Which type of Ozone producer?
<Anthony Calfo in your service while Bob travels to Australia intent on speaking the language... which means, I think, that he will be shirtless with a hat on his head and a beer in his hands at all times <wink! to my friends in Oz>>
I appreciate your input on the protein skimmer, it was on my list of things to upgrade. 
<a must have piece of equipment>
Are you telling me that an ozonizer is not a worthwhile investment? 
<I personally find them to be a very fun toy after you've bought everything else. Really must have only in commercial applications if you have good husbandry at home (QT all new livestock)>
And I have read all the FAQ's and not one compares corona to UV. Can you give me any ideas, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks Don
<they are two entirely different beasts with Ozone being far more useful and dangerous. Neither are necessary for a traditional marine aquarium if you QT (again). UV simply irradiates the water and denatures algae and some pathogens (if the flow if slow enough, the water is clear and prefiltered, the bulb is changed every six months, the sleeve is cleaned quarterly or more often... very strict to apply UV successfully). Ozone, besides being more effectively germicidal, also increases O2 and ReDox in water, naturally clarifies (better than carbon), makes protein skimmers work far more effectively and has little maintenance issues to name a few. Misapplied though it can kill livestock and make you ill. Determine your needs before plunging into UV or Ozone. Kindly, Anthony Calfo>

Super Reef Devil + Coralife ozonizer
Hello,
<Cheers... Anthony Calfo in your service, telling everyone that Bob is in Australia when he really has taken a "judicial detour" after getting picked up for skinny dipping in a local university fountain. He says he was looking for wildlife... and judging by the reported sorority brand ("Property of...") on an undisclosed location of his person... I'd say he found it>
I own a Super Reef Devil (SRD) protein skimmer. It has taken me 3 frustrating weeks, but it is now running *very* well. (I had to elevate it in the sump (1.75 inches) and add 2 additional bio-balls (for a total of 10)). It took 3 long weeks, but the results have been well worth the wait.
<necessity... the mother of invention. Kudos to you>
**NOTE** Word to the wise. The instructions that come with this skimmer are GROSSLY inadequate. Set up is not the issue. Tuning is the issue. 
<as it is with most skimmers>
Prior to hitting the 'magic combo' (elevate 1.75 inches in sump plus add 2 bio balls) I thought I wasted my money. Now I think the SRD is wonderful (it pulls burnt coffee colored skimmate from the tank to the tune of one full collection cup per day. Bio-load is light to boot, as the tank is only 3.5 weeks old. I had one day last week when it pulled 3 full collection cups of skimmate from the tank (I was experiencing a severe outbreak of diatom algae at the time)). ** END NOTE**
<Excellent!!! Thank you for passing this along. ATTENTION: All Daily Q&A Readers... this is exactly how a skimmer should work. Yes... in a young, low stocked system you should still be able to pull out a cup of dark skimmate daily. So for tanks that are more established with fishes and haven't produced skimmate consistently... do not let yourself think that there is not much to skim. It will catch up eventually beginning with nuisance algae (thanks for the info and diversion Mark)>
After much reading (including your very informative website) I am debating purchasing a Coralife Model 50 electronic ozonizer (or maybe the Model 100).
I've never used an ozonizer before. Therefore, I have the following newbie questions:
1) In general, how is an ozonizer hooked up to a protein skimmer? 
<in-line with the venturi or other air supply>
2) Is it possible to hook up an ozonizer to the SRD? To any skimmer?
<yes...to any skimmer indeed. Even if that means adding a small airline>
3) Is there someplace (on your site or someplace else) where I can review some sort of set up and/or planning guide? 
<I haven't exhausted the archives but do a keyword search on this site only (tag the bullet on the Google engine) for ozone... we have answered some recent replies that may be helpful>
If it is possible, and not back-breakingly difficult, I would like to run ozone to improve the already pretty darn good skimming performance of my SRD (okay, so I'm greedy).
<agreed... it will improve skimming through saponification, raise Redox and O2 levels, is antiseptic and improves water clarity noticeably which will help with light penetration for corals>
If it helps, my SRD in is my sump (a 20 gallon long tank (30" x 12" x 12", I believe) located directly under my main
75 gallon tank. Between the sump and the Eheim Pro II 2028, there is not a lot of room left under the tank -- some, but not much.
<the electronic ozonizer is very small and does not require an air dryer like corona discharge units>
If you need any additional info, please let me know. I want to make sure that I can actually use this model ozonizer (or another) *before* I spend my money. I know my wife would appreciate it :-()
<make sure you pass all effluent water over carbon and also coordinate the application of ozone with a Redox meter or controller (better yet)>
Thanks in advance. Sincerely, Mark Schwartz
<very welcome, my friend. Anthony Calfo>

