Anyone using Dr. Sochting's Oxydator

[Lasse]

I reinstalled my unit and this time I am seeing a more typical ORP curve and you can see where the orp drops on install and there is a rise in O2 levels

Do you have a fuge with reversed light regime?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Jonty]

Yes a turbo aquatics L8 algae scrubber and an arid c30 cheato reactor

 

[Lasse]

That´s give an explanation for the high saturation level in general. Before you start the oxydator - I can see some up and down figures. are they connected to DT light on or of in someway?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Jonty]

It is more to do with general line noise across the system from DC pumps ext causing interference.

 

[Lasse]

Have you tested with a ground probe in the apartment you have the electrodes? I have a grounded titan heater in the same apartment as my probes. Got a rather good and stable reading.

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Jonty]

I do have titanium ground probes in place but have found Red Dragon pumps are terrible for RF interference and unfortunately I have three 230watt models on the system.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I´m not a chemist - far away from that but can´t this be explained by looking att the reaction as a disproportionation reaction there the reduction (forming of H2O) will be happen faster than the oxidation (forming of O2 or oxidation of some other substances with help o the free oxygen radicals). In my no chemical brain I see it like the following scenario. - The reduction process (forming of H2O) happens directly when the O atom leave the H2O2 molecule but in order to fulfil the oxidation process the free O atom has to find another O atom or another molecule. It will be a time lap between the two processes – therefor we see it as a lower ORP (due to H2O forming) followed of a rise in ORP (forming of O2 or other oxidized molecules)

I will not argue with you about it – its only a suggestion that can give an explanation to the observed measurements.

@DangerDave

I think that you got a to fast reaction in the plastic chamber and that to much H2O2 was pressed out in the water column in a speed that the secondary catalyst did not managed and therefore you get a situation rather alike dosing H2O2 directly into the water column. Not so many catalyst or lower concentration of H2O2 in the plastic chamber will probably be the best way to go.

Sincerely Lasse

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm still trying to understand the typical drop that is seen.

The disproportion reaction certainly can happen, and there are many different species that form from hydrogen peroxide (HO2-, OH., O2, - OOH, HO+, ertc.).

I just don't see any of those being likely to reduce ORP. A free O atom, ifit formed, is not an ORP reducing species. It is highly oxidizing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My thought is the way the oxygen ions in peroxides are charged, -1, instead of -2 for o2. So when the h2o2 is added to the water it's hitting the orp probe with a lower charge along the the normal o2 and O radicals in suspention. Thus pulling down the orp reading. As the h2o2 decays and releases the 2nd oxygen atom the charge rises, as seen by the probe, until the h2o2 is depleted. Then it will slowly equalize to norm for the tank.

Is this, even remotely, the correct way of looking at it?

Oxidizing species generally have a higher positive or smaller negative charge than their reduced counterpart. In other words, they become more negatively charged or less positively charged when they oxidize something.

The formal charge on O in O2 is zero. The formal charge on O in H2O2 is -1. Both are oxidizing species, relative to products like water or organic molecules, where the formal charge on O is nearly always -2.

 

[Lasse]

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1482708 maybe?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[DangerDave]

I've been using the W model in my 150G (estimated total volume) system now for a few weeks. I'm using 1 catalyst with 4% h202. The slime algae that builds up in my algae reactor has disappeared. The reactor ran great for the first couple months, it would fill up, I'd remove half to two thirds of the chaeto, then wait a week or two and do it again. For the past couple months, this slimy film algae would build up in my reactor and choke out the chaeto before it became 50% grown in. I'd have to clean it, rinse whatever chaeto was alive, and start it back up. This is big for me, I'm going to continue to run it just for this reason and see where it takes me.

One thing I did notice is how it dropped my ORP at times. When I fill it and replace, I have to do some creative maneuvering to get it back into the holder. It also bangs around a bit as I put the strap back on. When this happens my ORP drops to the low 200's very quickly. I'm assuming that i'm releasing some h202 directly when this happens. I also get a ORP drop whenever my return pump turns off and back on, which is mostly when I feed. It goes up much faster in this example, but not as fast as it goes down.

Dave

 

[Lasse]

One thing I did notice is how it dropped my PH at times. When I fill it and replace, I have to do some creative maneuvering to get it back into the holder. It also bangs around a bit as I put the strap back on. When this happens my PH drops to the low 200's very quickly. I'm assuming that i'm releasing some h202 directly when this happens. I also get a PH drop whenever my return pump turns off and back on, which is mostly when I feed. It goes up much faster in this example, but not as fast as it goes down.

Dave

You mean the ORP - not the pH - I suppose

Sincerely Lasse

 

[najer]

As mentioned before I would never run a tank without one.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm still trying to understand the typical drop that is seen.

The disproportion reaction certainly can happen, and there are many different species that form from hydrogen peroxide (HO2-, OH., O2, - OOH, HO+, ertc.).

I just don't see any of those being likely to reduce ORP. A free O atom, ifit formed, is not an ORP reducing species. It is highly oxidizing.

Not a chemist, how about if the initial drop is because it kick starts the bacteria so they wake up and use more O2 and then the levels even out again?

 

[DangerDave]

You mean the ORP - not the pH - I suppose

Sincerely Lasse

Yes, and thank you for the correction! I edited my post to make a little more sense.

 

[paphater]

Any updates from those using them? I'm thinking of picking up two As.

 

[hart24601]

I have them on my FW have used them on and off with reef tanks. I personally don't see any difference, so most of the time in my FW tanks they sit empty, but would fill them back up if had a powerloss. For reef tanks I didn't really notice any changes so I pulled it and not put it back. I like them, and think they very well might have some positive effects, but for me the changes if any are not clear.

 

[najer]

Go for it, what water volume tank?

 

[paphater]

Go for it, what water volume tank?

200 gallons.

 

[atoll]

200 gallons.

If you can accommodate it I would go for the W model with that volume of water.

 

[najer]

Start off slow , up to you, I run an A and a D in in 550 litre water volume, 2 catalysts and 6% solution in both! ;)

 

[paphater]

If you can accommodate it I would go for the W model with that volume of water.

Do you know the dimensions of it off the top of your head? I only had time for a quick search but I came up with 18 cm x 15 cm. Does that seem right?