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Today on BRStv we have out sixteenth episode of the Neptune Apex series, Control type ORP
control.
Hi I'm Ryan host of BRStv where each week we cover a new topic related to reefing. Today
we are going to cover control type ORP control found within the apex fusion outlet configuration
area. Even though it has some of the same benefits as pH, ORP isn't as commonly measured,
probably because it just isn't as well understood by the average ***.
More or less ORP is a measurement of the volume of oxidizers in the water in relation to the
volume of organic molecules. Oxidizers being things as simple as oxygen but also o3 or
ozone and oxygen radicals. Organics being things like food, fish turds and dead organisms.
Put in its simplest terms oxidizers will help break down foods, turds and dead organisms
faster and an ORP probe helps measure how likely this is to happen.
Reef tank owners measure and control ORP for two main reasons; the most common is to control
their ozone generator. Many reefers inject ozone into the aquarium via a skimmer or reactor
to increase the volume of oxidizers, raise the ORP, and reduce organics and hopefully
the water quality level. The ORP control function will prevent the generator from adding too
much ozone and raising the ORP dangerously high.
For that, select the Control Type 'ORP Control.' We set the fallback to off because we want
the generator to be off if the energy bar were ever to loose connection with the Apex.
Probe name will be 'ORP.'
Everyone has a different idea of the right ORP for a reef tank but I think the important
thing is you shoot for above 300 absolutely keep it under 450. In this case I am going
to set my high at 380, my low at 350 and the "on when" to low.
This will turn the ozone generator on if the ORP ever falls below 350 and the generator
will stay on until it hits 375 at which point it will stay off until it drops below 350
again. Rather than use the ozone generator on high and cycle through this continually
it is best for the tank and equipment if you attempt to tune the generator by turning it
down so the ORP just naturally stays in this range.
The second and more over looked reason to measure ORP is similar to how many people
use pH monitoring; to help provide a heartbeat for the tank and identify issues before it
is too late. One of the things that can cause the ORP to drop drastically is an increase
in dead or decaying mater in the tank. Setting up an alarm based off high or low ORP values
is really wise and could help you rescue the tank if something large died in the tank or
a piece of equipment failed.
I would set that up in both the email and sound alarm virtual outlets with a statement
of something like "if ORP greater less than 450 then on or "if ORP less than 200 then
ON."
If you have any questions or suggestions for you fellow reefers on how you use ORP checkout
the comments area below. If this is your first time with us, hit that subscribe button because
we do this every week. See ya next week with another episode of BRStv.