Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted February 19, 2006 Author Share Posted February 19, 2006 Being that my ORP is 326 mv without Ozone, I took some pics of my reef so we may compare a before and after shot. Here are the before pics: Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted February 19, 2006 Author Share Posted February 19, 2006 Well, Here is a step by step process on me connecting my Sanders 50 mg/hr onto my Deltec AP 600 skimmer: Remove collection cup for easy access to air intake valve Cut small piece of effluent tubing to join air intake valve with ozone safe tubing Connect ozone safe tubing to ozone safe T connector Place T connector onto modified air intake valve Make sure you firmly insert tubes to both ends Connect ozone safe tubing to the output of the Sanders unit Connect ozone safe air check valve to ozone safe T connector Make sure all connections are in place and set the dial on the ozonizer to 25% - 50% The sanders unit has a blinking green light in the center that reflects how much ozone is being administered via the rheostat knob Set the Coralife luft pump to desired setting; #2 for my system Quote Link to comment
Travis Posted February 19, 2006 Share Posted February 19, 2006 Being in the nano world, what exactly is Ozone and what does it do for your tank? Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted February 19, 2006 Author Share Posted February 19, 2006 (edited) Travis, I'll try giving you the simplest definition as it's much more complicated in theory but not practice. Regulary toom temperature oxygen O2 gets pulled by a ordinary air pump. This air travels into the intake of a ozonizer; once in here an electrical discharge converts the oxygen into ozone O3. This highly reactive gas is pushed out the exhust of the unit and sucked into a skimmer where it combines with water molecules to pull out organics and the destruction of pathogens. As the ozone is in the reactor the molecules that it bonds to and the death of the pathogens is swept up the air bubbles of the skimmer and trapped in the collection cube. What you get at the end of the skimmers output is clean oxygenated water with very low residual amounts of ozone left; you want this water to hit activated carbon before it enters the main tank. This will assure that any residual ozone is trapped by the carbon and what enters your main tank is super high concentrated clean reef water. Inside the aquarium is a probe that detects electrical charges and based on how oxidized your water is, will read a high ORP which stands for oxygen reduction potentional. If the water is not clean, via polluted, its not been oxidized and the ORP is low. The ORP unit can be a controller or just a meter; mine is a meter to shut off the ozone when the target mv target is reached. Most reefers will shoot for 370 to 400 mv with Ozone keeping you there. Some tanks can get to 320 mv without the aid of ozone. If anything travis pick up an ORP monitor, they are not expensive and you can watch your ORP in your nano; this is a valueable tool to have for the nano keepers. MG Edited February 19, 2006 by mikeguerrero Quote Link to comment
Some random Clown Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 (edited) Mike Awesome tank, when my reef grows up it wants to be just like yours...it told me...I talk to it regularly. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the change in the clarity of the water. I had a friend put ozone on his tank leave it for the weekend and freak out because he thought the water had leaked out...it was that clear. the one concern I have in a reef tank is that it may take so much organic material out of the water that it may not leave enough for the filter feeders. just something to look out for. looking at the instructions for the red sea aquazone that I have beside me (they come with air dryer in the package) they just mention that the air dryer increases the efficiency of the ozone generator by reducing humidity and dust via silica beads. my thought is that you can probably rock and roll now and add the dryer when it gets there. I think the air pump may be superflous as the venturi should have enough drag to use all of the ozone without overloading the skimmer with bubbles. You may find using the air pump could push more air/ozone into the skimmer than required and you could possibly get a whiff of ozone in the room. if you do find that , possibly try it without the pump...should work. jmo you have a PM. Cheers, Karl Edited February 20, 2006 by Some random Clown Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 My air dryer by Red Sea arrived today. I decided to go with the 500g version since I didn't want to change out the beads so often. The connection is easy and I was able to plug and play within minutes. The unit looks of high quality construction and well worth the money I paid for it. I hope to see the ORP go above my highest reading 387 mv. Here are some pictures of my air dryer and where I placed it in my cabinet: Mike G Quote Link to comment
asnatlas Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Very nice tank... Keep up the good work... Quote Link to comment
Travis Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 Man mike, you sure do have alot of gizmos and gadgets! Quote Link to comment
MJD Posted February 26, 2006 Share Posted February 26, 2006 Mike, You are a beast!!! I never thought a reef tank could look so good!!! Well done!! By the way what kind of RO/DI unit do you use? Quote Link to comment
