Ozone and ozone reactors, lets talk.

[vair]

I've been planning on using ozone and I also need a new GAC chamber, I was just about to purchase: MutinyII

http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/ozone/AVAST-Mutiny-Ozone-Reactor
and
http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/mediareactors/MR-10

I have the ozone generator and air dryer from previous set up, used it off and on with and with out air dryer and was always generally happy with results (air dryer and air pump always the weak link). Doing recent research on the subject I see some veteran advocators of ozone stopped using it. IE. Randy Homes and a couple others.

Current opinions?? I have my finger on the purchase trigger please help talk me into it which will be easy or talk me out of it.

Thanks please comment, ozone love it or hate it or no real benefit??

 

[muttley101]

I would like to know too... Can't see spending money on one if some of the greats dropped the system all together..

 

[dave.m]

Do you need it? People stop using them when they stop growing their system and it becomes stable enough that they don't need the extra oxidation to reduce nitrates and phosphates. You shouldn't just use stuff because someone else does or doesn't use it. There should be some sort of investigation and planning involved to determine what you are doing and why.

Dave.M

 

[Oldude]

I've been planning on using ozone and I also need a new GAC chamber, I was just about to purchase: MutinyII

http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/ozone/AVAST-Mutiny-Ozone-Reactor
and
http://www.avastmarine.com/ssc/do/product/mediareactors/MR-10

I have the ozone generator and air dryer from previous set up, used it off and on with and with out air dryer and was always generally happy with results (air dryer and air pump always the weak link). Doing recent research on the subject I see some veteran advocators of ozone stopped using it. IE. Randy Homes and a couple others.

Current opinions?? I have my finger on the purchase trigger please help talk me into it which will be easy or talk me out of it.

Thanks please comment, ozone love it or hate it or no real benefit??

Dave I think at this stage of your tank's progress it is sort of like taking chicken soup for a cold --- It may not help but probably won't hurt.
I guess my question is why do you think you need it?

 

[vair]

Do you need it? People stop using them when they stop growing their system and it becomes stable enough that they don't need the extra oxidation to reduce nitrates and phosphates. You shouldn't just use stuff because someone else does or doesn't use it. There should be some sort of investigation and planning involved to determine what you are doing and why.

Dave.M

Thanks for the feedback, I'm generally not a follower of other peoples direction but I do take note of what respected experts are doing. I 'think' I need it or at least a 'think' I could benefit from using it?
New (ish) system that since start up has seen it's share of neglect with a minimum of basic maintenance. Prompting the usual algae out breaks. Then I was away for a month with zero water changes and a fish keeper who feed heavy.

Higher phosphates and nitrates as a result which I'm on getting on top of now.
The water is mildly tinted yellow, which could be the massive scraping/cleaning of algae of all aquarium walls. I also don't use carbon currently which I'm sure will help clarity.

That brought me to buying a new carbon reactor and then why not flow the ozone into the new carbon reactor. So Dave, reading into your reply a bit, do you like them on newer systems until established? What do you think really determines when and why they might be used? Do we really 'need' most of the gadgets we use?

Also I'll add I'm running a bio pellet reactor for the first time and instead of a calcium reactor I'm running three part dosing.

 

[vair]

Dave I think at this stage of your tank's progress it is sort of like taking chicken soup for a cold --- It may not help but probably won't hurt.
I guess my question is why do you think you need it?

Thanks Greg. Why- To keep your frags alive! Water cleanliness and clarity I guess would be my simple answer.

 

[dave.m]

A GAC reactor to remove the yellow tint is a must. The yellow is limiting the full spectrum of your lights reaching your corals.

Ozone can help reduce high organics in the water. Some people just run it at night to keep oxygen levels up when the system normally takes a dip.

I like a calcium reactor. There, I said it. Flame away, if you like. I think 3-part dosing is really finicky and would only add it when you just can't keep the system stable over several months any other way. Adding dosing to a new, unsettled tank just exacerbates the problems, I think, and can make it take even longer for the system to stabilize and find balance. In some other people's experience, they say the same thing about calcium reactors and find 3-part better at stabilizing the system. Go with what your experience tells you.

Dave.M

 

[vair]

Great feedback Dave I've always liked calcium reactor just thought Id try dosing. We'll see.

 

[vair]

Kinda surprised more people don't have thought's on ozone and its use. Out of all the gadgets we love to use, reactors of all various forms running different medias, to dosing and additives galore etc. You never really hear about ozone crashing a tank and having negative impact. Sure it COULD kill you and your tank if used insanely wrong in a Darwin type situation.

