To Ozone or Not to Ozone
Raj Shingadia53 minutes ago
I deal with all manners of aquarium filtration equipment at my side gig at MRC. Over the years, there have been many introductions to the market that I’ve disliked and refused to implement. But there’s one, that I actually like, but I discourage the use of more than any other: ozone. That may come as a surprise to you; it definitely does to my clients, but there’s a very good reason for my apprehension. I believe that in most cases, there are safer alternatives than ozone and whenever possible, always go with the safest solution.
Let’s get into what ozone even is and why we use it in aquaria. While the oxygen we breathe is two oxygen atoms (O2), ozone is simply three oxygen atoms (O3). The covalent bond for that third oxygen atom is very weak, though, so the half-life of ozone is short (roughly 30 minutes), meaning that the third atom will jump and join another single oxygen atom, leaving behind nothing but O2. Since the oxygen atom is negatively charged, it’ll always look for another oxygen atom to bind to. Fun fact: there’s no practical way of storing ozone gas!
The most common type of aquarium ozone generator is a corona discharge unit. It uses an electrical spark (corona discharge) to split the O2 molecule, creating two oxygen atoms. Think of it as lightning striking the molecule and splitting into two atoms. These single atoms don’t like being all by themselves, so they attach themselves to a nearby O2 molecule, creating O3. If you’ve ever seen a Tesla coil in action, you’ve seen the process of ozone being created via corona discharge. Have you ever noticed that smell during a lightning storm? That’s ozone again. Another fun fact: yes, this is the same ozone gas that’s present in the stratosphere!
Ozone is a very powerful oxidizer (it breaks down organic molecules), hence its use in aquariums. Most people will employ ozone to combat tannins in the water, turning yellow water into crystal clear water (similar to why activated carbon is used, but more powerful). Because of its ability to break down organic matter, it’s also used to boost protein skimmer performance. O3 breaks down these compounds in the water, allowing the protein skimmer to more effectively remove them during the fractionation process. An additional benefit to ozone is combating bacteria. It does this by oxidizing the cell wall, rupturing the bacteria leading to its death. Something to keep in mind: something that can be oxidized will be oxidized by ozone.
So if it’s a powerful tool that cures yellow water, increases skimmer performance, can kill bacteria, and the half-life is short, why do I discourage the use? As with many things in this industry, there’s a lot of misinformation about ozone and unfortunately, it can be deadly.
For more information and to read the whole article, please go to:
To Ozone or Not to Ozone | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog
A complete guide to using ozone in your saltwater aquarium: the dangers, safety protocols, equipment descriptions, and selection criteria.
reefbuilders.com