Ozone generator DIY

[0 Agios]

I am about to make a ozone generator. Will a Jacobs ladder work using a TV fly-back transformer ? (15-30KV), has anyone made one ? any help with this topic will be appreciated.

[0 Agios]

Will using copper electrodes generate copper particles that will end up in the tank ? or using aluminum is safer ?

[boxfishpooalot]

All I know is they use platinum electrodes because they will last longest. Platnum is suposedly ozone resistant.

Where are you getting your plans?

[0 Agios]

There's no plans. All I know high voltage arcking creates ozone, and i can do that. I have designed a glass enclosure to trap ozone and the skimmers ventury will suck the ozone in the skimmer, after that it will go through carbon. That's all I know

[koiscapes]

I have made an ozone generator using a transformer from a small neon sign. I used to glass jars, putting the small glass jar inside of the big glass jar. With the two wires from the transformer I took some aluminum foil, folded it up and attached the wire to the foil and placed one wire inside the small jar. I did the same thing to the other wire but placed it in the larger jar so that when the transformer was turned on it would create an arc between the glass. This created ozone, then you would have to figure a way to get it into the water.

[rustybucket145]

The copper's gonna kill any corals. Aluminum will be dust in a matter of months. If you don't have titanium, you really can't make this.

[skimate]

I’ve made an ozone generator similar to the one Koiscapes described. I used a neon sign transformer, from memory its 7500volts. Instead of glass jars I used a 4”x 4”x ¼” piece of glass with a piece of aluminium mesh 3 ½”x3 ½” glued central in each side of the glass. This thing used 200w and was way too powerful for all but the very largest of aquariums.
I only used it for a few months but in this time I didn’t notice any erosion of the aluminium mesh.

[0 Agios]

Can you post a pic ? and how did you realise it was too powerful ? another question is did it make a noticeable difference in your water quality ?

[Giovanni]

Look into the replaceable plates on the Living Air O3 machines. They are like $11 each and should be easy to use. I purchased one of these machines at a yard sale for like $20 needing plates. They are used in homes for air purification.

I will post a photo of what they look like when I get a chance.

Personally I am using an old UV filter as my O3 generator. Works well even when the bulbs are not much good anymore and it is easy to suck air through with my skimmer. They can be purchase very inexpensively used. Mine is a 15 watt unit. I have it on for 30 minutes and off for 90 and this seem to work well on my ~125 gallons of system water.

[skimate]

I’ll dig it out the loft and post some photos tomorrow, its 5am here and I’d wake the whole house if I do it now.
I never built it with aquarium use in mind it was for odour control and did the job well
I’m guessing it would be too powerful partly because it uses 200w and the 100mg unit I have on my 300gal reef only uses 12v 0.4A. Plus to circulate air around it I mounted it inside a plant pot with a large hole in the bottom and a computer fan, to smell if it was working I foolishly aimed the fan at my face the next day my face peeled like a bad case of sun burn

[aries70]

Giovanni I'm intersted in your use of the UV filter as an Ozone generator do you still use carbon and do you leave the quartz shield in place or remove it
TIA

[Giovanni]

I have a small sump room in a closet and so I do not use a carbon. Yes I did remove the quartz shield.

[jnarowe]

OK, you guys have my interest. Considering that an appropriate sized ozone generator for my system would cost a bunch of cash, I would like to see if anyone has plans or pics of thier generator. I do have an old large LifeGaurd UV that I could convert with some advice.

[Giovanni]

Jonathan,

How many watts is the old lifegaurd?

[jnarowe]

hmmm...It's a "QL-8" so I guess that makes it 8W...very strange since the thing is huge.

[Giovanni]

No way it is only 8 watts. If it is, it will not produce enough O3 for your tank.

[jnarowe]

Well I looked up the QL-8 online and it seems to be an 8 watter. I got it as a freebee when I bought the fiberglass tank, and it was used to process RO/DI, so maybe it is only an 8 watt unit. Anyway, I would guess you are correct, but perhaps larger ones can be installed in the same housing?

Here is what it looks like:

[Giovanni]

Jonathan,

Yea looks like you are correct. We will have to come up with another option for you as I think 8 watts is a fart in a stiff wind in your tank.

[jnarowe]

I was planning on using the LifeGard on my QT anyway. But building an ozone generator seems interesting, but my worry is that ozone is one of those things that can go horribly wrong, right?

[0 Agios]

pickup today an old monitor, all TVs and monitors have whats called a fly-back transformer with an output 15kv to 30 kv, , the box is made, will post picks soon.

[pleaselaunchme]

Not trying to be a naysayer here, but...

How are you planning on dealing with the release of ozone in your home? Do you know what quantity this device will make? Ozone is pretty damned harmful to just about everything. I'm all for DIY, but this project seems a bit dangerous.

Ben

[0 Agios]

Not as harmful as you think is oxygen with one more atom, anyway the devise and release or all ozone will be outdoors. My setup has the pumps and sump outside.

[Bowman]

Originally posted by 0 Agios
Not as harmful as you think is oxygen with one more atom, anyway the devise and release or all ozone will be outdoors. My setup has the pumps and sump outside.

Glad to see you being enviormentaly friendly by releasing the excess ozone to the atmosphere outdoors and adding it to the already depleated ozone layer. Can you say global warming

[Giovanni]

I have two of these and they are just big coronal discharge Ozone generators. There are two plates that have to be replaced every so often that I get for $11 each. I use them in cars or what not that have oder that needs to go.

[jnarowe]

Hey Giovanni, how would you use that on a reef? Would you channel it into a diffuser? Would it clean the tank room air at the same time?