Use of Ozone Improves Biological Filtration

[el993]

An Ozonizer does:

- produces transparent and healthy water
- diminishes the load of nitrite and ammonia
- diminishes the load of disinfectants.
- decomposes yellow substances (Gilvin) and enhances degradation inside the biological filter.

Experience proves that ozone treatment and biological filtration support each other very much.

Facts:

It should be discussed whether ozone treatment and biological activities of bacteria co-operate. The suspicion that by ozone treatment not only the harmful but also the useful bacteria (nitrification bacteria for instance) could be killed is quite obvious. But strange enough this is unfounded. Either these bacteria are not in the free water but mostly at the bottom of the aquarium or on the algae or they grow faster than they die. Probably both versions are correct. It can definitely be said that nitrification bacteria will die faster without ozone than with ozone.

[el993]

Ozone has an intensive influence on the nitrogen circuit.

At pH-values of more than 7, for instance in salt water with a pH-value of approximately 8.2 the toxic ammonia is oxidized to nitrate (NO3). However in fresh water pH-values at around 7, the toxic ammonia is not oxidized, so that bacterial oxidation is required.

In any case the very toxic nitrite step will be oxidized by ozone to nitrate - this reaction being pH-value independent - so nitrite is oxidized to nitrate in fresh water as well as in salt water. This is most important, as nitrite even in small traces is a poisonous compound for fish and invertebrates.

[el993]

The general degree of pollution of water containing organic material can be measured - even if the individual chemical compounds are unknown - by the biological oxygen demand, the BOD value. The lower this value is, the better is the water quality.

Organic load (BOD) can also be reduced by ozone. Especially organic turbidity (Gilvin) that results in a yellow colour of the water can be reduced by ozone. Yellow substances put strain on fish! Ozone is able to make the water crystal clear.

[el993]

A very important characteristic of ozone is it's degermination action. Ozone can, even in very low concentrations, kill viruses, bacteria and other germs. It has to be pointed out, however, that within aquaria or other fish systems it can not be the aim of the ozone treatment to sterilize the water totally. This would result in a negative effect on fish and invertebrates.

Careful monitoring and adjustment of the ozone output ensures overwhelming cultures of germs are killed while avoiding total sterility. Operating this way, fish and invertebrates live in healthy and biologically active water.

[el993]

Regarding the oxidation of nitrite with ozone there should be considered that ozone helps purifying aquarium water.

If there should be a sudden peak in the nitrite concentration, not only the ozonizer should be switched to maximum, but also above all, the reason should be sought within the aquarium system. It might be an unnoticed perishing animal or uncontrolled decay is processing at the bottom of the aquarium. Often it is the filter which has not been cleaned for some time and which is possibly working without oxygen, i.e. under anaerobic conditions. Especially mechanical filters with high filtering velocity only work under aerobic conditions at first. The more solids they accumulate, the more oxygen is reduced within the filter. The aerobic biology is slowly repressed and the filter tips over to anaerobic conditions which usually results in extremely high nitrite peaks as the filter no longer reduces nitrite but on the contrary, might even produce nitrite itself. So a mechanical filter should be cleaned frequently or even better, a biological filter should be used.

[TROY]

Very informative! thanks bro for sharing

[momok]

very important info indeed.. thanks very much.. :big_smile:

[Regional]

Bro Eddie, good write up!

[KSL Aquarium]

Good information on Ozone:smilin: