Ozonizer to my 3130/2 skimmer ?

[magnus]

Hi Roger,

would you recomend me using an ozonizer with my 3130/2 skimmer ?

Plaese share your experiance with me. I'm thinking of a small (50mg/h) Sander Ozonizer to my 150 gallon reef tank.

I would like to fight a slight micro algae attack and also get that crystal clear water that moderate ozonizer usage will give.

- Will the skimmer plastic "corrode" ?
- What will be the expected result if the water level go below the level required by the skimmer (this happens to my skimmer for a short while on few occations) ?
- Do i need a air pump or will the skimmer "suck in" eough air from the ozonizer ?
- What happens if I turn the skimmer off, will the ozone go up into the collection cup and then into my living room ?

[rvitko]

When using ozone you can count on it entering the room unless you have a carbon filter. My advice is to use ozone seperately in either a small Sanders skimmer (great Ozonizer BTW) or a small Lees skimmer. On both models you can put a carbon cartridge like they use in cheapy undergravel filter- the small ones for bowls- on the vent of the lid. In small doses Ozone will only make your house smell nice and clean the air, in large doses you will get migraine headaches.

Even ozone safe plastics get brittle over time. The Tunze skimmer is ozone safe and has a provision for adding ozone through the side ports. It does not pull the ozone in on it's own and you would need a small pump, a Rena 50 will do the job. Now, with that said Tunze only recommends 3mg/hr and this is an emergency provision to be used to treat high Nitrite or Ammonia levels. It is not an effective method for long term and Ozone generally reduces skimmer performance unless the water is laden with fats and oils and not skimming properly as a result or if the water contains large amounts of cellulose- for this reason a seperate reactor is preferred.

If you are going to use Ozone though nothing beats the Sanders, they are virtually indestructible and can be easily repaired if something goes wrong. You will need an airdryer though as 50mg/hr is a small dose for a 150 and it will need to be at optimum performance to do the job. I would not go larger though without a redox meter and remember ozone works best through a venturi and worst under pressure in a hyperbaric reactor. (Pressure breaks down ozone.)

[magnus]

Thanks for the info Roger,

what is the reason for the Tunze recomendation on max 3 mg/hr ? This limit seem very low to me.

[rvitko]

The ozone in high doses does make the plastic brittle and it interferes with skimming. A low dose is sufficient to destroy Ammonia and Nitrite and that is the only application the Tunze skimmer is appropriate for. Long term it is better to use a seperate reactor rather than your skimmer.

[saltman1]

WOW I have heard so much of this ozone to make crystal clear water....someone please explain. Is it a product, a machine...what?? Send some links please.

[vmichael]

Originally posted by rvitko
,

If you are going to use Ozone though nothing beats the Sanders, they are virtually indestructible and can be easily repaired if something goes wrong. You will need an airdryer though as 50mg/hr is a small dose for a 150 and it will need to be at optimum performance to do the job. I would not go larger though without a redox meter and remember ozone works best through a venturi and worst under pressure in a hyperbaric reactor. (Pressure breaks down ozone.) [/B]

That is the opposite of what I've been reading about ozonizers.

I've read claims from various mfgs. that they work best under pressure because it keep the O3 together a bit longer.

can anyone clarify this?

[vmichael]

I was leaning on buying a Sanders instead of RS Aquazone ozonizer because I thought they were the best but now I have my doubts. Information provided on the post from "Rivtko" who is reliable source is nconsistent with what other magnufaturers and Aquaria experts advice about ozone usage.

1. Ozone should be never used without an ORP
2. Ozone under presssure has more gas water/exchange therefore better saturation.


I would love to know, which is the best Ozonizer out there.
based on life expenctancy of unit, performance, required maintenance, upkeep.

in other words, how much will I have t o pay down the road to keep the unit running optimally?

I have a 180 reef, 55 Refuge and 55 Sump.

[rvitko]

I would get something from Sanders or Ozotech. They can be cleaned and they are easier to service.

1- I would always use an ORP monitor, if you pass 500mV you will lose your tank. Their is no argument their, after 500mV everything dies.

2- This is false, checck with Aquatic Eco systems, O3 under pressure collides with other O3 molecules and they become O2 again. A venturi is the best method.

You really need an air dryer for optimal performance. Now, what most people do nowadays is run very, very small amounts of Ozone so while in a traditional sense of using ozone as a sterilant you need about 300mg/hr. To use it only to clarify the water you need about 25mg/hr. If you are only using it as a clarifying agent you probably do not need the ORP montior because the dose is so low, further you could just run a 50mg/hr without air dryer knowing the efficiency as long as the room is not past about 60% humidity will be about 50%.