Ozone installation without protein skimmer

[Orsini26]

So I've been watching a lot of videos on ozone use and am thinking of giving it a try. However, I'm not sure I'd want to use my primary skimmer for gas exchange. Does anyone have any suggestions or idea to accomplish this?

I know some people have a secondary skimmer dedicated to ozone. I also know I've seen some people sell an in line vacuum air pump (brs tv sells them I know). Anyone have any experience using one of these? Has anyone tried using a basic reactor and modifying it to take ozone?

Interested to hear anyone's experience with this. Just some info on my tank in case it might be helpful:

72 g bowfront that has been up and running for 1 year 3 months; 20 g bottom sump with primary filtration, bio filtration, carbon, biopellets, and refugium

Thanks all!

 

[blaxsun]

You'd only want to use your skimmer if it's ozone-compatible. And even ozone-compatible skimmers still need to have one or two minor parts replaced with titanium to avoid eventual deterioration. I run a Nyos Quantum 160 skimmer with an OzoTech Poseidon 200 that feeds directly into the skimmer, and then I have a Stink Sink on top of it to capture stray ozone (something you'll need to factor in with a reactor).

Check out the Avast reactor setup for ozone and it will give you a better idea of what's involved.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There are lots of ways to use ozone that do not use skimmers, and they are probably better than using a skimmer. Typically they involve a commercial or DIY reactor where you allow the water and ozone to mix, then pass over GAC before the water gets back to the tank.

 

[Orsini26]

There are lots of ways to use ozone that do not use skimmers, and they are probably better than using a skimmer. Typically they involve a commercial or DIY reactor where you allow the water and ozone to mix, then pass over GAC before the water gets back to the tank.

Interesting. I wonder if I could use a separate external skimmer pump and hook that up to a small reactor to avoid using space in my sump. It would be a bit of diy but maybe that would be the easiest way to combine the ozone with the water

 

[slingfox]

Not sure if anyone has thought up of any great ideas for using ozone without a protein skimmer. I want to experiment with ozone but my protein skimmer is not compatible so am exploring alternatives.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I describe my diy ozone reactor here:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php#12

These have more:

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 1: Chemistry and Biochemistry by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 2: Equipment and Safety by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Ozone and the Reef Aquarium, Part 3: Changes in a Reef Aquarium upon Initiating Ozone by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[tim brennan]

There are lots of ways to use ozone that do not use skimmers, and they are probably better than using a skimmer. Typically they involve a commercial or DIY reactor where you allow the water and ozone to mix, then pass over GAC before the water gets back to the tank.

Do you need to worry about letting the “air” out of the reactor? I’m thinking the ozon into a reactor with the top half of reactor filled with carbon Any thoughts would be appreciated

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you need to worry about letting the “air” out of the reactor? I’m thinking the ozon into a reactor with the top half of reactor filled with carbon Any thoughts would be appreciated

Depends on the reactor. My DIY reactor contained some air and it was no concern.