deadmanh Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 pictures after ozone? Quote Link to comment
Saltwater Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Mike have you read the "The Need to Breathe in Reef Tanks: Is it a Given Right?" This is a 3 part article by Eric B. that you may find interesting, if you have not read it, I can post it for you......... Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted February 28, 2006 Author Share Posted February 28, 2006 (edited) MJD, Thanks for the compliment, I've worked hard to get it this clean... Deadmanh, I don't have the after pics with ozone being applied just yet. I will tell you this, the tank really cannot get any more clear than it already is, let me explain, I have a Deltec AP 600 mounted on my tank, which far exceeds my size tank. Thats gives me such a turn over in clean water that my skimmer has literally stopped pulling NOG. It's just too efficient even for my bioload on fish... The ozone has captured certain dead zones in my tank that appeared dirty yellow and made them crisp white. They are angled pictures that are hard to take. You will just have to trust me that it made my tank more clear overall. Remember that I went from a 326 mv ORP reading no ozone, to 393 mv ORP with ozone before my controller said NO MAS ozone and shut it off. You really see ozone take off with more yellow proned tanks, mine was never yellow. All said, I will get you that picture just wait, I'm waiting for the right moment so you can try to see the difference, Okay? Saltwater, Please shoot me the link on that article, I'd love to read it. MG Edited February 28, 2006 by mikeguerrero Quote Link to comment
Saltwater Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Here is the article: Happy Reading.......... Part 1 - http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-06/eb/index.php Part 2 - http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-07/eb/index.php Part 3 - http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-08/eb/index.php Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 Well, It's time to report in to my ozone fans; I'm proud to say that my ozone has gotten to 408 mv with ozone. My controller shuts it off about 390 and then it cruises to the 400+ range and stays there all night and into the morning. My tank is becomming more stable with each passing day and my critters and corals are happy. Just can't believe how clear the tank looks, you guys and gals need to get those ozone units up and running. In an attempt to farm more macros, I got rid of my large filter socks and placed in two streamline versions and added an additional 18 watts coralife 6700K. Nuff said... P.S Saltwater, thanks for the links... Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 Small update... About 12:43 am my ORP is at 412 mv. If I feed phyto or flakes it drops immediately about 10 to 20 mv. Here is the pic: Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 Ozone users, Watching my tank last night creep up to 412 mv, I stayed around for just a bit longer before going to bed. I saw it reach 424 mv then I called it a night. This morning I wake up wondering where my I might be at? I open the cabinet door and see my ORP at 425 mv. I was pleased to see it hadn't raised any higher than this, as I'm new to the ozone deal and don't know if I'm at a good target zone or not. I then proceeded to feed my fish flakes and pellets; my ORP dropped to 414 mv. Here are the pics: This one is just before I went to bed last night This one is at 8:30 am following morning This one is 5 minutes after feeding flakes and pellets Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 2, 2006 Author Share Posted March 2, 2006 Last night before going to bed I check the ORP and it was at 404 and climbing... So this morning I wake up to check out the ORP and it's at 425. I feed flakes and small pellets and my ORP drops to 409... This is two days straight that my tank hits 425 and holds it there all night and all morning. I don't know what happens during the light period since my lights fire up at 12 pm and I'm at work. This weekend will be the first time I'll be able to monitor my ORP with Ozone. I'm just confident that I did it right, I waited the time I was suppose to with the controller and then I added the Ozone very light. 15 mg, then 25 mg, then finally 50 mg. I've dialed back to 25 mg, since I've heard it doesn't take much to keep your ORP once it's that high. Regarding how clear my tank is, you'd be surprised, it literally looks like the old days when your mom or dad would help you clean your goldfish bowl. Remember how clear it would be the very second the water went in and you stared at it for hours. It's that clear, may I say crystal clear. Guys, once you get your ORP where you want it, your tank should do the rest, if buffered right, the ORP is going to hold around that area. I have a high quality skimmer by Deltec and my ORP being so high, the skimmer is not pulling nothing. There is nothing to clean... I have noticed that during the feeding period it takes about 30 minutes to an hour and the skimmer fires back up pulling just what I have added then it stops skimming. The skimmate is more black than before, I'll have to take a picture of that. I'm really impressed how efficient ozone and a good skimmer can work to keep your tank healthy. MG Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 5, 2006 Author Share Posted March 5, 2006 (edited) My ozone safe check valves came in this week and I changed out my old non ozone safe valves and T fitting which is also non ozone safe. I took several pictures of my process and I also replaced my C02 check valve from Tetra that is not C02 approved. You can see all the residual crude that built up on the valve, had I not replaced it soon it would be sealed as I could hardly force air through it. MG These check valves are really big... Check out the proof on ozone/C02 safety The most talked about ozone safe T fitting Look out the difference in ozone safe vs non ozone safe Connection to Deltec skimmer Make sure you use ozone safe norprene tubing Replaced with safe C02 check valve Look closely at the mineral deposit on this non approved C02 valve You can clearly see the deposit here Edited March 5, 2006 by mikeguerrero Quote Link to comment
