Aquatic Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I recently purchased a Poseidon 200 and starting yesterday I noticed a drastic drop in from my current up trend in ORP. How can I troubleshoot to get the performance up?

There are many factors that influence ORP including water changes, use of a filter roller/sock, feeding the tank anything, etc. 

Below are a few things to keep an eye out for:

  • Every tank is different BUT for a 180g system 4-6 will be your target to achieve a 330-360 ORP 
  • If using ORP as your baseline of success, we recommend 350-375 as the sweet spot. 
  • Ozone is heavy. It’s likely escaping out of our water intake pipe from your skimmer as well as out the top when mixed with air. A lot of folks will add a bag of carbon on top AND on the base where the water exists the skimmer to capture the ozone. 
  • Alternatively, know skimmers are not the best reactors of ozone and a true ozone reactor does work better in our experience AND keep the skimmer working at its best – ozone has been known to change the skimmate from dry to wet. 
  • There are some handheld testers on the market if you want to know more about what’s in your air

Q. My Poseidon 200 powers up but doesn’t appear to be making any ozone. How can I check?

Below are a few questions and paths of exploration: 

 Path 1. 

  • Do you have your Poseidon 200 connected to a skimmer or reactor? 
  • If skimmer, was the skimmer on and dial past 3 when you didn’t smell any ozone? 
  • If reactor, how was it pulling the ozone air through your system? 

NOTE: If the Poseidon does not have anything to pull/push air you won’t smell anything 

Path 2. 

  • If you flushed the CD cell – what color was the water when you flushed it?
  • Did you smell anything while flushing the cell or from inside the body? 

Path 3. 

  • Have you opened the unit to ensure while it was being cleaned/taken off your controller board etc., that the cell did not pop off the clips? If it did, it won’t function.
  • While open look at the wiring on the connections of the circuit board. Do all the wires appear to be connected?

Path 4.

  • Ensure the fuse has not blown

Q. I currently have a Poseidon 200 and using an air dryer. The media is burnt out in days. What do I do?

If you’re burning through media that fast your room humidity may be too high or temp to low to dry out the media and an IQ-20 or IQ-40 air dryer is worth exploring.

Q.  How do I know when to regenerate the desiccant media in my air dryer?

The desiccant media within the DI Dryer 2.0 is shipped with blue or dry media.  Occasionally, the media absorbs moisture in the air during shipping and may arrive purple.  Simply follow the desiccant media regeneration procedure upon arrival before installing your DI Dryer 2.0.  See the color chart below to determine when it’s time to regenerate:

Q. I wasn’t getting any ozone coming from my Poseidon 200. I replaced the corona discharge cell and still have no ozone smell coming from unit. There is air coming out just no ozone smell. What could be the problem?

With no air being drawn into the Poseidon 200 no ozone will flow out of the cell and into your skimmer. If using a reactor, air will need to be pushed through the Poseidon and into the reactor to work.

Q. Is it necessary to run carbon on top of my skimmer waste cup?   

It is highly recommended to put a bag of activated carbon over the holes on top of the skimmer cup to capture any loose ozone. It should be replaced every 3-6 months.

Q. I’m using a Poseidon 200 on a 5,500-gallon mixed reef aquarium. Would an oxygen concentrator enhance the productivity of the unit? If so, what would you recommend I target with the dial? I am using an ORP monitor/controller.

Yes, oxygen that is concentrated higher than ambient air (~20.9 nominal oxygen content) will yield a higher ozone concentration and output from the ozone generator. An oxygen concentrator would increase the concentration of oxygen going into your Poseidon, but you would:

  1. Reduce the flow rate down to between 2-10 SCFH (which we believe your ROC has an internal meter built in) (be sure to check if it is using SCFH or LPM – the general rule of thumb is 1 SCFH = 2.12 LPM. If your model does not, you’d need to get a flow meter (i.e., a oxygen gas meter such as the ones Dwyer Instruments sells).
  2. Replace the corona discharge cell 2x as often (every 6 months max) due to increased stress on the unit.
  3. Calibrate your ORP probe regularly (NOTE: the Apex probe cannot be calibrated) and get a dissolved ozone kit to determine the exact max point of your specific ORP probe against a set solution.
  4. Monitor the backflow pressure from the ozone outlet (with an ozone safe flow meter) going into your skimmer/ozone reactor to ensure there isn’t a buildup of negative pressure. NOTE: Ozone should only go into a dedicated ozone resistant skimmer and never be used as part of a recirculating CO2 scrubber unit. If done, there is a risk of a chemical reaction between the ozone and CO2 scrubbing media. 
  5. As for your ORP level, the general rule of thumb is ~350-385. Outside of this you run the risk of damage to the fish (especially tangs and angel fish). There are a few ORP/ozone specific monitors on the market. It might be worth exploring this if you go down this path.
  6. As for the knob setting, every tank is different, but most people find the 3-6 range enough. Having said that, your system is a lot larger so you might need to go higher OR think about the Poseidon 400 unit.