Super Reef Devil + Coralife Ozonizer II
Anthony,
I contacted A.E. Technology (manufacturer of the SRD). They told me that using ozone on that skimmer was not an option (they actually used the word 'dangerous', but did not elaborate, and I did not press the issue).
<wow! There are only two explanation for this: 1) they are mistaken and do not truly understand and appreciate the merits of ozonation and 2) they have used a really cheap grade of "plastic/acrylic" that is destabilized by ozone. Good quality skimmer plastics and PVC can handle ozone with no problem. Two of the biggest European skimmer manufacturers (Tunze and Sanders) give specific instructions on how to apply ozone through their skimmers. Ozone misapplied is indeed dangerous just like iodine supplements and a lack of water changes... but I would not have insulted your intelligence by saying that they were "dangerous" without at least elaborating>
They also felt that I would not see much, if any, improvement in performance (a little surprising to me, but they know more about skimmers than I do).
<no my friend...trust your instincts. They give you an admonition and don't explain it...hmmmmm? As I stated before... ozone and UV are really only necessary for commercial applications (new fish/coral in and out frequently). Few home aquariums truly need them (especially if you are QTing properly) although some do benefit by it in special circumstances (high bioloads, coral fragging/farming, overfeeding fish/coral for growth, etc.>
Thank you for your assistance. I do appreciate it. Sincerely, Mark Schwartz
<best regards Mark. Anthony>

Ozone or UV
In a large main display (fish only with LR) like 360-400 gallons. What would be a better choice to add first for parasite/pathogen control. An ozonizer (500mg/l) with ORP controller, or a large UV (120 watts). We plan on following religious quarantining, but it is possible for crypto or others to occasionally get through dips/quarantine/etc. Don't want to envision trying to track/capture a tang in such a large tank. I know the UV will have to be de-sized from manufacturer claims, but am inquiring into effectiveness of each method. Thanks, Jim
<The best defense against disease is first off a strict quarantine protocol. And then next, maintaining an optimum environment (water quality, foods/feeding, decorations/hiding spots, temperature, compatible tankmates, etc.). Now to your question, I would get the ozonizer/controller and skip the UV. Much more effective at killing parasites and helps to maintain top notch water quality when properly installed and monitored. -Steven Pro>

Don't Get Down From The Brown! (Algae)...
Hi crew, 2 unrelated questions if you would be so kind: 1: Is there any evidence suggesting that use of ozone could contribute to fin degeneration  and/or HLLE?
<I have not heard of any connection between ozone and HLLE.. More of an environmental "disease". As far as fin degeneration- it's possible that over-dosing ozone can damage tissues on the fish, and lead to other potential health problems. If used correctly, however, ozone is a very useful tool for enhancing water quality><<Indirectly does/would help... with improvement in water quality... RMF>>
2. I am in the process of breaking in a 20low which I intend to use primarily as a live rock/gorgonian invertebrate system, with a couple of hard corals; inhabitants will be limited to those collected in two to four feet of water in the Florida Keys. For this purpose, I am lighting with 130watts of power compact, 50/50 10,000k/actinic. The system is less than a week old, and I have moved several gorgonians and some Halimeda and Caulerpa from the tank it is replacing into it. The old system had a little brown algae here and there, but within a few days of being under the PC's it has really taken off, mantling the gorgonians, Halimeda and now the substrate; the usual algae eaters are present and doing their job, but not keeping up.
<Algal blooms are common in new systems with abundant nutrients. And, when you add into the equation a lot of light-wham! A recipe for nuisance algae! The key here is balance...You need to activate nutrient export processes, such as protein skimming, water changes, use of chemical filtration media, and good overall husbandry techniques>    
To date, I have fed very little, and plan to keep ahead of things with water changes until cycling is complete, but this algae is a problem; this is my first experience with PC's, and I assumed the high light levels would ultimately disfavor the browns. Any  suggestions would be appreciated.
<As above, fostering nutrient export processes will really help, as will a dose of patience! In time, and with good water conditions, these nuisance algae will give way to corallines...hang in there!>
Along the same lines, assuming use of turbo/Astrea snails, emerald crabs, and blue legged hermits, I would be grateful for an unbiased estimate of how many of each this system should utilize. Thanks for your help, Steve.
<Well, it's really hard to say...I'd go for about 6-8 of each...These guys are good with hair algae, but may have minimal impact on the brown "slime" algae...Just keep maintaining good water conditions, and hang in there...These nasty algae will eventually go away! Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

