Ozone study

[Billybeau1]

Hi Randy.

I read something you wrote in another thread and didnt want to hijack it.

You said you are pumping 100mg/hr of ozone into a 300 gal and your ORP does not go over 300.

I'm having the same problem. I have been running my Red Sea 100mg unit for about 6 months now. I've got that puppy cranked all the way up in my 72 gal and it doesnt seem to want to climb. I can smell ozone in the skimmer top when I take the carbon cup off so I know its producing something. I'm reasonably convinced my probe is good. I just dont get it. I have seen on this forum a number of people with ORP's between 360 and 400.

At this point I dont know if the unit is just junk or there is something I'm overlooking. I recharge my air drier beads often and run a small pump to push the ozone through the skimmer.

My fish seem happy and healthy and the water is crystal clear. Of course I run UV as well.

I'll be following your adventures and look forward to your findings. At this point I'm leaning towards the unit being of poor quality. I hope your not using the same unit.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I use an Aquamedic unit that is supposed to be pretty good, and use a large air dryer. I can certainly smell ozone if the air and water exiting the Coralife ozone reactor isn't passed over a lot of carbon. In another week or so I'll complete some measurements, then try running the ozone into my skimmer instead.

 

[quack]

see my thread of today too.

my only thought at the moment - - is your skimmer in/out ie volume turnover high enough? I myself do not run a carbon 'guard' at the skimmer effluent.

 

[74nautique]

I've been very interested in adding ozone to my tank and from all that I've read I have a couple of questions with my ideal of an inexpensive set up. If I bought a unit, say off of ebay, for under $100 (there are units for spas to toothbrush holders) with 50mg/hr to 300mg/hr.

Could I just plug it into a timer and set it for like an hour in the AM and an hour in the PM?

I've read too much ozone can cause problems and a little can clear your tank of the things you would use ozone for.
So I guess people buy controllers ($$$) to keep OPR at certain levels. I've also read about probes causing problems too.

I just don't want to spend a lot of money if I don't need to.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6641593#post6641593 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by quack
see my thread of today too.

my only thought at the moment - - is your skimmer in/out ie volume turnover high enough? I myself do not run a carbon 'guard' at the skimmer effluent.

I dont believe the skimmer is an issue at this point. I have plenty of bubbles, go flow and decent skimmate. I just use carbon at the top and all sump water passes through a carbon canister just before it returns to the tank. I do have a heavy bio-load so that could have something to do with it too. Also I have high nitrates and phosphates. Dont know yet if this has an affect on lowering ORP.

I was gonna buy one of those Coralife Ozone Reactors but I posted in the Reef Discussion forum asking if anyone uses it and how do they like it and I got zero responses. So either they dont sell too many or no one wanted to comment.

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6641757#post6641757 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 74nautique

Could I just plug it into a timer and set it for like an hour in the AM and an hour in the PM?

I've heard some people do that. However you should still have some means of monitoring your ORP. Most of us do not recommend injecting ozone without having a means to monitor it. You could buy a seperate ORP monitor.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I was gonna buy one of those Coralife Ozone Reactors but I posted in the Reef Discussion forum asking if anyone uses it and how do they like it and I got zero responses

My report on it is not going to be very favorable.

 

[quack]

read sea with orp probe for me!!!!! And i'm a risk taker too but not for a tank my size. If i had a smaller tank, sayy 100 or less it might be worth it . . . dont know

 

[Billybeau1]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6642188#post6642188 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
My report on it is not going to be very favorable.

:lol:

You're always saving me money.

 

[Boomer]

Billy

See other thread, post to quack............plus


number of people with ORP's between 360 and 400.


AND you should NOT go by the ORP of other reefers. The above is a nice number but an ORP of 400mV does NOT mean it is a better tank than one with 360mV .

 

[quack]

i agree . . . thanks. but i do feel that a tank with ave orps of350/375 are 'better' (water quality) than tanks of averages of 225/250 . . . and i dont see how one can get these highter ave orp without the use of 03 (i exclude the use of liquid oxidizers - thats like suggesting nuclear power plants to fix our ooil 'addiction')!!lol