orp and ozone questions

[num54]

Hi everyone ive wanted to ask about orp and ozone reactors and generators what are the difference between the 2. is one better than the other have read that they can clear up water and lessin algae growth. what are other benifets to using one in a reef aquarium any info is greatly appreciated

 

[zoodood]

a generator produces the ozone...a reactor is a chamber where the reaction is supposed to take place safely and efficiently...ozone is also a disinfectant and helps to erradicate pathogenic bacteria that can kill corals or fish...I use an air pump that pushes air through the silica beads to dry the oxygen going into the ozone generator where it then gets aerated further in my protein skimmer pump, followed by carbon...I don't have a reactor per se that is why i use the skimmer...implementing the silica before the generator can help make the ozone 2x more effective and I believe it may also prolong the life of the generator

 

[Reef UP]

a generator produces the ozone...a reactor is a chamber where the reaction is supposed to take place safely and efficiently...ozone is also a disinfectant and helps to erradicate pathogenic bacteria that can kill corals or fish...I use an air pump that pushes air through the silica beads to dry the oxygen going into the ozone generator where it then gets aerated further in my protein skimmer pump, followed by carbon...I don't have a reactor per se that is why i use the skimmer...implementing the silica before the generator can help make the ozone 2x more effective and I believe it may also prolong the life of the generator

Just curious how you have the ozone on your skimmer do you have carbon on the lid? And the outlet etc. thank sorry to highjack but I'm in the steps of setting this up myself

 

[num54]

So I. Would need a reactor and generator? I also how do u plum it into ur skimmer and where do u put the carbon any pics.

 

[arotbart]

hook up ozone

Its best if you have a skimmer that is equipped to handle ozone. By that I mean, your pump ideally, should have an extra port for an line from the ozone generator to plug into so that the water and air that is mixing can also have ozone added. I have a Royal Alpha Exclusiv 250 by Vertex and red dragon pump. The pump has two ports, one for the air venturi and an extra if you decide to add ozone. I found these little carbon bags, about 2 inches in size per bag, and placed them right on the wholes on the top of my collection cup. I also drop a small bag right in front of the output port of my skimmer, so when the cleaned water leaves the skimmer, it hits the carbon bag floating. Ozone does not have a very long life span in salt water, but if you have too much, it can disinfect too much. On contact, the carbon eliminates most of the ozone. My ORP probe also sits right at the output of the skimmer, but in front of the carbon and that is where I measure my ORP levels. I keep my ORP 380-440, which is a bit on the high side, but find that it does really control a lot of pathogens.

keep in mind that when you run ozone, your skimmate consistency will drop a bit too, as the ozone is doing its job within the skimmer and breaking down organics before the skimmer can do its thing.

Your skimmer and the tubing used from the ozone generator should be "ozone" safe. if its not, it will literally melt it away.

I will post a pic later this weekend.


hope that helps somewhat.

 

[zoodood]

here's a little diagram to illustrate the process flow...your setups may be a little different depending on whether or not a skimmer is used and how you setup your exit flow to handle the carbon...just a reminder, ozone is highly corrosive so avoid exposure to skin, eyes, and inhalation

Arotbart:
Are you certain that carbon neutralizes the ozone and doesn't simply act to capture nutrient residuals that are broken down. I would have thought that the ozone would breakdown the carbon if anything. For the record, I've been pumping ozone for a year now and don't use ozone resistant tubing. It hasn't broken yet, although I would not doubt that there is a low concentration of plastic bi-products floating around in my 92gal. I also don't use an ORP meter, but I don't promote anyone attempting this without a good estimation of the bioload impact and previous knowledge of the effects of ozone and ORP levels in the given system.

 

[num54]

So Protien skimmer is one way would it be better if I use a ozone reactor? What would be the safest and what way would I get the best results in? Was looking into reef octopus ozone reactor any inputs on the reactor

 

[zoodood]

So Protien skimmer is one way would it be better if I use a ozone reactor? What would be the safest and what way would I get the best results in? Was looking into reef octopus ozone reactor any inputs on the reactor

I don't know too much about the reactors but I would say that for most applications, a skimmer would be sufficient. Unless however you will be pumping high concentrations of ozone for prolonged periods which in case it might be best to go with the reactor. Those reactors are specifically designed to resist degradation from the ozone(at least I would hope so) so that should be the safest and most reliable option. System capacity, nutrient load i.e. corals and fish, and space allocation for the extra reactor should all be factors to consider.