Thread: Ozone use
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Old 10/24/2005, 01:43 PM
Anthony Calfo Anthony Calfo is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 5,141
jbphoenix - thank you for sharing your experience/opinions... we share the very same sentiments, I reckon.

I'm going to sticky this post as a tidy lead into ozone for fellow aquarists.

To summarize some points/perspectives:

- aquarists need only to look to other successful models of aquatic science and aquaculture for reassurance that ozone is very beneficial. You will rarely see a public aquarium or professional hatchery or the like that does not use ozone. They all do, and many aquarists would benefit greatly if they did too. I of course use it as well.

- its advantages are many: increased RedOx (measure of water quality) which in part inhibits many nuisance algae/organisms from growing, reduction of organics, increased oxygen saturation, dramitically improved water clarity (crystal clear water!) which optimizes trhe delivery of your expensively produced(!) reef lights to corals (huge advantage here), diseases control... the list goes on.

- it is easy to dose and easy to overdose with neglect... just like numerous other reef chemicals/additives such as Iodine and Calcium (hydroxide).

- application is simple: add ozone via an air pump to the air/venturi inlet of a ozone stable (plastic) skimmer, or simply into a junk skimmer that will be sacrificed as an ozone reactor. Catch all effluent air and water with a small satchel of carbon that is changed monthly at least. This will remove any residual ozone.

- always use a RedOx meter or controller to dose ozone

- always use an air drier... even with units that say they do not need one! The techs admit that even such units still benefit tremendously by having drier air (many X times ozone produced in dry air versus humid)

- ideal RedOx range with ozone use IMO are 350-425mv. I personally aim for about 400mv in most tanks
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