out.
Ozone kills pathogens and bacteria (both good and bad). So it's use in bacterial based systems like ZEO, UltraLith and Prodibio is counter productive.
It's best when used through your skimmer. O3 is an oxidizer and breaks down organics, thus when in your skimmer it's very efficient. You will need carbon on the skimmers exhaust to absorb the excess O3.
It's good to use ORP controller for it and top out around 400. I sold my Enaly300 to Greg Carroll because I am using ZEOvit. I believe the Enaly units don't need an air drier and they have a small built in airpump to push the ozone out.
Ozone kills pathogens and bacteria (both good and bad). So it's use in bacterial based systems like ZEO, UltraLith and Prodibio is counter productive.
It's best when used through your skimmer. O3 is an oxidizer and breaks down organics, thus when in your skimmer it's very efficient. You will need carbon on the skimmers exhaust to absorb the excess O3.
