Ozone?

[iTzJu]

Hey guys,

I'm thinking about implementing ozone to my current system. I plan on getting an enlay ozone generator (rated for a maximum output of 200mg/hr, ozone reactor), and a media reactor for the carbon. I will be controlling and monitoring the ORP through my Apex. I plan on just running ozone during the times no one is home just for precautionary reasons.

does anyone run ozone on their current system and what are your thoughts? do you think I am going about it the right way? what do you guys advise? is it even worth it?

 

[mnat]

When you say running it as a precaution, as in oxegyn drops off?

 

[iTzJu]

When you say running it as a precaution, as in oxegyn drops off?

by precautionary, I mean so that people won't be exposed to any ozone while being in the home. I figure I keep it running for 3 hours during the 8 hour work day. I just read some people getting sick because of ozone exposure. is this something I should even worry about?

 

[dppitone]

mnat you should have bill murray's mouth move with your posts.

 

[mnat]

I asked my question wrong, what I was really getting at is why did you want to run it in the first place? I am admittidly ignorant on the subject, but I don't think I have talked to one person or store who had endorsed it. At a quick glance, it seems rather complicated and potentially harmful. It seems you can get all the benefits of ozone simply by running gfo, carbon, doing water changes and maybe doseing a few things (coral snow, waste away, etc.) without the risks. This is learning for me, so I am just honestly asking the question.

 

[iTzJu]

I would like to implement it to help with water quality and possiblly reduce the chances of introducing anything that could harm my fish or any other livestock I would get.

I am currently using coral snow, carbon and gfo. my only gripe with this however is the cost of upkeep. one initial investment for an ozone set up would save me $$ in the long run, I think.

 

[lefkonj]

I have a friend who runs ozone. There is a reactor to mix the ozone, a cleaner for it and special tubes, as ozone can crack and degrade tubing over time. He runs the ORP module so he can see when it is needed then turns it on until it hits the desired number. Ozone, as far as I know, is not a replacement for GFO and Carbon, very different functions. Ozone adds certain chemical balances to the reef but if you think it will reduce your ongoing costs, I don't believe that is accurate.

 

[mikem]

I've ran ozone for years.Loved not having to clean algae off the glass anymore. I moved , setup a bigger tank and never set the ozone up again. I regret it now. My water quality was never as clear as before.
Ozone is not harmful. It breaks down almost instantly.
You might want to add a dryer bead canister before the ozone to dry the incoming air. Makes everything work better and last longer.

It is definitely worth it if you are growing SPS's or corals that like cleaner water.
Also would like to add, i never had any sick or unhealthy fish while running it. I never had to quarantine any new fish knowing most bacterials would be removed by the ozone.

 

[Zippy69]

Nasty stuff. Best kept in the upper atmosphere to protect from uv radiation, not in your home.

 

[Mark...]

from wiki:

Ozone is also widely used in treatment of water in aquariums and fish ponds. Its use can minimize bacterial growth, control parasites, eliminate transmission of some diseases, and reduce or eliminate "yellowing" of the water. Ozone must not come in contact with fish's gill structures. Natural salt water (with life forms) provides enough "instantaneous demand" that controlled amounts of ozone activate bromide ion to hypobromous acid, and the ozone entirely decays in a few seconds to minutes. If oxygen fed ozone is used, the water will be higher in dissolved oxygen, fish's gill structures will atrophy and they will become dependent on higher dissolved oxygen levels.
Aquaculture

Ozonation - a process of infusing water with ozone - can be used in aquaculture to facilitate organic breakdown. Ozone is also added to recirculating systems to reduce nitrite levels[76] through conversion into nitrate. If nitrite levels in the water are high, nitrites will also accumulate in the blood and tissues of fish, where it interferes with oxygen transport (it causes oxidation of the heme-group of haemoglobin from ferrous (Fe2+
) to ferric (Fe3+
), making haemoglobin unable to bind O
2[77]). Despite these apparent positive effects, ozone use in recirculation systems has been linked to reducing the level of bioavailable iodine in salt water systems, resulting in iodine deficiency symptoms such as goitre and decreased growth in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae.[78]

 

[iTzJu]

I've ran ozone for years.Loved not having to clean algae off the glass anymore. I moved , setup a bigger tank and never set the ozone up again. I regret it now. My water quality was never as clear as before.
Ozone is not harmful. It breaks down almost instantly.
You might want to add a dryer bead canister before the ozone to dry the incoming air. Makes everything work better and last longer.

It is definitely worth it if you are growing SPS's or corals that like cleaner water.
Also would like to add, i never had any sick or unhealthy fish while running it. I never had to quarantine any new fish knowing most bacterials would be removed by the ozone.