QuaveCube Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Mike, I am purchasing a used Oceanic 72 gal bf from my old roomate this weekend. He does not have a canopy for it and I saw at the beginning of the thread that you bought the Oceanic canopy for yours. I am thinking of putting in a hellolights mh/pc retrofit in the Oceanic canopy. My question is... how does the canopy open? Do you have to lift the whole unit off, or does it have a hinged access? If you have to lift the whole unit off, it will be a pain due to the lights being mounted inside it. Can you post a pic of how you open the top to feed, etc.? Thanks, Chris Quote Link to comment
DDS4 Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Awesome tank Mike! Doesn't seem so long ago when I bought the Nanocube from you and now you've gone buck wild on the 75! Nanocube is doing well and going strong. You've inspired me to set up another (bigger) tank in my office... -Brian Quote Link to comment
Cesar Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Mike, You my friend have one of the best if not the best tank setup I have ever seen here in Nano Reef. I have seen some nice ones but your tank and setup takes my breath away. AMAZING, simply AMAZING. All that Ozone stuff is way too confusing for me but it seems that it is working wonders for you. You have amazing skills. You're my hero, lol. Quote Link to comment
Izzue Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 I second that motion Cesar Izzue picks his jaw off the floor as this tank continues to advance and grow very nicely... With some maturity I think this tank my even be a candidate for tank of the month on RC... Keep up the great work Mike Izzue Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 9, 2006 Author Share Posted March 9, 2006 (edited) Hi Chris, Regarding the canopy for the bowfront. It's a simple plastic canopy that has two removeable lids one on each side. I remove my plastic lids in the morning because my light breathe from above and not from the sides. When they shut off at night, I place the plastic lids back on, they are super light and not much of a fuss. I do place them over the canopy because the moonlights reflect on to the ceiling and my house is illuminated too much. Plus they also control dust, that settles in the night; too much dust can wreak havoc on my fans from my lights. Take a close look at the fixture I got for light, it will fit in the canopy and if I have to do a water change, I pull the canopy off with one hand, it's that light. If you intend to place a retrofit set of lights from Hellolights you need to reinforce the frame of the canopy with hard wood from home depot or lowes; one reefer did it and he got two 250 MH in there. If I can find the the email, do you want me to link it to you? MG DDS4, It does seem just like yesterday my nano left my home and I developed a much bigger reef, can you believe I want a bigger one, 72 gallons is too small for me.... My wife said not until we sell the Condo and get a home, then I can get my dream tank I'm in love with the 175 gallon bowfront with twin overflows or the 210 gallon. I'm also happy that I inspired you to go bigger, it's fun to start the nanos, learn and then go bigger. I will never forget my nanos and I intend on getting a nano back in my house soon, just love the small look of a reef. Cesar, What can I say other than thanks, there are a lot of beautiful reefs on this site and to be one among the best is some thing to smile about. Adding ozone to my tank has been a challange and a learning experience, I'm just glad that I can share with other users my successes on a hard topic. Izzue, I really hope I can make it to runner up on RC, give me time, I will be in the running next year as my tank fully becomes mature and is ready for RC olympics; I'm in training and you are cheering for me, thanks.... Mike Guerrero Edited March 9, 2006 by mikeguerrero Quote Link to comment
QuaveCube Posted March 9, 2006 Share Posted March 9, 2006 Yes, please link the email to me. Any info I can get on this would help a lot. I want two 175 mh and 2 96 pc's. It seems like the most inexpensive way to achieve that kind of light is to go with the retrofit. Are there any complete fixtures that would be easier and aren't more than 500 or so? Quote Link to comment
Micro-Reefs Aquariums Posted March 10, 2006 Author Share Posted March 10, 2006 QuaveCube, These three pictures are from a member on this site named Corville. He shared with me his DIY skills and it shows in his work how talented he is. He was able to retrofit some German MH fixtures on a 90 gallon bowfront, which is the same dimensions as the 72 gallon BF only taller. Check out the pics: Quote Link to comment
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