Is it because it's scary? Or the benefit just isn't there? I wanna know but not on this thread guess?


-----

"A fisherman in Kiev electrocuted himself while fishing in the river Tereblya. The 43-year-old man connected cables to the main power supply of his home, and trailed the end into the river. The electric shock killed the fish, which floated belly-up to the top of the water. The man waded in to collect his catch, neglecting to remove the live wire, and tragically suffered the same fate as the fish.

In an ironic twist, the man was fishing for a mourning meal to commemorate the first anniversary of his mother-in-law's death.

In a related story, on January 9 the China Post reported that a 23-year-old Pingtung man died after eating fish he poisoned in a nearby ditch. Three days of diarrhea and vomiting led to his demise after he ate fish he caught by pouring toxic chemicals in the water at the suggestion of friends."

 

[Paul B]

I have been using Ozone non stop 24/7 for about 35 years. I use no carbon. The ozone is injected into my large skimmer at full blast as I don't use the controller. All my paired fish are spawning, corals are growing all over the place, my house didn't burn down and the tank has been running for 43 years. No problems yet.

 

[vair]

Wow! I didn't know you ran ozone, thanks for that info Paul.

 

[Ldagger]

i run the one with no air dryer - i think it's called ultra zone. metal tube with glass tube inside. used it for years, i run it for an hour right before lights go out on a timer, i have it hooked up via airpump going into skimmer intake.

 

[Paul B]

You can see my ozonizer on the wall on the top left just to the left of my very high tech brass boiler thermometer and home made super high tech skimmer. I know you are jealous of my super, very large I phone 9. That is not a cord, it is a cable so no one steals it

 

[Reefvet]

Kinda surprised more people don't have thought's on ozone and its use.

I think that's because it has such limited potential at a not so limited cost. I've been in the hobby for 45+ years and went through the Ozone erra. Never saw a benefit and never saw anything change when I stopped using it. Today's skimmers and high quality GAC are so effective I'm not surprised few use Ozone. Ozone will make your water appear very clear but not because it's removed anything. It's just reduced the size of the DOCs. While that can help your tank look clear a good GAC will do that very same thing.

I have been using Ozone non stop 24/7 for about 35 years. I use no carbon. The ozone is injected into my large skimmer at full blast as I don't use the controller. All my paired fish are spawning, corals are growing all over the place, my house didn't burn down and the tank has been running for 43 years. No problems yet.

Yeah but you're a nut case harvesting live food and doing all sorts of things that keep your reef healthy. You'd be hard pressed to demonstrate what the Ozone contributes. :eek1:

 

[Paul B]

Yeah but you're a nut case harvesting live food and doing all sorts of things that keep your reef healthy. You'd be hard pressed to demonstrate what the Ozone contributes.

This is certainly true. Although I can't show exactly what ozone does, I can state that it allows you to have the oldest, Nut case thriving tank on here so how bad could it be?

 

[vair]

You'd be hard pressed to demonstrate what the Ozone contributes. :eek1:

Sounds like it's doing the job of GAC for Paul?

 

[Reefvet]

Sounds like it's doing the job of GAC for Paul?

Exactly. The difference is GAC would cost less to run and be more consistent and controllable if maintained correctly.

But far be it from me to criticize Paul's approach. He's clearly got his own plan and it works quite well.

 

[vair]

Exactly, except- never need to replace the consumable GAC again or deal with the maintenance of changing the media out? Not that I'm saying I'd go GAC less and replace it with ozone but it is interesting.

 

[Dave & Monica]

I run GAC, but also run Ozone. I find without ozone, I get too much build up of debris in the tank. I clean the sand in 1/4 parts every 6-8 weeks, but I would still get cryo. With Ozone, don't have any algae issues and nutrients stay low. My only complaint is the probe needs weekly cleaning otherwise reads erroneously high. I got a killer deal on a used unit, so my start up costs was $50. I run it through my skimmer but long term would like to get or build a reactor. I hooked it up, took it off line, did that 2 more times and finally decided it does do a noticeable job at keeping the reef clean. I still have a lot of pods and every other critter so it doesn't sterilize the water or anything. Obviously there are million combinations to get a good looking reef, just for me, this is a piece in my puzzle. Good luck.

 

[vair]

Thanks for the feed back. I ordered the missing equipment to get my ozone running.