Ozone generators
Dear Bob & crew,
Trying to get a straight answer. Does ozone injected into a skimmer specifically help remove phosphates and nitrates? I see in your FAQ responses that ozone helps remove dissolved organic compounds, but I¹d like to know about these two (end results¹ of the bio process specifically.
<Does help to reduce these compounds>
Also, I purchased a Euro Reef skimmer on your recommendation. Works great as advertised. Any recommendation on what Ozone generator or use on a Euro Reef CS12-2 and on a 400 gallon tank with heavy bio load?
<Am still a big fan of the Sander's line>
Except in certain circumstances, I know you guys shy away from product endorsements, but if you¹ve had any experience with a specific model of Ozone Generator on Euro Reef skimmers, I¹d appreciate learning from your knowledge. I really can¹t afford to buy two Ozone generators (the one I always buy first) then the best one for my situation (which I inevitably buy 3 months later when the first is yielding mediocre results).
As always, best regards and thanks for your help.
<Bob Fenner>

Lost in The N-Ozone Layer..
>Hi, I am completely lost on this.
>>A map is needed.
>What is ozone?
>>O3, an unstable molecule of three atoms of oxygen.  It "wants" to get rid of one of those atoms, making it an excellent oxidizer, and killer of fauna micro.
>How do you use it?
>>Personally, I like the smell, so I sniff it.  I hear you're not supposed to, though.  J/K  One uses an ozone generator, and small amounts are fed into the water, often the water column of a foam fractionator.  
>Is it expensive?
>>It can be, I've never had call to use it, and haven't priced any units in years.  A quick Googlization should net many results.
>I have read somewhere on wetwebmedia that it can be effective to control diseases like ich and other things. Thanks, Adam
>>It can be, yes.  It's also used (more often I believe) to keep the oxygen saturation up, and maintain proper Redox.  These are all things that are not, in my opinion, really necessary if you've properly set up a stable system, though.  If you're having trouble with disease, it's wiser to assess your husbandry.  Marina

Ozone questions 12/30/03
hey guys-
<Hi Justin!>
     i have a few questions about ozone. pretty much all i know about it is that you have deemed it beneficial.
<Ozone does indeed have many benefits when applied appropriately.  IMO, Ozone has a place in treating specific problems, but is probably unnecessary for full time use in a properly maintained reef tank.>
after sorting through your articles and faq's, i am still a bit confused. more specifically, how would i hook this up to my p.s. (AquaC ev-180 w/out ozone modifications offered by aqua-c) or is it even possible?
<Jason at Aqua-C is outstanding with customer assistance.  He will be able to guide you well with this question.  You could also Jury rig a way to "T" the ozone into the air intake of the skimmer (being careful not to limit the air intake)>.
i noticed this unit as an all inclusive kit by red sea including 100/mg/hr ozonizer/controller, probe w/ air-dryer 250, and was wondering if this is really all the equipment i need (i.e. no other controllers or monitors),
<It depends on the controller.  IMO, an ORP meter or controller is mandatory for use with ozone to prevent dangerous overdose.  Some ozonizers require an air pump to push air through the unit.>
sufficient for my 80 gallon reef and an all around decent set of equipment?
<This is probably more than enough capacity for your tank.  I don't know about the quality of this unit, but Red Sea almost certainly buys these units from some one else and re-packages them.>
and about ozone, what specifically are the benefits, dangers, optimum levels, and how they are obtained?
<Ozone oxidizes wastes in the water (as well as parasites).  Overdosing can be dangerous (literally burning animals), and ozonated water must be passed through carbon to remove any remaining free ozone.  Breathing ozone can be dangerous to your health, and allowing ozone to escape into your home must be prevented.  Optimum levels depend on the application.  If you are treating parasitic infections, very high levels may be desirable.  If you are just trying to help keep your reef tank water nice and clear, much less will be required.
If you monitor Redox (ORP) to guide your ozone application (most common and appropriate way), a "normal value is 300-350mV.  A typical ozonated reef tank should not be allowed to go much above 375mV.  If you are treating parasitic infections in quarantine, a value of up to 400 may be appropriate.>
thanks for all the help you've provided me and other aquarists around the world, keep up the good work and am anxiously waiting for the next volume to be released, sincerely
Justin Barstow <glad you have benefited!  Adam>

