DIY Ozone System

[CHOMPERS]

The air line starts at the air pump and is regulated with the green valve in the first picture (excess air feeds two sponge filters). It then goes through the ozone chamber and then to another valve in the second picture. This second one needs to be a needle valve because this is what fine tunes the system. The air line then goes to the intake side of the pump.

 

[nfored]

Thanks, That clears up so much. I will start one of these soon. I have a big two part project, coming up, drip system, hooked to 5 tanks; and a waste water recycling into toliet water.

 

[coolkeith]

I wonder if the oxidation from the ozone will eventually starve off most of the nitrifying bacteria in the tank?

I understand how the ozone it will oxidize the nitrates, but it might quit doing that if the nitrification bacteria isn't allowed to produce the nitrate. Reason being is that Ozone will oxidize the ammonia to something else before the nitrifying bacteria will be allowed to convert the ammonia to nitrites/nitrates.

I'm very interested in chemical reactions and what's happening here.

I think you should have water analyzed by someone who has some professional equipment. That way you'll know exactly how the oxidation is effecting everything in the water (such as NH4, SO4, , K, P, Mg, Ca, kH, gH, TDS, pH, ect)

 

[CHOMPERS]

That brings up an interesting concept that I hadn't thought of...an aquarium without the need for bio-filtration.

I haven't found any information as to what reactions are taking place. The only info I had prior to making this is some conversation from some Old Salt Reefers and a little from reefcentral.

The design is based off of a discussion that occurred about 20 years ago about a reef system with ozone. I hadn't seen the system but the discussion was that there was an ozone source and a carbon bed to convert the ozone back to O2 before the water re-entered the reef tank.

My recent discussions on reefcentral were limited to info that the ozone doesn't remain as ozone for very long in the water. Instead, it converts to other ORP compounds that are also removed by the carbon bed. Beyond those discussions, I have no evidence that this really occurs but it does make sense. I believe that the carbon bed is not removing these compounds effectively due to the behaviors of my fish and inverts. After the organic compounds are consumed and ORP compound levels are allowed to build, there is a behavior change. I have lost some welks and recently a hermit crab during these periods (I unplug the generator after 12-24 hours).

The only two ORP compounds that I can think of that would be produced from artificial sea water are Hypobromous Acid and Hypochlorous Acid. Hypobromous Acid seems to be the most plausible. I don't have an ORP meter anymore but I did run some tests with an OTO chlorine test kit. I have to say that the tests were inconclusive at this point. I have a DPD test kit that I'll use the next time I turn on the system (about a week).

 

[Oreo]

huh. Nice thread Chompers. I too would like more detailed info about what's going on here.

 

[duanes]

Chompers
that is about the coolest idea and setup I've seen.
I work in a water treatment plant that uses ozone, and had always thought it'd be great for the fish keeping, but didn't want to fork over the big bucks for an overkill system, that might also be dangerous if something went wacky.
We have emergency shut offs and constant moniterting here at the plant just in case.
With a low organic load we find ozones half life to be at most 15 minutes, but we pump @ 100milion gal per day of cold water. The organic load in an aquarium would naturally be higher and warm water shortens ozones half life. We also use calcium thiosulfate to quench the ozone before it comes into contact with our filters and chloramine as a precaution.
Our studies show ozone after contant with organics, produce aldehydes as a by-product, so we use carbon filter beds that are biologically active to remove them.
Because nitrifyers are sessil they will not come into contact with the ozone, and I doubt that it will remove enough to starve them, as there will always be feces, rotting organics and amonia being produced in the tank substrate, just "may" be no need to vacum.
Your setup is very well thought out and complete.
Thanks..... my wheels are turning.

 

[Nic]

are these being used on fresh tanks or salt tanks???? Great DIY though chompers...

 

[CHOMPERS]

With a low organic load we find ozones half life to be at most 15 minutes, but we pump @ 100milion gal per day of cold water. The organic load in an aquarium would naturally be higher and warm water shortens ozones half life. We also use calcium thiosulfate to quench the ozone before it comes into contact with our filters and chloramine as a precaution.

That's good to know. It is extremely difficult to get good information about ozone. See if you can get a copy of a temperature dependent half life chart, or an equation from work (if one exists).

Our studies show ozone after contant with organics, produce aldehydes as a by-product, so we use carbon filter beds that are biologically active to remove them.

I had to get a refresher on aldehydes and came up with this list (not very pretty):
Methanal (Formaldehyde)
Ethanal (Acetaldehyde)
Propanal (Propionaldehyde)
Butanal (butyraldehyde)
Glucose
Benzaldehyde
Cinnamaldehyde
tolualdehyde
Dialdehydes
Ketones
Carboxylic acids
Amides
HCHO formaldehyde
CH3CHO acetaldehyde
C6H5CHO benzaldehyde

Because nitrifyers are sessil they will not come into contact with the ozone, and I doubt that it will remove enough to starve them...

Can you be more specific with the word 'sessil'? I tried to look it up with several misspellings and just got pages of foreign websites




.

 

[duanes]

Organic Chemicals
Acenaphthene

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Acenaphthylene

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Acetaldehyde

NR​

0.0082​

<0.0054​

<0.0054​

Acetochlor (UCMR)

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Acetone

NR​

<0.0050​

<0.0050​

<0.0050​

Acrylonitrile

NR​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

Adipate, di(2-ethylhexyl)

0.400​

<0.0006​

<0.0006​

<0.0006​

Alachlor

0.002​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Aldehydes, Total

NR​

0.0407​

0.0064​

0.011​

Aldicarb (Temik)

0.003​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Aldicarb sulfone

0.002​

<0.0007​

<0.0007​

<0.0007​

Aldicarb sulfoxide

0.004​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Aldrin

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Allyl chloride

NR​

<0.0050​

<0.0050​

<0.0050​

tert-Amyl Methyl ether

NR​

<0.0030​

<0.0030​

<0.0030​

Ametryn

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Anilizine

NR​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

Anthracene

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Aspon

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Atraton

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Atrazine

0.003​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Azinphos-ethyl

NR​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Azinphos-methyl

NR​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Bendiocarb

NR​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Benfluralin

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Benzaldehyde

NR​

<0.0054​

<0.0054​

<0.0054​

Benzene

0.005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

alpha-Benzene hexachloride

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

beta-Benzene hexachloride

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

delta-Benzene hexachloride

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

gamma-Benzene hexachloride (Lindane)

0.0002​

<0.00002​

<0.00002​

<0.00002​

Benzo(a)anthracene

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Benzo(b)fluoranthene

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Benzo(k)fluoranthene

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Benzo(g, h, I)perylene

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Benzo(a)pyrene

NR​

<0.00002​

<0.00002​

<0.00002​

Bolstar

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Bromacil

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

Bromobenzene

NR​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Bromochloroacetic Acid

NR​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

Bromochloroacetonitrile

NR​

0.0008​

<0.0005​

0.0006​

Bromochloromethane

NR​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Bromodichloroacetic Acid

NR​

0.0021​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

Bromodichloromethane

0.080​

0.0037​

<0.0005​

0.0015​

Bromoform

0.080​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Bromomethane

NR​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

Butachlor

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

2-Butanone (MEK)

NR​

<0.0050​

<0.0050​

<0.0050​

Butylate

NR​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

<0.0001​

tert-Butyl alcohol

NR​

<0.0020​

<0.0020​

<0.0020​

n-Butylacrylate

NR​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

<0.0010​

n-Butylbenzene

NR​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

<0.0005​

 

[wizzin]

Nice work chompers! Without the carbon bed, wouldn't the ozone simply break up back into o2 on it's own?