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I've been considering running ozone simply because a friend of mine offered me a great deal on a setup. Aside from water clarity are there any other real benefits to using ozone?
Who runs ozone here?
- Thread starter FutureInterest
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Water clarity is a BIG benefit. You have no idea how clear water can be until you run ozone. It also has anti-pathogenic properties. However, there are some potential drawbacks, too (health risks, livestock damage if not properly set up, etc). I run it 24/7.
Start with puttin it on a timer, instead of continuous operation, or hook it up to a ORP controller.... usually people hook it to the skimmer so it doesn't escape in to the tank to cause trouble.... getting a smaller unit will also avoid issues of over doing it by mistake..... It will certainly give you clear water, which also means your corals get more light........
makes a huge difference... the water is definatly crystal clear.... i did the bucket test when i first put mine on the system... place water from your setup into a salt bucket to fill it half way up. look at the bottom of the bucket, i noticed a yellow tinge to the water... then after a week of running ozone i did the same,,looking into the bottom of the bucket it was white, crystal clear.... (this was without any water change).. it has also helped with the ick in the tank,,,my tangs have had less outbreaks.. you'll also notice your skimmer runs better with it in place, especially if you run the ozone into the inlet of your skimmer...
lol...thats right.... make sure you use carbon on the outlet of your skimmer and use carbon on the top of your collection cup to absorb any access ozone released into the water or air.. i have my setup in the garage, so im a little less worried about it then someone who runs it in the house...
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Hmmm... I'm not sure if the benefits outweigh possible blindness... 
Thanks for the responses!
Thanks for the responses!
skriz
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I run it, but with an orp controller.
It is amazing! I can show you how I had 750g of phyto and in just a few days it was gone. It took one week and the tank was crystal clear. I wouldn't run a tank without ozone. You do need to make sure you run a ton of carbon though. Like everyone said, it can be dangerous.
It is amazing! I can show you how I had 750g of phyto and in just a few days it was gone. It took one week and the tank was crystal clear. I wouldn't run a tank without ozone. You do need to make sure you run a ton of carbon though. Like everyone said, it can be dangerous.
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FutureInterest;89060 wrote: Hmmm... I'm not sure if the benefits outweigh possible blindness...
Thanks for the responses!
Esopecially since you have a little one in the house. I would probably suggest not to. Some people have very severe reactions to ozone. SOme other things to consider, it can create bromic acid in the tank if your tanks runs high in bromate (in certain salt mixes it is very high). Also, there is some debate as to how it effects skimming. Some people state it impedes skimming, because it makes large organics molecules into a lot of very small organic molecukles, which the skimmer cannot/will not/might not take out. Others claim it creates a conditions called "microfloculation", which clumps organics together to facilitate skimming. Many freshwater systems can run prtein skimmers that is heightened with ozone because of this process (supposedly).
I can't comment on use of ozone around little ones, but I'd like to chime in for general use-
I'm a big proponent of ozone over UV. A UV light is essentially a heater on all the time, are typically undersized for the flow and size of the tank, require maintenance, etc, etc. And you still have yellow water. Ozone takes care of the heat issue, removes the yellowing from the water, and doesn't require any maintenance. Whether or not it exposes enough bacteria to be helpful is a subject up for debate, but is the same with UV.
My suggestion is to use as little as needed, and skip the ORP controller. Measure ORP all you want, but don't rely on a probe that can easily be fouled with something so deadly as ozone. Here's the mojo-method:
1. Start by emptying some of your existing tank water into a 5g white bucket and noting the color of the water
2. install an adjustable ozone generator (I use a 100mg/hr on my 400g system).
3. Inject it somewhere where the majority will be blown off - usually the skimmer, unless you've got a dedicated ozone tower...
4. Start with a low setting (5%) and run it for 2-3 days
5. Do the white-bucket-test again and see if it's clear. If not, bump up to 10% and repeat.
Do this until the water is clear. You don't need anymore, and it's much gentler on your system (and your cataracts, apparently!) than running it at 100% when your ORP controller says it needs it.
I run my 100mg/hr around 15-20% for my 400 system....
I'm a big proponent of ozone over UV. A UV light is essentially a heater on all the time, are typically undersized for the flow and size of the tank, require maintenance, etc, etc. And you still have yellow water. Ozone takes care of the heat issue, removes the yellowing from the water, and doesn't require any maintenance. Whether or not it exposes enough bacteria to be helpful is a subject up for debate, but is the same with UV.
My suggestion is to use as little as needed, and skip the ORP controller. Measure ORP all you want, but don't rely on a probe that can easily be fouled with something so deadly as ozone. Here's the mojo-method:
1. Start by emptying some of your existing tank water into a 5g white bucket and noting the color of the water
2. install an adjustable ozone generator (I use a 100mg/hr on my 400g system).
3. Inject it somewhere where the majority will be blown off - usually the skimmer, unless you've got a dedicated ozone tower...
4. Start with a low setting (5%) and run it for 2-3 days
5. Do the white-bucket-test again and see if it's clear. If not, bump up to 10% and repeat.
Do this until the water is clear. You don't need anymore, and it's much gentler on your system (and your cataracts, apparently!) than running it at 100% when your ORP controller says it needs it.
I run my 100mg/hr around 15-20% for my 400 system....
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That makes a lot of sense. The mojo method essentially makes it impossible to overdose your tank, so I think I'll give that a shot.
Carbon will remove the yellowing as well but placement is critical. I personally run UV not for water clairity but for evil critter control amongst other things. I do run an "oversized" unit and I run the water through real slow. I plan on installing ozone (have everything in the garage) soon to help improve the water quality as well. I don't think there is an either or in this case. Ozone and UV will both work if properly setup and maintained. Ozone is more dangerous, but easier to maintain. UV is an easy setup but generally more expensive down the road and chaning bulbs sucks. UV really doesn't improve skimming all that much either.
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Just make sure that ozone doesnt get into the air. Especially with a young child. I have heard bad things about ozone and childrens development. It may be speculative BS, but If I had baby in the house, it would scare me enough not to use it.