Q. Are the fittings and hoses provided with the Poseidon 200 ozone resistant?

Yes, all components supplied with the Poseidon 200 are ozone resistant.

Q. What ozone system do you recommend for a 265- gallon SPS reef tank?

Here’s what we’d recommend:

  • Using either an IQ 20 or IQ 40 air dryer (they are worth their weight in gold to keep the air dry – they improve the effectiveness of the unit by 60%)
  • Poseidon 200 (The dial goes 0-10 but based on my experience you’ll likely find the 4-6 range to be ample based on an average fish bio load). 
  • Servicing: The corona discharge cell (this is the part that makes the ozone) needs to be serviced every 3 months and replaced annually- available at Bulk Reef Supply when you need them.

Q. What is the required amount of air flow for the Poseidon 200 to work properly?

We recommend the airflow to be between 3-8 with an ideal of 6-7 Standard Cubic Feet per Hour (SCFH) for the Poseidon to work most effectively. We do not sell airflow meters, but you can find some ozone-safe meters on Amazon.

Q. Can the Poseidon 200 be mounted with input/output arrows pointed downwards with adjustment knob on top or just horizontally?

Yes, the Poseidon 200 can be mounted vertically or horizontally. The direction will not impact the flow of air/ozone. Please be sure there are no kinks in the hose or a chance of the unit falling and causing water damage or an electrical problem. (See diagram in manual for visual assistance)

Q. I live in a climate where the air is dry most of the time, do I need an air drier to run the ozone?

Air prep regardless of climate is helpful to create more effective ozone output. In this environment, you can use the DI Dryer 2.0 unit and baking the beads as needed.

Q. I have the Poseidon 200 and desiccant bead dryer for my reef tank. I thought it would be ok to just add the air dryer IQ-20 and it would keep the air it all dry: but no, the media turned pink in one day. Should the air pump and ozone generator should be off or on during the dryers regen cycle?

Both the air pump and Poseidon need to be off during the reign time (~2-3 hrs).

Q. What do I do if (salt) water syphons back into my Corona Discharge cell?

For your safety and the safety of your equipment, we always recommend installing a check valve (one is provided when purchasing a Poseidon ozone generator). As for the CD cell, it is vital to clean the cell to remove any water, mineral deposits and nitric acid from the cell/lines.

To see how to do this, please follow the instructions via the link here: CD cell cleaning kit instructions and if you need to replace the CD cell click here for instructions.

Q. This new unit makes my entire basement smell of ozone even at setting 2. My skimmer cup lid has a large bag of carbon blocking every hole so I am not sure where that much ozone is escaping. My ORP also never moves no matter how long it runs. What should I do?

It sounds like not all the available ozone is being used up and moving through the skimmer to fast – not enough contact time in the skimmer.

A few things you can try to correct this.

  • If a DC pump, you can try slowing down the pump to see if that helps and finding the sweet spot.
  • Add a bag of carbon at the bottom of the skimmer outlet as ozone is heavier than air so unused aqueous ozone sinks while ambient ozone raises (hence the carbon on the top)
  • Move away from the bag of carbon and add one of these covers  here
  • Pick up a Top Mount Flowmeter here  to know whether you’re drawing to much air and it’s throwing off the whole system
  • Increase the micron size of your filtration to capture the smaller particles. This will help raise the ORP and add additional clarity to your system.

Q. Does my Poseidon need to be turned off when I’m in feed mode and my skimmer is off?

Yes. If in feed mode your Poseidon MUST be turned off when the skimmer is off or it will damage the unit (and it is not covered by the warranty). If possible, plug your skimmer and Poseidon into the same outlet or have code indicating both off during feed mode.