Ozone by-products question (Boomer help!)

[Kinerson]

Hi,

I have a small undersized ozone generator on my reef system of 300 gallons (60mg/hr max). I do not run an air dryer. The ozone goes into my skimmer and the outflow pour into carbon. The orp reading peaks at about 350.

After about 2 weeks of running ozone my Lps corals start to die. The flesh begins pulling off the skeleton. My Tri color acrapora starts to bleach out. My mushrooms start to shrivel up. Feather dusters pop there tops and begin dying. Fish start showing signs of ill health (black blotches, ick)

My red sea O3 resisdual test kit reads "safe". This can't be caused by a suddun light increase because It effects feather dusters in the shawdows as well as fish. Carbon is fresh and plentyful (about 8 oz).

After 1 week of stopping ozone, things begin to improve in health. Acro stops bleaching, lps stop reseeding, etc.

1 month of no ozone things stabalized so I started it back up again and expeirenced problems all over again which confirmed it was ozone related.
The feather dusters actually died and most of my fish are now sick. My best guest at this point is by-products from the ozone.



But why would I experience such intense by-product side effects compared to most people?

My carbon on the oputflow of the skimmer is fresh and plentyful. Should I spend the $50-60 on the test kit you mentioned on you ozone article?

Do some generators produce more byproduct then others? As they get older does the build up on the caronna discharge unit cause greater by-product production?

Will a generator produce more by-products without an airdryer then with one?

Do the U.V. generators produce less by-products?

Any there more effective ways of removing these by-products other then carbon and h2o changes?

Sorry for the long winded thread. Any thoughts, ideas, or answers would be greatly appretiated. (FYI, the original thread is on Anthony's Forum)

Thank you for your consideration,
Greg

 

[Boomer]

But why would I experience such intense by-product side effects compared to most people?

*I do not know unless something else is going on see below*

My carbon on the oputflow of the skimmer is fresh and plentyful. Should I spend the $50-60 on the test kit you mentioned on you ozone article?

*I do not think it is a test kit issue*

Do some generators produce more byproduct then others? As they get older does the build up on the caronna discharge unit cause greater by-product production?

*It is more or less a fucntion of output. The higher dial setting the more by-products. The there is air flow.*

Will a generator produce more by-products without an airdryer then with one?

* No, with no dryer the ozone will react with ambient air and moister and reduce its output. There will/may be the generation of nitric acid inside the reactor without a dryer, this can eat at metal fittings put them in solution and into the tank. If the Nitric Acid made it to the tank it just more or less falls apart/converts into Nitrate. We do not think this is an issue in most cases. However, if one is using brass fittings, post ozone gen., it will leach out cooper, that may make it into the tank. But, you have GAC, which should remove that.*

Do the U.V. generators produce less by-products?

* More, as they are not subject to moisture*

Any there more effective ways of removing these by-products other then carbon and h2o changes?

* No, other than not using Ozone*

I wondering if you got a faulty ozone unit, dumping something into the tank. What kind is it ? What you have kinda makes no sense with post GAC.

I'll run this by Randy to see what he thinks.

 

[Kinerson]

Thanks Boomer for all the answers to my questions!!! Even though I still don't know whats going on, it's nice having those questions answered

Here is a link to the generator I was using...

http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/iid/7945/cid/1966

As you can see, it only produces up to 30mg/hr

In a 300+gal system using GAC it seems like most possible problems are not even possible. However your statement about a faulty ozone unit is kinda what I have been wondering. It definately produces ozone because I can smell it and see the water clarity benefits within 1 week of use. But this generator was given to me to try out from a aquaculture center at a university. I'm not sure how much use and abuse it got but when it was given to me it came out of an extremely humid room.

Also I'm wondering if my salt might be the cause. It's called Marine enterprises crystal sea mix. Here's a link...

http://www.aquariumsupplystore.com/Productspages/marine_enterprises_int.htm

And this seemed like if the right person read it they perhaps could tell wether or not this salt is the cause...

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2005/11/aafeature1

It seems like the salt has alot of extra stuff in it but wether or not it reacts harmfully with ozone or not I'm not sure.

Greg

 

[Boomer]

Greg

There is nothing wrong with the salt, it is fine. The O3 unit I'm not familar with but I am with Aquatic EcoSystems a very good company. I do not have an answer other than trying another O3 unit. What kind of tubing are you using ? Explain from the start > air and water comes from.....?........?.......?.....water goes into tank and skimmer vent air goes where > all equipment used how it is hooked up, every piece from beginning to end for air and water that comes in contact with O3

 

[Kinerson]

Ok Boomer I'll try.

I have a small air pump feeding the o3 unit. The unit then feeds the Americle skimmer with ozone resistant tubing. The outflow from the skimmer dumps into a 12" tall 4" wide pvc tube with about 8oz of carbon.

This all takes place in my basement where there is 2 dehumidifiers running keeping the humididty level at around 40%. The basement is not ventelated other then by natural means (entering/exiting the room, and natural air flow).

In addition to this setup in my 25 gal sump (capapble of holding 50gal) there is also another skimmer running (ASM) as well as a couple heaters.

I have 2 mag 18 return pumps that pumps the water up to the 150gal display on the main floor. The display is built in a wall such that it can be viewed from 2 different rooms. In this wall on the floor I have cut holes to allow air flow from the basement to travel up to the display, blown through the Hamilton light fixture, and pushed baked down in the basement again. This way I have cool basement air flowing threw my light fixture and then traveling into the basement as warmer air. I have just changed this air flow to be blown outdoors because the warmer season is here. This will change the air in the basement significantly (this was not the case earlier during my ozone attempts)

The only supplements used are limewater (RODI) tied into a dosing pump that is adjusted to meet evaporation, and occasionally Sea Chem Reef Plus (although reef plus was not used in later attempt of ozone).

This main display drains into the 175 gal growout/refugium tank in the basement and from there drains into the sump to start all over again.

All parts and pieces are typical reef aquarium stuff. The only thing kinda different is that my 175gal growout tank is made from plexiglass instead of regular glass.

I have borrowed a red sea aquazone 200 generator because I to thought that perhaps the problem was with the other generator but I have not yet tried it. My tank is still shaken up a bit from the last use of ozone. I have 3 fish with ick and some rhodactis mushrooms that bleached some. I thought I'd let things stabilize before trying the new ozone generator.

Greg