ORP level for controlling Ick?  5/103
Wet Web Media Crew Hello, I have a reef tank 500 Liters, and I'm using Aquazone 100 mg With ORP Controller, What I would like to know - How high should the ORP level be if I would like to Kill \ Weaken the ICK? thanks in advance,    Asaf.
<there is no direct/correlative reading of ORP for controlling parasites. Disease control begins with proper quarantine of all new livestock in a separate vessel for 4 weeks prior to entry in the main display. That said... a good Redox value with ozone in the aquarium is around 400mv (350-425mv range). Stability is better than occasional spikes to unrealistic highs (some folks push ORP to 450mv or higher). Best regards, Anthony

OZONE QUESTIONS-and a little help from the past FAQ's
Hi Scott,
I have one more...
What exactly is ORP? <Oxidative Reduction Potential> I understand that skimmer increases ORP, which is good.
But why certain people employ ozonators to increase ORP? Isn't skimmer good enough?<Do read below>
Can ozone be dosed directly into tank, or does it need some kind of special chamber?
Is it better than UV light at fighting pathogens?<Inject ozone through a proper reactor or skimmer and pass all effluent water over activated carbon, and change the carbon regularly---UV is used germicidally to reduce the numbers of pathogens (but no guaranteed cure, mind you). It is simple and safe but requires very regular maintenance to be effective... needs prefiltered and clear water clarity from chemical filtration regularly), bulbs need to be changed every 6 months (they are dear in price) and the reaction chamber needs to be cleaned/flushed at least monthly. Ozone on the other hand has numerous benefits: germicidal, adjustable, imparts oxygen to water, improves clarity (clears discolorants to reveal icy blue water, improve Redox potential of the water (indirectly inhibiting algae) and more. However, it can be overdosed if not controlled. Must be used with a controller or at least watched with a Redox meter. Effluent water must be passed over carbon changed regularly. With extreme misuse can be a slight to moderate health hazard to people. If you are moving fish in and out frequently, or if your system has a heavy bio-load, I'd suggest an electronic (not corona discharge) ozonizer with a Redox controller and carbon chamber. If you are a casual aquarist with a central system that will not see frequent new entries (w/o quarantine)... then a UV may be safer and satisfactory.(Found this on the WWM...by Anthony Calfo :)>
Thank you,
Luke

Benefits of ozone
Thanks again for some valuable information,
<Welcome>
After reading Bob's advice on the use of ozone I decided to buy an ozonizer and I cannot believe the difference in my tank!!!!!
I had a suspected outbreak of Cryptocaryon and the ozone appears to have cleared this up and on top of this the water is now crystal clear with a significant reduction in nuisance algae.
<All related benefits>
Another benefit is that after adding the ozonizer I now have a newly acquired copepod population!!!
thanks once again for excellent advice
Frank from Glasgow
<Welcome. Bob Fenner>

