OZONE....what are it's benefits and best way to use it?

[pmrossetti]

What are the things we need to know about it?
Benefits, dangers, limitations?
How it compares to UV.

I've always been interested in using it, but it always seemed a bit mysterious.

Thanks :fish1:

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Its primary benefit is reducing the yellowness of the water. It does that much better than UV. The way you'd likely use it, it won't sterilize the water.

I describe everything you'd want to know in these articles, including my experiences with it.

FWIW, I no longer use it out of concern for HLLE issues in tangs. Once in a while (once every couple of months) I run a very small amount into a skimmer to help de-yellow the water.


Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-03/rhf/index.php

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 2: Equipment and Safety
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 3: Changes in a Reef Aquarium upon Initiating Ozone
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-05/rhf/index.php

[FlyPenFly]

My untested assumption is that it also neutralizes some untested organic compounds in the water as well.

[Superpuma]

Randy

What do mean by HLLE in Tangs? Since intro of ozone my 2 x Yellow Tangs have faded around their heads, snout and gillplates.... Is that HLLE?

Regards

Mike

[d2mini]

Its primary benefit is reducing the yellowness of the water. It does that much better than UV. The way you'd likely use it, it won't sterilize the water.

I've noticed that when I run my ozone, the water is clearer (as in less cloudy, not a different color) and there is much less algae film on the glass.

Never used UV but are you saying you won't get the same effect? I was under the impression that you would.

[wolfblue]

Its primary benefit is reducing the yellowness of the water. It does that much better than UV. The way you'd likely use it, it won't sterilize the water.


Like Randy said. I think "likely" means "should". If you try to run a sterilization dose on salt your into bromine territory. Even short of what would be called a sterilization dose you could have residual oxidants where the animals are.

For me the concentration of ozone in the protein skimmer should be 0.02-0.03 mg/l. And liberal amounts of carbon after that to make sure. That's a very low amount of ozone. Some of us left fielders think ozone under about 0.05 acts as a flocculent and aids skimming. And as the dosage increases that effect is diminished. And then you get to where ozone is detrimental to skimming. But the water will look great because your making halides.
there is much less algae film on the glass.


In this quote from a paper by Andy Aiken and Marks Smith, TRO=total residual oxidants.

"If ORP exceeds 400 mV within an exhibit toxic
oxidants are probably present! This is an
indicator only! There is no direct correlation
between ORP and TRO. It is TRO that should
be your final control – not ORP!"

At home we cant measure TRO's that low. But they cant run carbon on the effluent because it would just take too much. At home we can run carbon, and play it safe.

--John

[d2mini]

For me the concentration of ozone in the protein skimmer should be 0.02-0.03 mg/l. And liberal amounts of carbon after that to make sure. That's a very low amount of ozone. Some of us left fielders think ozone under about 0.05 acts as a flocculent and aids skimming. And as the dosage increases that effect is diminished. And then you get to where ozone is detrimental to skimming. But the water will look great because your making halides.

In this quote from a paper by Andy Aiken and Marks Smith, TRO=total residual oxidants.

"If ORP exceeds 400 mV within an exhibit toxic
oxidants are probably present! This is an
indicator only! There is no direct correlation
between ORP and TRO. It is TRO that should
be your final control – not ORP!"

At home we cant measure TRO's that low. But they cant run carbon on the effluent because it would just take too much. At home we can run carbon, and play it safe.

--John

I just run mine mine for a couple hours after the lights come on. I run carbon on my system but not directly after the skimmer. The ozone is injected into my Life Reef venturi skimmer. I make sure my ORP doesn't get over 400 (without ozone it's around 240-300) but I still don't understand how you would measure an exact amount like .02-.03.

[wolfblue]

For ozone in water I use LaMotte LP-62. Its actually pretty good even at 0.01 and reads up to 1.0, its $100 or less(I think?). But what you really would do is estimate flow through the skimmer and ozone generator output and try to be in the desired range. I say .02-.03 but even if its really 0.06 your still pretty good for flocculation. I know some here must be near 0.3 ozone or more and that's probably detrimental to skimming. But skimming still takes place. Though now you have to wonder if your shooting bromine out.

My problem has been detecting TRO's at low level. They told me use Hach CN-70 and I have that. But its not very good down near 0.01 where I need it. I think I'm always very near 0.0 TRO's everywhere. Because the LaMotte LP-62 shows a definite color at 0.01 and it always shows no color when I test display water.

Both test kits are DPD so they will both react to basically any oxidant. If I know there is ozone in the water then most of what the ozone test shows must be ozone or the corresponding secondary oxidants, close enough as they will be doing the same thing. But if I use the ozone test to look for bromine it would show presence only because its not calibrated for bromine. If I wanted a good number ozone vs bromine I would have to ask Randy for a multiplier. That's above my pay grade and gives me a headache to try to figure it out.

--John

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Randy

What do mean by HLLE in Tangs? Since intro of ozone my 2 x Yellow Tangs have faded around their heads, snout and gillplates.... Is that HLLE?


Yes, it's like HLLE not not exactly. My yellow tang got its dorsal fin worn down to nothing. The hippo got facial erosions. I don't have a hippo, but the current yellow tang has no such issues now that I do not use ozone.

It might have been the GAC, or the ozone, I can't be sure which, but I think one was responsible, and both have been implicated by others.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Never used UV but are you saying you won't get the same effect? I was under the impression that you would.

A UV may clear the water, but mostly from suspended stuff like phytoplankton, etc., IMO. Not so much clearance of yellow organics, although there may be some of that as well. I show some pictures of the color change in my water on initiating ozone.

[Superpuma]

Yes, it's like HLLE not not exactly. My yellow tang got its dorsal fin worn down to nothing. The hippo got facial erosions. I don't have a hippo, but the current yellow tang has no such issues now that I do not use ozone.

It might have been the GAC, or the ozone, I can't be sure which, but I think one was responsible, and both have been implicated by others.

Hmmmmm. With mine it came post intro of ozone. Thanks Randy

[shifty51008]

If ozone removes the color from the water what makes it diffrent than just running carbon to get the color out?

Sorry for jumping in on the thread.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is much more effective at that than carbon. It doesn't actually remove most organics, but it decolors them. Folks running GAC who add ozone usually notice a difference. :)