Hey Mike, what was your set up like? I am thinking about running ozone only about 2-3 hours a day just to clean things up in the water. I also do plan on keeping a bunch of SPS as I am keeping a mixed reef but definitely mostly sps. my tank is only 80 gallons + 40 gallon sump, im looking at about 100 gallons of total water give or take. wont we dosing more than 50mg/hr, i would say.

 

[iTzJu]

I have a friend who runs ozone. There is a reactor to mix the ozone, a cleaner for it and special tubes, as ozone can crack and degrade tubing over time. He runs the ORP module so he can see when it is needed then turns it on until it hits the desired number. Ozone, as far as I know, is not a replacement for GFO and Carbon, very different functions. Ozone adds certain chemical balances to the reef but if you think it will reduce your ongoing costs, I don't believe that is accurate.

well i assume that ozone will definitely help on the GFO cost. carbon is a must have when running ozone, but carbon is cheap enough that i dont mind. I will definitely be monitoring ORP with my Apex controller and will be controlling the generator that i plan on purchasing.

 

[iTzJu]

Nasty stuff. Best kept in the upper atmosphere to protect from uv radiation, not in your home.

yeah, i understand that overdosing ozone can be hazardous to ones health but with every horror story i have read, it seems like the individual did not correctly utilize ozone correctly. usually using non-ozone safe tubing, connectors, etc.. but again, i wanted to see if anyone else currently or has ran ozone and tell me their experience with it. the last thing i want to do would be endangering my livestock and the people around me.

from wiki:

Ozone is also widely used in treatment of water in aquariums and fish ponds. Its use can minimize bacterial growth, control parasites, eliminate transmission of some diseases, and reduce or eliminate "yellowing" of the water. Ozone must not come in contact with fish's gill structures. Natural salt water (with life forms) provides enough "instantaneous demand" that controlled amounts of ozone activate bromide ion to hypobromous acid, and the ozone entirely decays in a few seconds to minutes. If oxygen fed ozone is used, the water will be higher in dissolved oxygen, fish's gill structures will atrophy and they will become dependent on higher dissolved oxygen levels.
Aquaculture

Ozonation - a process of infusing water with ozone - can be used in aquaculture to facilitate organic breakdown. Ozone is also added to recirculating systems to reduce nitrite levels[76] through conversion into nitrate. If nitrite levels in the water are high, nitrites will also accumulate in the blood and tissues of fish, where it interferes with oxygen transport (it causes oxidation of the heme-group of haemoglobin from ferrous (Fe2+
) to ferric (Fe3+
), making haemoglobin unable to bind O
2[77]). Despite these apparent positive effects, ozone use in recirculation systems has been linked to reducing the level of bioavailable iodine in salt water systems, resulting in iodine deficiency symptoms such as goitre and decreased growth in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae.[78]

if i am understanding this correctly, i should be testing my iodine levels if I do run ozone?

 

[mikem]

I ran mine on a 125 gallon plus 40 sump.
I had an air pump pushing air thru my rechargeable air drier. (RODI single canister) From there thru the ozone generator and out to my skimmer.
I forgot what my orp controller is set at, but the ozone only had to turn on for about 6 hours every 5 days. It ran for about 4 days when i first set it up to bring the orp down to my desired level.
I did add about a cap full of iodine once a month for my softies.

 

[Mark...]

yeah, i understand that overdosing ozone can be hazardous to ones health but with every horror story i have read, it seems like the individual did not correctly utilize ozone correctly. usually using non-ozone safe tubing, connectors, etc.. but again, i wanted to see if anyone else currently or has ran ozone and tell me their experience with it. the last thing i want to do would be endangering my livestock and the people around me.

if i am understanding this correctly, i should be testing my iodine levels if I do run ozone?

My guess. that with water changes, iodine wouldn't be an issue. But I'm just posting a wiki article, no expert.

 

[iTzJu]

I ran mine on a 125 gallon plus 40 sump.
I had an air pump pushing air thru my rechargeable air drier. (RODI single canister) From there thru the ozone generator and out to my skimmer.
I forgot what my orp controller is set at, but the ozone only had to turn on for about 6 hours every 5 days. It ran for about 4 days when i first set it up to bring the orp down to my desired level.
I did add about a cap full of iodine once a month for my softies.

did you ever smell ozone in the air with this setup? I already supplement iodine with a few weekly drops here and there, so I'm not too worried about that.

 

[mikem]

The only time I smelt the ozone was when one of my tubings was pulled out of the skimmer by one of my kids. I later found out online that it wasn't a problem cause the ozone breaks down in milliseconds after hitting the air.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I apologized for this mini-hijack, but I had to comment……Mike good to see that you’re still around!

 

[lefkonj]

My friend uses the Octopus Ozone reactor, originally he had it hooked to the skimmer but wasn't working well. Definitely has the air dryer as well.

 

[mikem]

Hi Paul. I still read almost every day.

Thanks