Ozone on a Remora Pro
Good Morning Crew! <Good Afternoon, Andy>
      I just want to start out by saying Thanks for all the info you've given me; I've had a Marine tank for about 7 years now, and if I would have found this website things would have gone A LOT more smoothly in the beginning! I also want to take a second, and tell you even after all this time, I still learned a million things while reading The CMA, and I'm in the middle of Reef Inverts; great work, It's amazing how much information is in these books! <Thank you for your kind words.>
      On to the actual question, though... I'm going to be moving my aquarium to a different room in the home (Actually, starting a new one, and tearing the old one down slowly), and after much research here, and on other sites, I've decided to try using O3 on the Aquarium with an ORP/Controller unit, still unsure on the brand, but positive it'll make a nice addition to the tank. I have e-mailed Aqua-C directly a few months ago, and was told that they don't recommend running Ozone with the Remora Pro, but stumbling through your FAQ's, I see that the crew has given people some instructions on how to do it. I've got some questions on the logistics of it, if you can help.
      1. The skimmer has a Mag-3 pump, and I understand that most recommendations are to effectively "T" in an ozone line between the pump, and skimmer inlet. Are there commercially available T's, even with modification, that you know of? Or would it be better to feed the ozone at the pump Inlet? I can fab something up there...
      2. The addition of "air" to the pump will produce a drop in flow; is there a way to calculate the drop, and up-size the pump accordingly? The skimmer works VERY well, I don't want to slow that down.
      3. Can carbon be placed in the Pre-filter/skimmer box to filter the return water? And is it safe to have it dump into the main tank like this?
I can place this in my sump if necessary, it's just a tight fit.
      4. Is this thing even "Ozone Compatible", or would it just be easier to just buy a cheap, venturi skimmer not to skim, but to ozonate? If so, do you have any recommendations?
      5. Or is there a better way to do this, like putting a JG fitting in the body of the skimmer?
      Just some thoughts; I figured I'd ask this time, instead of doing things "My Way" and ending up with another box full of stupid equipment modifications and purchases (Anyone want a Sea-Clone 100, or a Nitrate Reductor? :)  ). Sorry for my verbose question; I've been rolling this one around in my head for a while now... :)
<Andy, before I answer your questions, please reconsider using ozone.  It isn't a bad thing to do, it's just that if a tank is properly maintained, ORP levels of 300+ can be maintained without the use of it.  I only say this because of the cost of an O3 generator and controller is kind of pricey and I can think of much better things to spend money on than an ozone system.  If that is what you want to do, I'll go through this with you.  James (Salty Dog)>
Thanks very much for your help- <You're welcome.> <<RMF disagrees>>
            -Andy Broczkowski

Protein Skimming, Ozone, and UV Use in Marine Filtration 7/5/05
Hello Bob,
I enjoyed your article on ozonizers on www.about.com.
<Actually on WWM... a link on about.com>
I have a quick question for you and don't want to take too much of your time but I would appreciate your opinion. I have a 240 gallon reef with a large population of SPS and LPS corals. With the introduction of ozone to have my protein skimmer at its peak efficiency would be great. But would the introduction of ozone into the contact chamber of the skimmer kill even the beneficial microbes along with zapping bacteria, microbes and unwanted organics?
<Oxidizes all indiscriminately. What most folks shoot for is "enough" O3 to reduce free-living bacteria (most ones you want are not suspended in water) and organics...>
You stated in the section where you discussed the cons of using a UV Sterilizer that one of the cons of using a UV sterilizer is that you also zap beneficial microbes as well as bad.
<Yes... to some extent>
In a reef aquarium my corals rely on a lot of the plankton and microbes for food. Would the ozone affect this and is there any recommendations you can suggest on the usage of ozone?
I look forward to your advice.
Thank you,
John Vu
<In practical application John, folks have little lingering ozone... providing a few hundred milligrams per hour, delivered to/through your skimmer directly or not, will not harm your livestock. Bob Fenner>

Another Ozonizer Question - 07/23/05
My name is Bob, and this is regarding a 12 year old reef.
<<Howdy Bob!>>
I have done a lot of water changes over this time, and think I am burning out.... Judging from my degrading water quality.
<<Um...ok(!?)>>
Bob Fenner has sang the praises of Ozone for quite some time <<Many, including myself, feel he knows what he's talking about.>>, but EVERY one of my LFS are against it for the usual reasons (wipe out potential, "over clean" water. etc.. etc..)  My 3 quick questions are:
<<"Over clean water?!"...excuse me while I have a chuckle...>>
1. I still plan on performing typical maint. practices, but is relying on ozone to "pick up some of the slack" improper thinking?
<<Yes...ozone is an adjunct to proper maintenance/husbandry...not a replacement.>>
2. I don't plan on jacking the ORP up to the max safe limit, but to just the level needed to maintain crystal clear water (and whatever the ORP is...it is.)
<<An ORP of/around 350 is a safe and useful level.>>
3. I don't read much about the long term maintenance of an Ozone system. I'm considering the Red Sea w/built in controller.
<<Have read/heard good things about these...better units to be had for sure (Ozotech)...but the Red Sea units reportedly provide good service for value.>>
What should I expect in terms of calibration, probe cleaning and replacement, replacement of the O/3 output device, etc.. etc..
<<Will depend on your system, amount of use, etc.... Follow the manufacturers recommendations.>>
Thanks for all your help, and I suggest readers follow the link to make a donation to this wonderful site!
<<Thank you for this.>>
Bob
<<Regards, Eric R.>>